IMPHAL, Sept 2: The Khoibu Students Union, Delhi, KSUD, organised its annual freshers’ meet 2010, welcoming nine new students this year to various academic and professional courses in institutions in Delhi.
The modest but impressive function was organised at the Community Centre, Nanakpura, Motibagh in South Delhi,
enthusiastically participated by about 200 people, both students as well as Koibu families who are Delhi domiciles, over and above invitees from other communities.
Editor of the Imphal Free Press, Pradip Phanjoubam, was the chief guest and K Sam Mathew, state council member of the CPI and a known well wisher of people from the northeast was the guest of honour. The function was ably compered by Angdawnsaang Khaling.
In his speech, the chief guest said, students must imbibe a spirit of liberalism for their understanding and ultimately practise of democracy meaningful. He also stressed on the need for culturing the basic human instinct of empathy which enables the individual or community to share the pains and pleasures, sorrow and joy of others, and in the process mutually enrich each others’ lives and experiences.
He said it is every individual’s and every community’s right to celebrate their uniqueness but this does not have to mean fracturing the larger society they belong to.
The guest of honour, in his speech said the communities from Manipur and other places in the northeast must not feel overly hurt at what are perceived as negative attitude of the local communities to them, for although bad, this is a universal phenomenon. He said he too as a person from Kerala suffered the sense of persecution for a long time after arrival in Delhi, but now has got over it.
He said he also shares one other attribute with most people from the northeast for he too is a Christian. He said Christians have always been providing vital services to humanity and indeed, for a long time, the para-medical institutes in most metropolises have been drawing their best crops of recruits from amongst Christian communities in Kerala and northeast, and this scenario continues to be so.
He said the students must strive to be stars of tomorrow and come out with flying colours in their studies and later in their careers.
The function ended with a sumptuous pork and chicken dinner.
