Recent incidents of rape, murder, extortion, cheating, land encroachment and other corrupt practices and illegality in Naga society is indicative of our moral degeneration to such a low that as a people we have been reduced to the likeness of animals out to devour each other. Naga society is in deep trouble and this fact should be realized by all the concerned people—from our civil society, churches, students, political parties etc. In fact, it is good to learn that the head of the government, the Chief Minister of Nagaland has himself acknowledged his concern during the recent consultative meeting on the issue of Intangki National Park held on Saturday when Neiphiu Rio remarked that Nagas have “lost our honesty and our integrity”. As Rio went on to suggest, there is “a serious need for reformation of Naga society”. The dilemma it seems is that while we have tried to keep pace with the competitive world, knowingly or unknowingly we have ended up compromising on our values, integrity and character. And as rightly mentioned by the CM, there is a need for reformation in our land. While several suggestions can be made to go about doing our task, one area that must be given importance is on value education as it will help to better the quality of life. Values codify the dos and don’ts of behaviour. The values that spring from within or the core of the heart, like love, compassion, sympathy, empathy, tolerance, etc. lay the foundation for the external practised values like peace, love, honesty, discipline, punctuality, loyalty, goodness etc. And isn’t this the need of the hour for the Naga people?
To begin with, the school platform is the right place to begin the process of educating on values. A child’s mind is like soft clay and can be moulded to any desired shape. The right impressions formed in the child’s mind will guide him/her throughout life. By investing on value education, we will be doing yeoman service for the future well being of our society. Value based education must be made compulsory at school level, at least. The present day modern system of education and training has failed to produce men and leaders of character and integrity. In fact this is a bit surprising because Naga forefathers were known for their honesty and hard work and integrity. Today what we find is that our youths find themselves in a society disintegrating with so many vices: alcohol, drugs, HIV/AIDS, corruption, violence, rape, defunct leadership, mock democracy etc. One should make a mention of the recent “Awareness Programme on Value Education” conducted by the Zunheboto Government College. Sensitizing students to values will nurture them into becoming responsible, caring and law abiding citizens. The initiative by the Zunheboto Government College is therefore a step in the right direction and also the need of the hour in the light of the disturbing trends in our society. It should also be mentioned that the challenge of curbing crime is not just a matter of public policy, but is also a test of Christian commitment. The local churches including the highest body the Nagaland Baptist Churches Council (NBCC) should also not remain silent and appropriately respond in the face of the moral degradation. Everyone has a role to play in educating the simple yet profound moral lessons of teaching right from wrong, respect for life and the law. By doing this, we will be doing yeoman service to our society.
