WHERE IS THE HUMAN RACE GOING?

          We are blessed with many things in the world; many things the previous generations couldn’t even dream of, but, we are cursed not to see the giver of those blessings.  The self-indulging events that are happening around even by the people who are ‘religious’ is a proof enough for the above statement.  Many blessings are seen as tools for hedonism, licentious and permissive lives.    

          Children are the future of any country. If they are not nurtured to promote ethical values, the future of the country is doomed. If so, the news that comes from various corners of the earth are as hopeful as it ought to be. If we can believe the information that come in the mass media, the major perpetrator of the riotous kind of behavior of the new generation comes through the visual media like movies, TV channels’ serials. Though it is not the sole perpetrator, it plays a major role in the behavior pattern of the younger generation. Even the TV channels that are meant for children, leave alone the channel serials that depicts violence, extra marital and pre-marital relationships, has ‘super-human’ and mischievous characters and the young minds are polluted by these kinds of depictions. The parents do not have time or forget to teach their children the moral values to be upheld in their lives. Isn’t it true that many parents are helpless before their teenage and young children? Isn’t it true that in many homes it is the children who control their parents? Am I exaggerating if I say that many parents fear their children? They know how to bargain on their parents and get what they want. One day the parents of a teenage boy came to me with bruised faces and said that their son wanted a high power bike and when they declined to buy it for him, he thrashed them. He was only seventeen at that time and the educated parents knew that he is not supposed to ride a geared bike; but who wants to hear that? His argument was that his friends have it and hence he also needs it. The children are least bothered about the source of income of their parents – they see, they like and they want; period; nothing else. For these kinds of children whatever they see around is meant for ‘their enjoyment’ and they are least bothered about what happens to others because of their misbehavior.

Since the children are not groomed with a sense of morality, they do not find any fault in indulging in any kind of misbehavior. One day a young man came to me to tell that a girl in my parish was married to him through civil marriage. He produced the certificate of marriage also. To make the story short, he was working with an oil company and he was off duty for three months after three or four months of work. They used to be together whenever he comes to India and she used to siphon off his sentiments by asking costly items. I was surprised to hear it since I knew that she lived in her home with her parents. Finally I found that she used to go with him convincing her parents that she is going on study tour or visiting her friends in another town.

Many a children know that even if they do some mischief even to the level of fatal hurting on others, their parents will come to their rescue.  The helpless and hapless parents shall be willing even to sell everything in order to ‘save’ their children from the knot they are tangled. Isn’t it high time to stop, stare and ask, “Where are we going?”

(I am not generalizing that all the teenagers and youths are spoilt; there are many responsible and sensible youths in this generation who show concern and are considerate. I shall write about them in another post.)