As Children’s Day is observed on November 14 every year, it reminds us about the great opportunities before us to mould young people into disciplined, honest, productive and God fearing. We as parents or society are given responsibility to guide children in the right path so that they can grow to be valuable assets for Naga society and also as good citizens for our State. No child ought to become a liability when he or she grows up. But we know this is not always possible to achieve. Nevertheless effort must be made to try and minimize the losses so that when the younger generation takes over from us they have the right values to take our society and nation forward. However let us be very clear that it is not only about our children doing well or contributing positively towards our future, but to start off with, are we as parents or our society’s leaders doing the right things or being good role models? Our children will grow up to be like us just as we grew up to be like our elders—what they taught us, how they lived their lives and what they left us with, whether good or bad.
When we see our young people in the streets threatening or using violence against an innocent passerby; or take the case of extorting money and robbing someone’s hard earned money; misbehaving with our elders or womenfolk under the influence of alcohol or drugs, it is clear that our children are being misguided. The blame must lie with all of us collectively. The point is that if we want to produce law abiding and useful citizens of the future, then the building block should be the home and schools. Parents firstly and then teachers have a big responsibility in making sure that children grow up with the right values instilled in them. The problem of poor parenting and indiscipline among young people in Naga society is a grave concern deserving proper attention. If we are able to get this right, then we will solve many of our basic problems. Off course besides our family and schools, the Church must also engage with this problem of deteriorating moral values.
So one would assume that what young people need are good role models to inspire them. Are the present day public leaders or those who are in influential positions able to provide such inspiration? It is doubtful. You see every child born has to be nurtured with the right kind of values. Today’s children in particular, they grow up so fast that in no time they even act and behave like adults. It is a known fact that children are impressionable from an early age and therefore we as adults must always be alert to the kind of influences surrounding us. And if we are not careful in the upbringing of our children we could well end up paying the price as our society is today faced with—indiscipline, immorality, dishonesty, alcoholism, drug abuse, extortion, corruption, tribalism, factionalism, violence, encroachment etc. Everything that we have come to abhor in our lives, we are knowingly or unknowingly passing on to the next generations. And that is the reason why our society will never improve and become a better place. Today’s children present an opportunity for us to become a better people. But for that to happen they have to be taught and inspired in like fashion.
