Well-reasoned article
Editor,
I want to thank my old colleague and a good friend Erwin K Syiem Sutnga for his excellent special article “Debate over Article 371 for Meghalaya: Lessons from Nagaland and Mizoram” (ST February 13, 2025). It was a well-researched article based on facts. Man, you have burnt your midnight oil well. A demand not well reasoned or researched can lead to several negative outcomes. When a demand lacks credibility, it may be dismissed by stakeholders due to its lack of substance and supporting evidence. Decisions based on unsubstantiated demands can result in ineffective or harmful policies and actions, potentially leading to negative consequences for individuals, organisations or society.
Implementing demand without proper research can lead to the inefficient use of resources, as the chosen solutions may not address the root cause of the issue or provide the desired outcomes. Without thorough research, there is a higher risk of unintended negative consequences that were not anticipated, potentially exacerbating the original problem or creating new issues. Stakeholders and supporters may lose confidence and withdraw their support if they perceive the demand to be poorly thought out and lacking in evidence. To ensure demands are effective and well-received, it is important to base them on comprehensive research, sound reasoning, and clear evidence. This approach increases the likelihood of achieving positive outcomes and gaining the support of key stakeholders.
Yours etc;
VK Lyngdoh
Via email
Can society laugh away filthy jokes and obscenities?
Editor,
How one wishes for individuals to climb the ladder of success without compromising their integrity. But in a digital world where virtue struggles to compete with vice, too many have instead stooped to exploiting base carnal desires and controversy just to attract more eyeballs. The recent uproar over Ranveer Allahbadia’s shockingly inappropriate remarks on ‘India’s Got Latent’ is a glaring example of this trend.
Well, I personally admire Ranveer for his impressive intellectual calibre as a YouTuber with over 10 million subscribers. However, his obscene question to the contestants offended many, proving that academic achievements alone do not make a person responsible or morally sound. One of Ranveer’s subscribers from BeerBiceps commented, “What does it say about our society when those who are supposed to impart right knowledge and wisdom instead lead their followers astray? Instead of upholding integrity, they sacrifice it for quick likes, clicks, and views.” Of course, his incident isn’t just about one offensive remark — it exposes a deeper decay within our digital world and its increasingly insidious impact on the younger generation.
With over 90% of our teenagers actively using social media and spending more than four hours a day consuming inappropriate content, the influence of these so-called “influencers” is deeply concerning. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube are overflowing with vulgar and obscene reels and videos, many of them created by a host of influencers, mushrooming third-rate media agencies, and young people, including school teenagers. With each passing day, their numbers are multiplying at an alarming rate, attracting millions of youths to their compulsive indulgences. If obscenity becomes the norm, what kind of future are we building for our children?
Who else has inspired our youth to create and upload such obscene reels and videos on social media if not the so-called influencers and entertainment figures? Needless to say, many actors and content creators have risen to fame by producing nothing but vulgar films, serials, comedies, and short clips. These days, their success is measured by likes and views. Just take a look at what’s also trending on OTT platforms — it’s truly shocking. At this rate, it’s only a matter of time before society finds itself grappling with countless perverts and sexual offenders.
If some still believe that constant exposure to depravity leaves no imprint on young minds, then they fail to grasp a fundamental truth — thought is the seed of action, and what we feed the mind today will manifest in our behaviour tomorrow. Well, a society that normalizes obscenity cannot expect virtue to flourish. Thus, I strongly feel that educated leaders and policymakers should pause to consider the long-term consequences of this trend a decade from now.
One concerned citizen laments how easy access to pornography has corrupted young minds beyond repair. What’s even more unfortunate is that most of our leaders and elite intellectuals remain conspicuously silent on this, as if nothing is happening. They completely ignore the humiliation, stereotypes, and inhumane abuse of females in this depraved world.
Pragmatically speaking, even one very short-lived sexual encounter between opposite sexes can trap a young girl in a vortex of lifelong regret and distress, so it should be a serious concern. Doesn’t such a reality demand extreme caution? Just as a small crack can shatter an entire glass at any moment, reckless indulgence can potentially fracture a life. Furthermore, hasn’t today’s digital world, with its excessive exposure to filthy content, fuelled a steep rise in teenage pregnancies, as also pointed out by senior journalist Patricia Mukhim through her article, “Teenage Pregnancy: Trauma of a Child Turned Mother” (December 13, 2024)?
In view of the plight of single mothers, Michael Syiem, the founder and president of Maitshaphrang, rues, “Easy marital breakups have brought untold misery and agony to single mothers. What kind of measures have we taken to address this social malaise when there is still no strict implementation of compulsory registration of marriage?”
Yes, without rhyme or reason, relationships are formed, and they fall apart just easily. Whether one agrees or not, when morality erodes, relationships weaken, and when relationships weaken, society crumbles—everything is interconnected. Consequently, countless single mothers, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, face agony, regret, and a lifetime of silent suffering. I wonder how we have allowed depraved individuals to wreak havoc on our societies and family values.
Yours etc.,
Salil Gewali,
Shillong
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