We don’t teach our children to become adventurous. We don’t teach our children to take up adventurous sports. We don’t teach our children to take daredevil steps not only in terms of physical or mental but also spiritually. What are the factors responsible to it? What can be done to make the youngsters become adventurous? With these questions ‘The Hitavada’ approached people from various sectors who said, the job-oriented like thinking is making all the difference. Dr Vasudev Ridhorkar, well-known Urologist who is among the few medicos who are compassionate expressed, “This sad state of affairs according to me is because of reluctance to acknowledge the independence of the children as individuals. Encasing them in the strait jackets of our morality, religion, safety and control. Little realising that they cannot achieve their full potential because of these restrictions. Imposing our own values only result in duplicating our mistakes.” Amalesh Purohit, a well-known businessman elaborated, “I fully agree with what is written in ‘Loud Thinking’ in today’s cityline.

 

We expect our children to follow a comfortable and conventional life. We are not providing them the required freedom to choose a different field. We should encourage them to go for mountaineering, risk their life with proper care. These are learning tips.” Manasi and Rujuta both daughters of Amalesh Purohit chose the unconventional path despite coming with flying colours in conventional ones. For example, Manasi had a good score in Science but she opted Commerce while Rujuta who in its first year found engineering as boring so she dropped it and chose another field. “She had joined the coaching, we paid the required money too. But when she said no to it and left halfway, I supported her decision,” said Amalesh Purohit.

 

Dr Nikhil Pande, noted Psychiatrist said, “Parents have become over-protective. Earlier generation used to act firmly and went on to do those kind of sanskars on their children which taught them life lessons. I think parents need to work with focus on the youngsters, if they really want them to grow. As in Loud Thinking it is rightly pointed out that encourage youngsters to be adventurous has a very deep meaning. There is a different life after academic life. If we teach the youngsters to inculcate the quality of adventure, they would prove to be the better personalities when they would face the life’s challenges.” Dr Nitin Shende, Professor in Government Institute of Hotel Management and Catering Institute (GIHMCT), put a very different point, “Yes, we should be able to make them habitual of independent thinking and different one, maybe outside the box. For example in our profession children want to become the Chief Chef. I tell them why don’t they think of becoming food blogger, the one who finds different recipe which no one would have thought? I personally feel adventurous thinking means different one, unique one.” “An important issue has been raised by the column which needs to be addressed.

 

A significant trend of middle age and old age citizens committed to adventurous sports is increasing not only in the city but in our country at large. These ‘Late Bloomers’, were extremely talented when young and interested in dare-devilry but had to ‘take a break’ due to pressure of academic performance. As a result, we see ever increasing number of enthusiastic doctors, engineers, advocates, businessmen and other professionals being actively involved in physical adventures like cycling, mountaineering and jungle-treks and also in activities like music, arts and literature,” stated Dr Darshan Dakshindas, Associate Professor at Government Dental College and Hospital. Dr Dakshindas said, “Having said that, I agree with the view that there is terribly small numbers of youngsters following path of adventure. Hopefully the new National Education Policy which banks on holistic and multidisciplinary education, will help in developing well-rounded individuals who are in position to take risks and delve deeper in fields across arts, adventure sports, humanities, languages, sciences and social sciences. When this will happen, we all will have to play a crucial role in supporting these youngsters in every possible way. We, as a society, can stay young if we make adventure a part of our lives as after all the mystic fountain of life lie always in the park of adventure.”

 

Dr Pritee Singh, Assistant Professor of Statistics at Institute of Science, feels such kind of typical thinking is found only in Vidarbha. She had worked in Mumbai and there she found parents allow their wards to choose different field. “In our region youngsters go with the trend. If their friends are going for medical or engineering education, they too go for those typical fields. They are under fear that they would not get jobs if they prefer unconventional fields. We should ask our children to stop developing job-oriented thinking.”