About the College

Salt Christian College, Dimapur is a secular seat of higher education. It was given birth as the first private college in Dimapur by the pragmatism of an inspired soul - Dr. M Panger Longchar on 5th May, 1991 with an unusual, unprecedented and un-quavering motto “Ye are the Salt of the Earth”. Though the motto may sound odd for the vision of a seat of higher education elsewhere in India, yet in the context of a people like Nagas it is replete with the wisdom of an illuminating pedant and path-finder of a primitive folk, living on isolated, least-heard and difficult terrains of remote northeast. Nagas, after coming in contact with the outer world, i.e., the British administration and American Baptist missionaries for the first time in their life towards the close of 19th century, showed all urgency to enter into the threshold of modernity and join a 20th and 21st century national and global intellectual movement like any other race. Without good education perhaps, these Neolithic folks, as they appeared before the Europeans in the latter half of the 19th century, would have remained in perpetual darkness.

“Ye are Salt of the Earth” is capable of biblical, socio-political and economic connotations in the context of an emerging Naga society. Salt is most essential for life of all people everywhere. Without it our food is unimaginable. Like water and air it is the essence of food and hence, our life and growth. Perhaps Dr. Panger wanted to use the word “salt” in this sense. He wanted to groom batches of youth so that they could add salt to life -more worth for themselves and other. Nagas bereft of external influence, rare trade and cultural interactions with even their immediate neighbours of Assam valley, continued their quest for salt. Battles fought and heads hunter just for a handful of salt. All Naga raids onto the neighbouring valleys too often were basically motivated by salt, bidi and kerosene. Mikhi river of Naga Hills on the Indo-Burma border gave Nagas a scanty quantity of salt and in the past it was the fierce battle ground for conquering it even at the cost of thousands of innocent lives, young or old and men or women.

Though missionaries took great pains to make the Nagas write and read, yet the latter needed an education infrastructure which could not develop until the recent past. Thus, “Salt” of 1991 is only the rhetoric for inspiring and attracting Naga youths from various parts of the state to pursue their goals. Hence the motto is worth of its vision. The college came up in 1991 as one of the oldest colleges not only in Dimapur but also in the whole state to spread and promote higher education among youths across caste and religions denominations. Dimapur, where the college is located is the largest urban centre in the state and this (Dimapur - city of Riparian People in Tibeto-Burman language) of yesteryears is now the melting point of diverse people. Its location, being at the centre of the city offers an ideal opportunity for growth.