Liba Hopeson
BTC, Pfutsero
For some weeks, I’m not able to give time in writing, though my mind continues to contemplate to write many things. Yet I persist to read articles written by different writers and I enjoy reading them. A couple of weeks ago, I wrote an article on ‘Learning from Rejoinder’ and it was published in few news papers. In my write-up, I didn’t try to point out that we should desist from writing rejoinder. Recently, I come across a couple of articles, airing their views in a way that writing rejoinder is not substantial and appreciable. Nonetheless, the so called ‘paper war’ or ‘rejoinder’ continues. So, it prompted me to think and ask, “Is rejoinder really awful and unacceptable”? Indeed, it is a common understanding that, perfection cannot be there in a write-up and hence we should assimilate the good ideas and ignore the bad and negative ones. But, if the news papers do not entertain any rejoinders, do we think we’ll have a better serene and peaceful environment? Let us reason together!
What is rejoinder anyway? In a simple sense, it is a response or a reply. When the readers of the articles are dissatisfied or doubtful or indignant with a write-up, one writes rejoinder to rectify the writer or to refute the notions expressed in the write-up to be wrong. Articles are written by different persons with different knowledge, backgrounds, interest and styles. Definitely, one cannot write an article which can please everyone or cause all the readers to accept it to be good. Even my intimate friends will disagree with my writings. So, it is impossible for us to preclude or stop others from writing rejoinders – however though, to be published or not is in the hands of the editors. But, is rejoinder all about criticism and condemnation? Is it just wastage of time? Do you detest rejoinder and consider that we should not encourage it? Are you tired of reading rejoinder? I really learn a lot from reading both articles and rejoinders, good and bad ones. I believe, through my blunders, others learn and I also learn through others mistakes.
If we write an article and get a rejoinder, it does not necessarily mean that the article is bad or insignificant or trivial. For instance, we have sermon evaluation in the college, wherein, the sermon preached by a particular person is critically observed and evaluated by the critique or the evaluator. During the sermon evaluation days, I tried to carefully observe and evaluate the sermon evaluation. Interestingly, I found that few preachers who preached better were given more comments and suggestions by the evaluators. So, I encouraged those persons who preached nicely but got more comments not to be disheartened, by saying that they did well. It may sound absurd to some, but it is a reality and it is life. Receiving criticisms or suggestions in anything doesn’t mean that what we have done is absolutely wrong. So, if a writer writes an article and considers it to be beautiful and superb, but receive a rejoinder the following day, we cannot conclude that the article is totally bad or inauthentic. The writer should not be discouraged or be in despair, considering that the article is worthless. At times, I worry a bit because I never get a rejoinder for my articles, for I believe in the philosophy that if our work is good, there will be criticisms, oppositions, disagreements, suggestions, comments, and rejections. However, I don’t mean to say that I consider all the articles I have written and published to be bad nor do I try to say that article is authentic only when many readers criticize and disagree. And, I’m not praying for rejoinder(s) on my articles. But, I would encourage all the writers of the articles who got rejoinder(s), especially those who are intensely criticized and diabolically condemned with dirty and invective words, not to be discouraged and relinquish in writing. Try to know that you are on the road of refinement and improvement. Here, I’m not trying to disprove all the rejoinders published earlier in the papers and justify the writers of all the published articles. Sometimes, the articles could be right and the rejoinders wrong. But, sometimes the writers of the articles get rejoinders because they are wrong. I’m not intending to side with anybody in particular.
Now, coming again to my question is rejoinder really bad, I would say that it is like money, which is not inherently bad or evil but it becomes bad when we misuse it. I feel that rejoinders should appear in the news papers, provided we make it constructive and healthy. I heard an interesting story of a group of Japanese that, if they have any project to take up, they would take months and years in deliberation. Opportunity is given to anyone who wishes to share anything – to oppose, disagree, suggest, comment etc. Since, ideas and interest differs from person to person, they take a lot of time. But interestingly, once the discussion is over, they start the work seriously and complete the work within few weeks or months time. And after, the work is done, nobody is allowed to complain or criticize in any matter. If anybody violates the rule, he/she will be in lockup. Unlike this group of Japanese, we Nagas are often impatient in spending few hours in important meetings or discussions. Many would be concerned about the time and complain, and fail to give constructive criticisms and suggestions. But, when the work is started or done, we complain a lot saying, it should not be done that way, they should not do that way, it would have been better if we do in different way, so forth and so on. Indeed, at times, we discuss for long time, debate and argue, but sadly, destructive many a times. Therefore, I believe we have a good lesson to learn from the Japanese. We need different opinions and ideas in order to get or do something worthwhile. So, I believe rejoinder should continue to appear in the papers because all the readers cannot have the same positive attitude and imbibe the good points and ignore the bad ones. It is not a matter of clarifying the writer of the article, but a concern for all the readers. I believe, many write rejoinder(s) not only because they are discontented and irked with the article or the writer, but because they fear that the article will mislead many. I consider that it’s good to know different ideas from different persons, especially on some vague and vexed topics. Many might have exasperated by reading all the unhealthy rejoinders published in the papers, but if the editors do not give a space for rejoinder, many might have misled, misinformed and triggered external undesirable consequences.
As aforementioned, my intention in this write-up is not to justify someone or to disprove someone. You may understand in a way that I’m on the side of the previous rejoinder writers, but I’m not. Rather, one of my main concerns is to throw few suggestions to those who write rejoinder(s). At times, we may be right in our ideas, but it could be wrong when we express our opinions in writing. Rejoinder is good if it is constructive, but bad when it is destructive. One piece of suggestion I would give is, “have self-control and control anger”. To make it more lucid, when you read an article and get angry, do not be too quick to write rejoinder, but think, rethink and write. For when we are furious, we have a tendency to do terrible and odd things. Yes, everybody gets angry, but let us be careful in using vocabularies that will put somebody nowhere and put ourselves above others as though we are absolutely right. It is not only a matter of concern between the writer of the rejoinder and the article, trying to justify oneself and disprove the other, but it is a concern of how others read our life, character and personality through our write-up. I’m not simply suggesting you to be careful in using your words in order not to hurt the one you are addressing to, but I don’t want you to tarnish your own image in your writing just because of your carelessness and lack of self-control. Let us remember that many intellectuals, wise people, leaders and other trustworthy people are reading our articles! People know who we are from our write-ups. Further, it is not only a concern that people study us from our write-up, but it is also a concern that we’ll continue to write in the future. People may not literally stop us from writing, but if we express too extreme ideas and words, we’ll not be free in the future to write on certain topics, for we have conscience that will prick our mind as we are human beings, not animals. Indeed, some might have written against the rejoinder(s) with much pain and concern in their heart because they have read many unhealthy rejoinders which contain filthy and inhuman words. In fact, we come across certain unhealthy write-ups, attacks and counter attacks, placing somebody nowhere and justifying oneself to be right and good. Nevertheless, I reckon that rejoinder is not bad if we write in a healthy manner. As you read this article, some of you who write articles or rejoinders might feel personally attacked, considering that it is directed towards you, but I don’t target anyone in particle. It is my belief that rejoinders cannot be stopped as long as human beings are different, but I’m praying for constructive rejoinders, not destructive ones. Let’s continue to write for building life!
