Kohima: In a significant move to honour and preserve the rich educational heritage of the Northeast, Nagaland’s Education Department, in collaboration with the National Archives of India, has inaugurated a week-long exhibition titled ‘Development of Education in North Eastern India’. The event, held at the Capital Convention Centre in Kohima, was officially opened by the state’s Minister for Higher Education and Tourism, Temjen Imna Along, and will run until Independence Day.
During his inaugural address, Minister Along described the event as a historic milestone for Nagaland. He stressed the vital need for meticulous documentation and archiving to safeguard the region’s cultural and academic legacy. “Despite the absence of a native script, the Naga community has made incredible progress, a testament to divine grace and the foresight of our ancestors,” Along stated. He also paid homage to the early Christian missionaries, whose pioneering educational efforts, he noted, were instrumental in Nagaland’s remarkable ascent to becoming the second most literate state in India. Addressing the youth, he urged them to cultivate humility and adaptability through education, while embracing technological advancements. “Every educated individual is employable; it is about self-curation and contributing one’s achievements to community betterment,” he added.
Also present at the event was MLA Tseilhoutuo Rhutso, who lauded the exhibition as an enlightening experience and passionately advocated for the establishment of a dedicated archives centre in Nagaland. He appealed to the Ministry of Culture for support, highlighting that such a facility would serve not only Nagaland but the entire Northeast region.
Samar Nanda, Director General of the National Archives of India, echoed this sentiment, underscoring that the preservation of culture is fundamental to understanding and shaping the future. He expressed optimism that Nagaland would see the rise of more educational institutions, in line with the vision of a developed India (Viksit Bharat).
The exhibition itself offers a meticulously curated collection of archival documents, rare books, private papers, and photographs. Through multimedia displays and scholarly materials, it chronicles the intricate evolution of education in the region, showcasing the blend of indigenous traditions, missionary contributions, colonial policies, and modern state interventions that have shaped the educational landscape of Northeast India.
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