Phek, January 29 : Minister for Urban Development Dr. Shurhozelie Liezietsu today said that a huge amount of money running into hundreds of crores is leaving the state annually as earnings of laborers who come to work in Nagaland in various capacities. This is because the younger Naga generation in particular and the Naga people in general have yet to fully exploit their own talents and resources.
Addressing the 13th cultural festival day of the Phusachodumi Youth Society (PYS), Dr. Liezietsu said that the Nagas’ land is “beautiful” with adequate natural resources. But the younger generation especially “must thoroughly introspect as to whether or not we are utilizing our resources to good advantage.”
A nation or state or even a village need not be big to be prosperous. For instance, the island country of Japan has few natural resources. So it buys raw materials from abroad and sells the finished products and now is second only to the USA in economic prosperity. So also is Switzerland which buys cocoa and produces the best chocolate in the world in addition to its internationally famous watches.
The minister quoted from the Evaluation department’s report on the earnings of non-Nagas in Kohima, Dimapur and Mokokchung. There 45,815 non-locals in these three places alone and the sum total of their earnings amount to a staggering Rs 450 crores annually. Except for expenses on food shelter and clothing, the rest of the money is sent outside the state. Again there are 4,000 persons who work at construction sites even though they came to the state and learned their trade here itself but their earnings are in crores. The total of 2,700 pan shops being run by non-locals earn Rs 24 crore per year. However, the highest livelihood is earned by vegetable sellers at Rs 79 crore per year.
“To check the outflow such huge amount, we Nagas must learn how to invest money and put back into circulation through investment within the state itself,” the minister said. The younger generation must understand this thoroughly because while most of them vie for government or white collar jobs, the state sector has already crossed the saturation point. So they must diversify into self-employment according to their individual abilities bearing in mind dignity of labor, he said.
“Then Naga youths can prosper and help usher in peace and labourers from outside will go away on their own when they have no job opportunities (here).”
The minister further said most youths when they go to urban places they imbibe various cultural trends and so tend to lose touch with their very own heritage and culture. So they have to try and assimilate trends without losing touch with their own roots, Dr. Shurhozelie said.
Also speaking in the programme, Parliamentary Secretary for Social Welfare & Women Development Chotisuh Sazo said the qualities of honesty, integrity and hard work “are still there but are now in danger of getting lost and so the youth have to revive them.”
Sazo also dwelt on the significance of the road shows initiated by the ruling DAN government which have been primarily for the benefit of the rural people. Also, numerous development works have been carried and are still going on. “Since we mostly depend on the government because we have few industries or investments our people must extend full support to the DAN Government.”
He also referred to the present situation in the state. “The Forum for Naga Reconciliation (FNR) is on the move for unity among the Nagas as this is a requisite for solution of the Naga political issue. Earlier, there had been many killings but now peace and fraternity are being ushered in. So please pray for those who work for the Govt. in the overall interest of the Nagas.”