Temsukumzuk Pongen
Asst. Professor, Department Of Commerce, St. Joseph’s College, Jakhama
Most people fail to understand that there is greater joy and satisfaction in being your own boss and in doing what you love doing. The experts says that there is risk always involved with business or in doing something differently. But when you have opportunities and resources strewn all over, the theory of risk does not apply here. When there is huge demand, you do not necessarily have to be worried to sell your products.But we turn a blind eye and refuse to see it because we are already blinded by our ego and our pride, I suppose.
Most of the youths today are not aware even after they graduate, of what they want to do with their life. A mere grad degree certificate is not a ticket to get you a job. There is massive competition where you got to have skills and determination to secure yourself a job.Our parents and elders only know and care about government sector jobs. I was once asked when I told some of my relatives with pride that I teach in one of the best college in Nagaland. They asked “Etu Government job asey???” (Is that a Government job???) This is for your perusal. We have to do away with it.
Success is not determined by how much money you earn. I rather believe success is when you are paid for doing something you love doing. Supposing I love KFC, I would not mind people paying me money to have buckets and buckets of KFC’s chicken wings. Who else won’t be happier that way? My point is we need to do something we love doing and make it our career/profession and be satisfied and contented with life no matter, even if we earn peanuts.
India has the strongest young workforce in the world in its 2 trillion economy. But when it produces only roughly 2%skilled workforce, it becomes a nightmare. We can make a comparison with Germany which produces over 97% skilled and employable graduates. Now, where do we stand when our economy is set to rise up to 7 trillion by 2030?Where does Nagaland stand? Above 70,000 youths are reportedly registered educated unemployed and its horror to me to even think about the figures of the rest, i.e. the unregistered plus the drop outs and the lot. It could be staggering and a grief concern.
I did a small math:Let’s assume there’s only one college in Nagaland with 5,000 students. That means there will be 5,000 fresh graduates in 3 years if all of them pass. Even if we take this small fictitious figure, our Government is not in a place to absorb them all nor can’t they generate enough opportunities. There are no infrastructures, industries, factories, companies, etc. Our Government itself is very dependent because there is lack of policy support,mis-governance,lopsided development, diversion of funds generously, groups of different kinds more than our fingers, so much social unrest and havoc, etc. This imbroglio cannot be tamed.
Now, we have more than 60 Colleges in Nagaland (both Govt. & private). We need to ponder upon the probability of securing a job in the Govt. Sector.We shouldn’t make it our very own excuse for our misadventures. We need to stand up strong and with something unique. Our imagination dies under the withering heat of criticism and coming back to earth after a flight of imagination, we can often have a rough landing. We need to get out of the box. We need to get our priorities right. Life is this gigantic stinking mess, but that’s the beauty of it too. I don’t think anyone ever changes really, but I think we can evolve and we can try and become a better versions of ourselves. There are over 130 different job profiles around the globe. Out of which over 30% will be out or dead due to automation (IT). We need to get ourselves skilled to face this.
If you want something, don’t expect or wait, make your first move and kill it. We need to change our outlook towards life first. We attract into our lives a reflection of what we think. They say everything we hold in our conscious thoughts becomes our cage and our reality. We should not always desire calmness. Sometimes we need to demand chaos in our lives to make ourselves realize that we are still alive and a human being. Einstein said, ‘No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it’. We need to get out of it, think differently and survive differently to come out of this mess.The Devils have started to buy very expensive cosmetics and also going under the knife. You never know what’s coming your way to tempt you away from reaching your destinations.Why do we always have to depend on others?Why should we keep thinking we are incapable?I’m afraid, it’ll be a sin if we keep begging and just be dependent on others when we are totally abled.
I went for an interview in the year 2014. I was submitting my resume when two pretty ladies stepped in. The man at the front desk asked for which job they were applying for. To my astonishment one of them replied, “We saw an Ad and that’s why we are here, but no idea which one”. How on earth is that? That attitude of our own young minds dilutes our trust in the system. Why are we so ignorant? Whose fault is it?
Another heart breaker: I once asked anacquaintance who holds a DCA (Diploma in Computer Applications) certificate, if he can explain me something about JAVA and networking. I was stunned at his response. He said he bought the certificate. It’s so obvious. We say we are educated. We say we have degrees. But are we really ready?
All these corruptions and mismanagements is like adding X’s and Y’s to the already burdened and complicated MATH.
Recently came across some news wherein Kidima Village under Kohima district with the initiative of the Horticulture Department was able to have a turnover of over 1 crore from sales of their very own vegetables. Does it ring a bell? How significantly it is impacting the socio-economic status of its people and the state at large. There is massive difference between going beyond and doing what’s right and doing less than what is required. Makes a lot of difference in our lives. We need to disseminate this enthusiasm and encouragement to the young generation.
A mouse trap doesn’t necessarily have to run after mice. Keep yourself focused and grounded. Surely good things will happen when you do something you love. This message might sound a cliché and I too expect it to be a little more musical than a tin can being thrown down the stairs, but I don’t belittle the point it makes and wish the young avid minds a successful trip. It is but gibberish, yet intriguing when we ourselves are involved with this war. It is my own battle as it is yours.
“Guard your light and protect it. Move it forward into the world and be fully confident that if we connect light to light to light, and join the lights together of the one billion young people in our world today, we will be enough to set our whole planet aglow”.HafsatAbiola
