Can today's children be tomorrows nation builders?

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• Dalai Lama at the Hindustan Times leadership Summit, 2010.

In the Hindustan Times leadership summit 2010, an apostle and spiritual leader Dalai Lama quoted, “We live in 21st century, a century of violence.” He was indeed correct. These days, more than adults, children indulge into unnecessary violence. You might be aware of an English proverb, ‘Manners maketh man perfect.’ That’s true; manners are integral part of everyone’s life. We learn manners right from our early childhood. Though today we claim ourselves as modernized people but in this same modernized world children are ignoring the virtues, ethics and etiquette that are being taught to them right from their early childhood. Children have started turning sleazy and totally cynic. Having no concern for anybody else they are on verge of turning sordid. The increasing anger and use of abusive words by them is completely outrageous. Many psychiatrists and psychologists have shown concern over the vicious attitude of children.  Not only boys but now also the girls are striding from the obedience and appreciable behavior. The behavior of many boys is rapidly changing and the crime movies and serials are incentives for them. Today typical ‘bhai-giri’ or dialogues from the movies such as ‘ek bar maine commitment kar di, to fir toh mai aapne aap ki bhi nahi sunta’, etc. determines a boy.

• Dadagiri

                     
A case of J.B Nagar, Andheri, where a boy was murdered by one of his class-mate, that too over a matter related to a girl, in a complete dramatic way which exemplifies the negative effect of action movies and crime based reality shows on children. Children are not able to grab the positive things from them. Children hesitate in saying sorry and feel insulted when shouted or when they are proved wrong. Some girls and boys are still well-mannered but the rest can be compared with the gone cases.

I would like to share with you an unforgettable incident happened with me. A boy residing in my building, Rehan(12) hired three boys Aakash(13), Akib(15) and Aditya(15 or 16)(all the names have been changed) against me after I supported my friend for a thing. One evening when I was talking to him in my building’s compound, they walked towards me and one of them came forward. Putting his hand on my shoulder he dragged me to a side and asked me, “Do you know who I am?”

• Fights

Pretending to be unaware of his identity, I replied, “No I don’t.”

“Don’t you dare go against Rehan. Otherwise get ready to face the consequences,” he threatened me.

Then another boy, Aakash said, “By the way where is Rehan?”

 I had to be quiet and had to bear his nonsense. I felt lonely. Later I came to know that the one who had dragged me was a student. My friend told me that he does that with everyone. In fact he is well-known for that. He will be more aggressive because Rehan is Aakash’s brother and Aakash is Akib’s friend.


These are today’s children. I actually felt as if I am watching a good action bollywood movie in a theater. I never thought that a boy who is much younger to me will send some three boys with good muscles and a tight body against me, just over a minor thing. Just because he knows his parents will support him and…. And just because he knows I can do nothing.

• An architect

This incident was just a simple example. But there are many like me who have had some terribly incidents in their life's. Even now when I am sharing this incident, I can feel my blood boiling. I am unable in digesting that a boy younger to me does that? Well, this is the state of today’s children. And this macho attitude is credible from children like these four- Rehan, Aakash, Aditya and Akibl. Finally boys like them are interested in showing the so called ‘mardangi.’

Now, we can't change the past but can definitely bring about a change in the present and automatically in the future too. Just imagine; if the coming generation follows the footprints of such evils of humanity, then they will seriously turn our worst night mare into reality. It is said ‘Today’s children are tomorrow’s nation builders’ and lot more changes are expected from today’s children in every field. But when children are themselves spoiled, have a corrupt brain and ideology, are not loyal, don't have humanity and patience, then can they be nation builders?