AYIMA, Oct 31, 2021:

Dr. J B Ekka, IAS, the Principal Secretary, Labour Welfare and Tea Tribes Welfare Dept., Govt. of Assam, inaugurated the AYIMA website – https://.ayima.in on the 31st of October 2021 during the 24th AYIMA Global Webinar, organized by the AYIMA Team, moderated by Mr. Louise Aind, IPS (Rtd) with participants numbering 89 from across the globe. Dr. Ekka said that the website is being created to motivate and inspire youths and exhorted that anyone browsing this website and going through the life stories of simple people whom are now big achievers today, would certainly benefit them much. Adivasi Youth get Inspired, Motivated and Achieve (AYIMA) is an Online Platform created by scholarly community of academicians and reflective practitioners aimed to improve the Human Development Index (HDI) along with a larger goal of Social Upward Mobility of the Community, especially the Adivasi Youth.

Dr. Ekka also shared his life journey starting from his place of birth, the Erawal village under Dumri Block of Gumla District in Jharkhand to the AIIMS in Delhi, to Johns Hopkins University in USA and then back to Assam, holding several portfolios like the Deputy Commissioner of Golaghat and Nagaon districts, Mission Director of NRHM, Commissioner of Taxes, Principal Secretary P&RD and then Principal Secretary, Labour Welfare and Tea Tribes Welfare Department. Dr. Ekka was, from his very childhood and still today is a big dreamer and an inexorable worker who always fought to achieve his dreams. As a young boy he wanted to become a rich farmer. On seeing a video in a public bus, he wanted to purchase number of buses. However, his dreams changed when his Dad suggested him to become a medical practitioner. Neither his family’s economic background nor his background as Adivasi could stopped him from competing in the best educational institutions in India and the best universities in the world; and he did excel everywhere. He says it is not necessary to get coached to crack civil service exams or any competitive exams for that matter. What you need is a strong willpower, commitment to your goal and consistency in what you are doing. “I was not a lucky guy, I worked hard daily 10 to 14 hours to achieve my dreams”, he says. He did not complain of anything, he just made best use of what was available at that time. And in today’s time everything is available just at the click of a button, as such if students do not become successful the problems largely lie with them. 

On queries to the Development of Adivasis or the so-called Tea Tribes in Assam he said the Community need to wake up like any other communities in Assam. Lot of awareness requires to be built among the community which the civil society organizations should do as the Govt. does not have such reach. Door to door campaign is required to reduce the exponential gap between the government departments and the Adivasi community. This will happen only when the community approach the departments and not vice-versa. Not belittling the major demands of the community, Dr. Ekka encouraged the youths and the participants to fully avail what the government is providing through various departments.  Mr. David Ekka, member of the MSW Association in Assam expressed to Dr. Ekka, that this association wants to be the extended arms, hands and legs of the Department to which Dr. Ekka welcomed. He also welcomed the team for a physical meeting with officials from his department. On unavailability of marksheets during the pandemic, Dr. Ekka agreed to the suggestion made by Dr. Bimal Lakra, that he will issue official direction to the functionaries of the department, say in such case letter from the head of the institution stating that the student has appeared and cleared the exam would suffice to avail the scholarship under the department.

Many queries were made by the participants such as support to students for civil services exams, overseas studies, career or job-oriented studies, support to entrepreneurs, etc. which was suggested to be discussed later on.

Posted by
Mr. T. Jude Xalxo, for AYIMA