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The Postmodern Youth

The philosophical reflections on the today’s youth show that the youth live in the world of periphery. They only see flowers but failed to see that flowers come from a seed. They are happy seeing a beautiful and colourful butterfly but forgot a cocoon and a worm. They have not patient to wait for a plant to grow into beautiful flowers. They do not want the flowers at the funeral but they want them at this instant. They are afraid to see the core reality and thus they are superficially happy cozily going with the wind in the virtual world.

The nature of the youth turns mostly revolves around the tyranny of pleasure. Happiness and pleasure convey the desire for self realization and the young ones are more and more attuned with this trend. They want to experience the highest pleasure; as a result, they prefer group experiences which are more random rather than stable ones which include commitment and rules. They tend to be attracted to fantasy of immediate pleasure and enjoyment rather than disciplinary or religious nature leading to despise discipline, coercion, duties, routine, formal, etc. They are willing to do only that which is a source of pleasure. They fail to see beyond the bodily pleasure lies the real happiness and pleasures.
           
The youth are tired with religions, customs, traditions, rules and disciplines. For them these make them growing old. They want freedom and liberty, which clearly expresses in a slogan “it is prohibited to prohibit”. The postmodern culture of relativity barricades the minds to see and strike beyond the appearance resulting in confusion among the youth.

They are acutely aware of their individuality and originality, but at the same time they fear making important decisions, often procrastinating indefinitely. This indecision is connected to a constant change of values. They, therefore, suffer the painful dilemma of wanting without a clear sense of the objectives. This process of liberty deepens in such a manner that a new and true subjectivity emerges. The result is a freedom without limits leading to a post-modern self-absorption which pushes concerns for society to the margins.

With a rapid advancement of science and technology, there is a renaissance of body culture. Libraries are closed and fitness centers are opened. The present models are craved in the flesh on real people. The beautiful and healthy body is adored. Sports draw to a close the picture. They so called perfect body or zero figures are worship. It forms part of the ideology of the body and has turned out to be a passionate form of entertainment. They failed to see the sacredness of the body and thus reduce it to a mere flesh.

The advance in communication technology has also resulted in a growth of virtual world. Through the internet, a new culture and language enters into society. Young people form relationships that alter perceptions of time and space, taking them beyond their own borders. They are able to communicate with others anywhere on the planet in real time. It is the reign of “on line”, of network communications, of chat rooms and face book, tweeter, Skype, etc. We scarcely have an idea of what is to come from this virtual world. 

The growth of science and communication technology has made the world a global village. But the more the world shrinks, the more one becomes distant from one’s own. Modern technology is a double-edged sword. Superficially it links, but fundamentally it alienates. It is an addition to an overabundance of option that excuses one from making an effort to nurture human contact.

In the heart of these, there arises a spark of deep desire for closer relationships in the midst of a society given exclusively to work, to productivity, to efficiency, to making money. There is a carefree attitude, which combines the realization of uselessness of a life filled with agitation due to the excess of activities, with the lack of a vision for the future; many youth enter in the world of drug and violence.

The future seems to be closed because in the past, the traditional professions like engineers, medicine, law, professor, etc. practically assured work for life. Today there is a drastic shift of jobs. Architects become psychologists, engineers study law, lawyers are involved in information technology, and professors leave the classrooms to start small businesses...They hide insecurity and instability. The capacity for creativity and planning one’s life are put to the test. In another sector of youth, the future is like a lottery. Wagers are placed on activities either legal or illegal that will give rapid results: sports, T.V. stars, successful musical bands, drug trafficking. They seek to rise socially through money. The poor tire of remaining honest people when they are only able to attend schools and colleges of lesser intellectual quality. The future to them seems a rather somber prospect. The search for social advancement by the poor is not a new phenomenon, but the context in which it takes place is new. Stable national currencies, technological revolutions, microelectronics, and information technology all have impacted greatly the process of social advancement.

 There are signs of hope. Social and historical perspectives are slowly rescued, bringing about a new commitment to the humanization of the person, of society and of education. We dream of a different humanism that leaves behind the accommodations and skepticism of the postmodern. We wait for new social protagonists – economic, political and cultural – which will bring about a birth of new forms of production. Nevertheless, nothing is totally perfect in any culture. Postmodern youth enjoy the sweetness of liberty with the bitterness of the loss of goals and social references. In the search for autonomy, they forget the need of forgetting oneself and the norms for healthy living in society.

            These rays of hope that beckons us today to strike beyond infinity and look beyond visibility. The realization of this hope connects us to the transcendence of God. The challenge is to continue searching for true ways and knowledge, which philosophical, scientific and theological research will open up a door for the youth to see a cocoon in a butterfly or a seed in a flower or deepest core in periphery. A holistic approach will show us a way and plant a hope in our hopelessness.


Ode to Manipur

The erstwhile princely state, a hub of culture
‘The land of gems’
With her enchanting vistas of untrammeled
Beauty and ancient traditions.

Oval vale amongst cloud-kiss blue hills
Admixture of colourful communities
Inspiration from wondrous balance of environs
‘A flower on lofty heights’
World’s rarest orchids spring from the fertile soil
The endemic flora and fauna
Sangai- the dancing deer, rarest of creatures
Her rich natural heritage.

Her reputation shines for its traditions of arts
O! The ‘jewel of India
The economic and fluid movement of the spear dances
The melody of the men and women folks
Origin and indigenous version of games
Her lyrical Ras Lila dance is a gift
To India’s panorama of classical dance.

