Kohima: Peren Deputy Commissioner Hiazu Meru sounded the alarm on local environmental decay and a surge in substance abuse during the Zeliang Students Union Nagaland literary event on August 21. Meru challenged the region's green reputation, citing massive logging as the primary culprit. He specifically called for strict enforcement of the Nagaland Tree Felling Regulation Rules, 2002. Forests are dying. He also pointed to illegal riverbed extraction, insisting that Article 371A should not be treated as a loophole to evade the Nagaland Minor Mineral Concession Rules, 2004.
Substance abuse remains a severe threat to local students. Official data records 744 cases in the district, though the real number is likely higher. Meru blamed peer pressure, trauma, and easy access for the crisis. He warned students living in rented housing to pick their friends carefully. “Hard work, honesty, discipline, commitment and integrity, he said, remained timeless values.”
Economic dependence on the state remains another hurdle. Using 2011 Census and Personnel Information Management System data, Meru noted that Nagaland hosts 1,23,392 government employees from a population of 19,78,502. The Zeliang tribe holds only 3,223 of those slots. He urged students to look beyond government work and aim for policy-making roles. Meanwhile, Peren Government College is pushing for NAAC accreditation.
The event at the Peren Town Hall drew 100 students from 21 schools. ZLSU president Roland Zeliang and District Education Officer Limadangit Jamir also spoke. Competition winners included essay writers Mesanthu Mbung, Ichetwangbe, and Keyisuile Thou. Speech winners were Kangzangheing, Keheikangyile, Aien Siang, Sangjemwati Jamir, Lakhon Lyndoh, and Sanal Debarma.
Updated at 24th August 2026 at 1:48pm
Meru expanded on the environmental fallout, noting that indiscriminate logging kills off local bird and wildlife populations. He specifically called out the practice of issuing riverbed extraction permits without following proper channels. He urged village authorities and the public to get educated on existing environmental laws instead of leaning on Article 371A as a get-out-of-jail-free card.
The DC also broadened his take on the student body. He defined the target audience as Gen Z and Gen Alpha, labeling them as inherently capable but in need of independent thinking skills. He pushed students to look past their textbooks to broaden their knowledge, while staying tethered to their cultural identity. Beyond the classroom, he warned that factors like family history, stress, and early exposure play a heavy hand in the substance abuse crisis.
Participation details rounded out the event. The 100 students came from a mix of 12 private schools, 6 government schools, 2 government colleges, and 1 private college. Winning essayists included Mesanthu Mbung of Baptist High School, Tening; Ichetwangbe of Baptist Higher Secondary School, Peren; and Keyisuile Thou of Kirjath Jearim Mission School. Speech victors included Kangzangheing and Keheikangyile from St Xavier Higher Secondary School, Jalukie, and Aien Siang from Government Higher Secondary School, Peren. The extempore speech category featured Sangjemwati Jamir of St Xavier College, Jalukie, along with Lakhon Lyndoh and Sanal Debarma from the College of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry, Jalukie.
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