l The boy and the girl -- clearly around twenty years of age -- walked into the premises of a posh restaurant. They had cigarettes in clutched clumsily in their fingers.Their lips were almost black, thanks to continuous smoking, and their eyes were red -- for reasons unknown. Both of them looked terribly tense and emaciated. True, they wore rather expensive clothes, but their personalities looked poorly sculpted -- possibly because of their habits.

 

THE issue of young people falling prey to addiction has often come up in ‘Loud Thinking’ -- as well as in public discourse. Many sane elements in the society express their exasperation over the decline in moral standards and values. But even as one wonders if the elders in the families ever try to check the wrong habits of the youngsters, an altogether shocking version emerges in response. Most family elders insist that the youngsters just do not listen to their wise counsel. This whining is not without substance.

 

A good percentage of young people just does not care a damn to listen to the good word from family elders. And there also is anther segment of young people staying away from their families in other towns in hostels either for education or for jobs. This segment, for obvious reason, does not have the family to keep a check on their waywardness. “Such people become easy victims of vices,” a university professor says. The truth in that observation cannot be denied flatly. For, with nobody to keep a check on them, young people are quite likely to fall prey to wrong habits and cheap and tantalising temptations. And such people -- staying away from families and without any familial or social check on their conduct -- become influencers of bad habits on other young people.

 

‘Sanskaar’ in the family is certainly an answer to this issue. If a child is taught the right thing in an effective manner right since early childhood -- that is even before he or she goes to school -- then a lot of untoward influences can be taken care of with telling effect. Somehow, on this front, the average Indian family is facing an unfortunate decline in its insistence on morally -- and even socially -- correct conduct. What, then, is the answer to the problem? Of course, thinking people in the society will have to work hard to find an answer. That process may be a long-drawn one -- and difficult. But it is important that as a society, we pay appropriate attention to wrong habits of our young people. If we failed in this task, then we will have to keep feeling sorry all our lives.

 

The loud-thinker has raised this issue time and again. On many occasions, he gets a responsive readership, too. Yet, the overall picture is one of sadness since no effective social response has emerged at least until now to a vexed issue. The loud-thinker also realises that it is useless to point fingers to others for this social failure. For, this is a collective problem and we must deal with it together. There is one question popping up in mind: Will it help if we start accosting young people following wrong habits and practices? It may or may not help, speaking sincerely. But more importantly, most of us may be afraid of picking up fights with young people if we happen to spot them doing the wrong thing. Is that really so? Let us be honest!