Kohima, November 30 (MTNews): Governor of Nagaland, Prof Jagdish Mukhi while extending his greetings to the people of Nagaland on its 60th year of Statehood said, since attaining Statehood on 1 December1963, the state has experienced unprecedented progress in every sector and emerged as one of the promising states in the growth narrative of our country.
The governor also remembered and lauded the pioneers and leaders who have contributed in shaping the State of Nagaland. “The contribution of each and every citizen of the State during the transitional phase of Nagaland’s evolution to the present state needs special mention,” he said.
“As we celebrate six decades of Statehood, we look back and take pride in all triumphs in the face of daunting challenges. But now,” the Governor said, “it is an opportune moment to reflect on miscalculated steps and blunders, deliberate and engage on core issues and put in more concerted efforts towards attaining a transformed and progressive State.”
The Governor further advised to ensure that nepotism, opaque administration, corruption and anything that corrodes a society has no place in the State.
“We as a State must take a pledge on this solemn day to aspire to be one such State where meritocracy, transparency and accountability in governance have primacy over parochial and self-interest gains. This is the only way to propel Nagaland and establish itself in this otherwise fast paced world of globalization and modernity,” he stated.
He also noted that development cannot be achieved when there is an atmosphere of fear and insecurity. In this regard, the Governor stressed on the need to create a conducive environment in all manner so that children can thrive and not only survive.
“We need to empower our youth and make them job creators so that they can also contribute to the economic development of North East India in general and Nagaland in particular,” he said and encouraged the youth to set out into entrepreneurship and become job providers rather than job seekers.
“Many of our educated youth can take up agriculture on their own lands as a profession which will bring not only economic growth but also self-reliance. There is a lot of scope in agriculture. With the utilisation of latest technology you can improve crop yields and catapult the state’s development in robust growth trajectory and improve the entrepreneurial landscape of our state,” he suggested.
Stating that the impact of any development can only be felt when its fruit reach the lowest strata of the society, Mukhi said one of the priorities of the state government is to reach out to those weaker sections of the society to bring them under the ambit of the development to make them stakeholders of the state’s development initiatives.
The Governor further asserted that women empowerment is fundamental to the progress of any society and that no nation can progress socially or economically if its women were left behind.
“If the women are not empowered, if they are not safe, if gender discrimination exists, then the society cannot progress and prosper,” he added and urged all to join hands for building a better and transformed Nagaland.
