SHILLONG: Fr. P.T. Thomas, Principal of Don Bosco Higher Secondary School, Baghmara, has attributed the growth of militancy in Garo Hills to the growing frustration among the male youths in the region.
According to him, the male youths in Garo Hills are frustrated not only because of lack of employment opportunities but also due to the way they are being treated in the family.
“I have been serving in Garo Hills for the past 28 years. I have seen a very peculiar practice in Garo Hills where the parents tend to neglect their male children after they attain the age of 12 or 13 years. They (male children) do not receive any kind of support from their parents as compared to the girl children,” Fr. Thomas said after receiving the State Award from Deputy Chief Minister in charge Education, R.C. Laloo, in recognition of his contribution in the field of education, during the 53rd Teachers’ Day celebration here on Friday.
He said that it is because of this attitude of the parents that there are high dropout rates among the male students especially at the Lower Primary Level.
“No one is there to persuade these young male children to continue their studies. After discontinuing their studies at very young age, these youths are exposed to various kinds of criminal activities since they do not have anything to do in life,” he said.
He said that the youth are also easily persuaded to join militant outfit as a means to earn their livelihood since everyone is aware of the lack of jobs incentives in rural areas.
“It is really sad to see that the youths in Garo Hills are being pushed to the wall. The way the youths are joining the militant groups is a matter of grave concern,” Fr. Thomas said, adding that there was an urgent need to arrest this unhealthy trend.
“The State Government and the society as a whole needs to work as one combined force to remove the growing frustration among the male youths in Garo Hills,” Fr. Thomas said.
He said that this can happen that if the parents in Garo Hills can change their attitude towards their male children.
“The parents should give proper support and care to both their male and female child equally. This will help to remove the frustration among the male youth to a large extent,” he said.
Fr. Thomas also observed that the Government should persuade with the Centre to set up facilities like the Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (KGBV) residential schools which was introduced by the Government of India in August 2004, to provide educational facilities for girls belonging to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes, minority communities and BPL families educationally backward Blocks of the region.
“This will help to check the problem of high dropout rates among the male students in Garo Hills. Personally, I am of the opinion that children should at least complete their secondary level,” he said.
He also felt that the State Government should create more job opportunities which would largely help to address the problem.
Fr. Thomas also observed that the State Government needs to take major steps to reform the education system in Garo Hills.
“There are very less number of Government schools in Garo Hills. The only way to improve the scenario is for the Government to give all the logistic support to the various educational institutions run by the religious minorities, NGOs and even those which are privately owned,” he said.
He also spoke on the need to attract more qualified youth to the teaching profession by way of providing attractive salaries packages.
“At present, majority of the youth in Garo Hills are taking the teaching profession as a stop gap arrangement. They would leave the profession as soon they get better jobs elsewhere. We have to check this trend since we need to hold the bright minds in this profession,” Fr. Thomas said.