A veritable beauty, rainbow cultures ever alive and shine
Manipur- ‘the little paradise on earth’
The epitome of the world tribes and cultures
Shining in the Milky Way.

Manipur, Oh Manipur! Ah Manipur
Alas! Oh why? Why? Why?
Can you stand still with Thy Name?
                       Or, will you become “A Little Hell on Earth?”

I Have a Dream

“Women are desire of prosperity. By cherishing women one cherishes the goddess of prosperity herself, and by afflicting her, one is said to pain the goddess of prosperity,” Manu.

The students are the seeds of society. If the seeds are tainted how can we expect healthy plants? The youth are the buds today that will bloom to flowers tomorrow. We are, today, facing many problems of an unprecedented nature and certainly the problems of women are the foremost at this juncture. There are various forms of injustice done to our mothers and sisters in our society. Certainly words are insufficient to describe such injustice. My spirit, however, urges me to express some serious concerns.

The Constitution guarantees the right to equality, right against exploitation etc. Despite these rights, there are lots of injustice, exploitation, rape, discrimination and violence done to our sisters. While I do not want to burn my fingers on this sensitive issue, I feel compelled to express my distress because I love every mother and girl in the world. I hear the thundering echo of favoritism, exploitation, violence, rape, murder, etc even in our Naga society. If you too love them, hearing the echo we all must raise our voices for these voiceless victims.

Our women carry cultural stigma, social wounds, emotional hurts, physical pain, traditional scars etc. They are emotionally, mentally and physically tortured. All these grave problems cannot be solved by the magic word – education. Every girl child must be guaranteed equal status like the boy child.

To understand the traumas and sufferings of women in our society, just take a look at the data in the crime clock in India, as released by the National Crime Records Bureau Statistics;
“Molestation every 15 minutes
Rape every 29 minutes
Cruelty by husband and relatives every 9 minutes
Sexual harassment every 53 minutes
Dowry deaths every 75 minutes”

The above statistics are based o reported cases. Are you alarmed by it? For all these actions, we have to blame ourselves and our society. We have to free our women by breaking the shackles that chain them. The days of just thinking are over. If we delay our action, our future generation will be ruined and we will be held responsible. Let us, therefore, here and now take a resolution that we will protest against every case of injustice against women.

“Give me good mothers and I will give you a good nation,” says Napoleon. No nation or tribe which does not respect women has become great or will ever be so in future. By the condition of women we can judge the quality of a country.

To bring justice or equality, to solve all the problems faced by the women and thus to create a heavenly home in Naga society may seem an impossible dream. Despite the difficulties, frustrations and seeming impossibilities of the moment, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the Naga dream that one day this state will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed that all men and women are equal created to the image and likeness of God.

I have a dream that the Naga women folk will be able to feed the men folk with the honey of peace and reconciliation and that shooting, killing, factional clashes, brutality and displacement of people will disappear from this land for ever.

I have a dream that the Naga men and women will share equally their ancestral property and enjoy equal rights and privileges. I have a dream that the Naga of different tribes will be able to sit down together, holding their hands together at the table of brotherhood and sisterhood and thus walk together as brothers and sisters in the sweet Dzüko valley.

I have a dream that one day the Naga women will reign in the state Legislative Assembly even in the Lok Sabha. I have a dream that our women will become a chief minister, governor, prime minister, I.A.S, I.P.S etc transforming society.

I have a dream that one day my sisters will adorn our society with their splendid cultural dresses and arts as a part of their cultural identity and demonstrate their cultural pride. I have a dream that they will bear witness to the diversity in unity that the beautiful rainbow cultures and tribes of the Naga will be the epitome of the world cultures and tribes shining in the clear blue sky.

Women like Indira Gandhi, Hellen Keller, Helary Clinton, Angela Merkel, Sonia Gandhi etc should offer us inspiration by their living example. Yet, who can stop the modern women from advancing? In this progressive world who can suppress them? For all action- oriented people nothing is impossible. Therefore:

“If you can’t swim, fly
If you can’t fly, jump
If you can’t run, walk
If you can’t walk, crawl
But keep on moving towards your goal.”


Anonymous

The Eight Sisters of India

The virgin forests of Arunachal
Sparkle its rosy cheek as the Sun first kisses its Land
With gentle rays of New Hope
The snow-clad ton of Sikhim touches the heaven
Bringing bliss with majesty to its land and people
Cold airstreams sail from the mountain top
To the Brahmaputra vale of Assam
Fill with Symphony by women folks, gathering the gem
Clothing with majestic floras and faunas and bio-diversity
The sweet dawn and twilight hymns of birds
As it mingles with the wild orchids of Meghalaya
Twinkling in the morning dew as the Sun rises
The tinkling sound of bangles
As cold water cascades down to the Umiam Lake
Vacationer leisurely rowing away at dusk
Lost in the scenic beauty of nature
Angelic blend daffodils on the hills of Nagaland
Gently curving as the wind blows
Its supreme beauty - never sundry, yet evergreen
The melody of Mizo damsels from the hilltop
The finest choir singers amongst the sisters
O! ‘The land of Jewel’ oval vale
The fairy Loktak and the unique Sanghai
The gentle steps of the usual dances
Thunders the heart of every creature.
The kingly state of Tripura
The bud migrants crowning with multi cultures.
O! These eight sisters of Northeast India
With their unique characters and loveliness
Hub cultures shine in the sky
The Paradise in India.