By Mishmi C Chakraborty
Holding the mirror up to the society is nothing short of a challenge and especially for him who has taken upon himself, with a firm determination, to initiate the task. Challenging are his ways because he needs to have an unflinching belief in the strength of his perceptions and a healthy coordination of his sincere and persistent efforts in manoeuvring the society to see the reality as it is.
In an effort to avoid specific mentioning of the instances about what I seek to emphasise, generalisations can always be derived and being a parent, I find unanimous voice of other parents in my conviction to the truth. We are in a constant state of flux in deciding for our children the best of everything of what they receive.
Education, no wonder, comes on the top of our priority lists and there are no contradictions when I say that we have been emphasising on building the moral character of our children. But there is a different side to the story. Children belonging to the deprived sections of the society, rather hailing from the houses of the domestic workers have different takes on their assimilation to the truth. In a word they form the underprivileged group, sometimes being denied the basic amenities of life.
Most of us, I am sure, are unaware of the fact that this section of people are struggling everyday to make both ends meet, in affording two square meals a day, in educating their children and in trying to ensure at the same time that their future is secured.
Beginning with the confession that unable to limit my urge, I undertook to proceed with a kind of personal interaction with some of the domestic workers and in my endeavour to go deep into their reality, I was amazed at their revelations when they concurrently agreed that they make it a point to educate their children. In securing a proper future for their children would certainly entail them to cut down even some of their basic expenditures. But they are holding onto the ground with the firm determination that compromising with certain necessities of life would not bother them but would bring the optimism in them that whatever bit they are doing on their part for their children would certainly yield results.
Notwithstanding the fact that though education is able to dispel the ignorance in their homes considerably, what has been the constant concern of anxiety is the problem of many youths of not being able to get into fruitful employment. This overriding concern has also in its all practicalities been the cause of miseries of some parents. In such a case the youths have receded with the least hope that the administration or governments on their part would not be able to restore them into fruitful employment. The consequences can be misleading and perilous.
It has also been found in many cases that these youths are more viable to get themselves trapped into the viciousness of drug addiction, alcoholism and many other deviant activities. In course of the interrogation of many parents, certain revelations have been important in this context because in many cases parents have failed in restoring and rehabilitating their children from such viciousness.
Perhaps the most pertinent factor contributing to such moral degeneration among the youths is the onslaught of internet. Inevitably the result follows and as such it has been felt in several instances. They have held the opinion that easy access to internet is responsible in larger share in perpetuation of crimes against women in our society as unrestricted use of internet has failed to inculcate in them the wisdom to use these technologies judiciously.
This section of people often remain frustrated because they sometimes feel that their voices are not being channelised in the proper direction so as to reach out to a larger number of ears. But they have proposed a quite feasible remedy for the ills happening that would simultaneously regenerate a new hope in their children. They have proposed that government should impose restrictions on the use of gadgets, particularly mobile phones below 18 years of age. Parents’ supervision must be there in accessing the modern technologies. But contradictions in this regard would certainly be there because imposing restrictions or parental supervision needs orientation courses to be conducted, especially for those deprived and downtrodden section of people.
Generating awareness at their level needs a different level of mental makeup. An instance although not directly connected to whatever I have stated but still holds relevance in explaining their predicaments of life which any theory or a chapter would fail to evoke emotional oneness in us with them.
A girl of merely 12 years of age feeble and frail in her constitution is neither unable to participate wholly in play and fun related activities with her brother nor she is able to attend school properly. The sole earner of the family, her grandmother who is one of the many domestic workers in Shillong, is unable to bear the medical expenditures required for her. They went to a government hospital but the doctors were unable to treat her and they recommended that she should immediately move out of her town for better treatment.
Being in such a helpless state this particular family, which probably has an income of less than Rs 5,000 a month, cannot afford expensive medical expenditures. There are many cases where we can witness these people reeling from abject poverty and in many cases educated youths amongst them are denied suitable opportunity.
Agreed there are issues but finding even a single generous voice in their cause would resurrect their stand in fighting against all odds.
(The author holds masters degrees in Sociology and English)