People of Manipur need to come out from magical, mythical thinking and start critical thinking to bring positive changes in the society, president of Manipur University Council DESAM H Nilakanta said on Monday.
He was giving his speech during a discourse on “Role of Universities in the Movement for Updating Agenda Manipur” on Monday at conference hall of Commerce Department, MU in Imphal West which was jointly organised by Manipur University Council DESAM and MUSU.
Since the merger of Manipur to India in 1949, various movements have been taken up for the rights of the people of the state but in return, the people are only getting a confidence crisis, culture of hopelessness and habit of negativity, said the president.
Meanwhile, most of the present leaders have been drowned in the trends of scepticism, opportunism and defeatism, he said, adding it is the need of the hour to establish an updated Agenda Manipur in consultation with all the stakeholders.
Stating that there will be no reliable leader left in the state if an intellectual movement does not lead the society, he pointed out the need of the intellectuals of the universities to take the responsibility of making an Agenda Manipur.
However, making an Agenda Manipur only in the paper will be meaningless. It needs to be aware that the people give an impact to the masses and bring changes in the society, he added.
It is the real duty of the intellectuals to teach critical thinking to the masses, he said, adding that a person who started critical thinking will automatically develop conscientisation.
He also stressed the need to focus on politics, economy and education while making the Agenda Manipur while giving more priority to politics.
“Maximum betrays politics, unable to choose the rightful candidate during election and also is unable to see the consequences arising out of influx of outsiders in the state,” he said.
The discourse was also attended by retired IAS RK Nimai; Editor of Imphal Review of Arts and Politics Pradip Phanjoubam; professors, assistant professors and scholars of MU, DM University and Indira Gandhi National Tribal University among others.
