LETTERS | When youths are misguided! Lessons to learn from Shillong turmoil

To the Editor, 

The recent unfortunate incident has been disastrous for both peace-loving communities. My empathy is with those families in Umsohsun, Mawkhar, Jaiaw and adjoining areas of Mothphran. The Khasi youths of Shillong never endorse violence, they have been living a life of cheerfulness despite the limited source of earning their livelihood.

All they long for, is a life of equal opportunities. The current scenario of Shillong has been favourable to youths from business-class and a Khasi by nature, he or she relates to people beyond financial transaction.

The word "business-class" doesn't exist in the Dictionary of Khasis, probably it might be in the blood of some Khasis, who might have grown up as orphans, but we shouldn't blame them either, because it is circumstances that might have made them as they are. 

In a situation of less-employment opportunities, our youths can be easily misguided by lobby makers. I just can't forget the year 2000 of Shillong, when insurgency was at its peak. Teenagers were being brain-washed to join the outfits in the name of patriotism.

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Most of these teenagers are from those families, whose sole bread earner of the family is either a Father or a Mother and not both. In case of single Mothers, it is indeed difficult to spend time with her children when she is exhausted from her day's work, given the nature of unorganized employment that dominates Shillong. By the time she reaches home, she would find her children asleep. If the children are lucky enough to have an eldest sister or brother, they would definitely go to bed without an empty stomach. 

The actual Khasi youths are made to fend for themselves at a very young age especially when they are raised by single parents.

It is not surprising to see Khasi youths being more matured and exemplary in terms of leadership and natural management skills despite the limitations of human nature. The future of our misguided youths is challenging but interesting if they can keep on learning from mistakes.

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They just need to understand that they have an upper hand than most of our educated youths because whatever that we read or learned is nothing but secondary information.

However, when our misguided youths tread their own unknown path, they need to know that they have the primary knowledge that gives them experience with the passage of time. 

Regards,

Aiborlang Andrew Chyne

(Chyne is an Independent Business Development Consultant for Handcrafted Wooden-Furniture Design houses in Delhi.

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