HT Correspondent
DIBRUGARH, Aug 13: The college teachers belonging to the Kuki community of Assam officially launched their long-felt need association by the name ‘Assam Kuki Tribes College Professors’ Association’ with its acronym ASKTCPAS, on August 8.
It was a simple but befitting virtual mode function attended by almost all college teachers of the Kuki community from different parts of the state.
The chief guest on the occasion was Dr. Thangkim Haolai, retired professor and former head of, Department of English, Haflong Govt. College, and author of ‘Kuki Culture in North Cachar Hills: Before and after the advent of Christianity’.
The official launching of the Association was marked by an initial invocation from Roslyne Changsan, assistant professor, Department of Political Science, Haflong Govt. College and was followed by a keynote address from Dr. Lamkholal Doungel, associate professor, DHSK College, Dibrugarh.
Dr. Doungel while discoursing on the need for an association for the Kuki college teachers also informed and expounded to the members the motto and objectives of the association.
He said, “the motto is ‘Teaching, Learning, and Beyond’ and this unequivocally implies that the members of the association shall devote themselves for the cause of the common good of the society beyond the basic academic duty of teaching and learning.”
Elaborating further, he said the association shall be catering to the needs of the professors in their career advancement and professional development and also shall equally support scholars, students, and academicians through teaching, learning, research, and guidance as to its basic objectives.
Speaking on the occasion after her official pronouncement of launching the Association, the chief guest, Dr. T Haolai congratulated the teachers and expressed her happiness over the formation of the much needed professional organization like ‘College Professors’ Association’ and termed it as ‘timely and need of the hour’. She candidly thanked Dr. L Doungel and his friends who conceived the idea and made it possible; and said “this will go a long way in uplifting our society in the path of progress”.
The newly formed executive body of the professors’ association shall be headed by Dr. Lamkholal Doungel as president, Dr. Paochun Tuboi as general secretary, and Hoitinkim Singson as treasurer, with the remaining portfolios to be expanded very shortly.
The new elected leaders were formally blessed and dedicated by Rev Siehjalam Doungel, who strongly urged and exhorted the professors to uprightly serve the nation as torchbearers of the society.
The program was chaired and smoothly moderated by Dr. P Tuboi of SPP College, Nampi Sivasagar. Other speakers on the occasion were Lalpiengmawi Changsan, Dr Lamsy Hengna, and Hoitinkim Singson, assistant professor of Dr. BKB College, Nagaon, assistant professor of Bongaigaon College, and assistant professor of Handique College, Guwahati respectively.
Finally, Sangboi Doungel, assistant professor of DHSK College, Dibrugarh called an end to the program with a vote of thanks conveying sincere gratitude to the chief guest and all the members present in the program.