Quo Vadis?

[dropcap]D[/dropcap]reams are the royal road to the unconscious said Sigmund Freud. Dreams can be frightful too. I believe dreams have meaning and give us lessons for life. Dreams can be warning signs of realities of life that needs attention and action. I had a dream one night that disturbed my mind and am not satisfied until I have shared with you all. I met Jesus in the dream and it was a long discourse that we were engaged into. I present this dream to the readers to think, reflect and act for the best of the society with malice towards no one.The term quo vadis is referred in the apocryphal writings. According to the apocryphal Acts of Peter, Peter is fleeing from likely crucifixion in Rome at the hands of the government, and along the road outside the city he meets a risen Jesus. In the Latin translation, Peter asks Jesus “Quo vadis?”, to which Jesus replies, “Romam vado iterum crucifigi” (“I am going to Rome to be crucified again”). Peter thereby gains the courage to continue his ministry and returns to the city, to eventually be martyred by being crucified upside-down. In this writing I am using the title to refer in a different manner. It was Peter who asked Jesus, “Quo Vadis? But today Jesus is asking us, “Quo Vadis? Meaning where are you or we going? It is a long thought reflection and has taken time to assimilate as it has a lot of sentiments attached to it. We are facing a situation that inflicts, injures the growth and development of society not only in parts but as a whole in its entirety whether in infrastructure or in human resources. In every society there exists some social problems but they keep changing with the passage of time. Today, the social problems ailing our society require change as development in every aspect is competitive and our young generation are to be given their dues for growth and prosperity, opportunities to excel in diverse fields that would bring honour and glory. This seems to be a challenge before us as we embark ourselves into a new threshold of life. The social problems presented here are not only individual problems that affect a few individuals only but these problems affect the society at large that needs constructive consideration and action for a positive and productive change. Corruption: Corruption is spread over in the society in several forms. We cannot deny the fact that corruption among the public servants and other leaders exist and it has made its ugly face in the society. Some of us may be victims of corruption in any form. We are silent and let corruption rule over us and make us victims to suffer. Nepotism: Nepotism has become a Way of Life in our state. Politics, business, mainstream activities and other occupations where talent is subordinate to lineage are dominated by family cartels, who plant their own over the rest. Unemployment: It appears that our state has less industrial sectors and not so technically developed agriculture while the bulk of the educated population depend on the service sector. We can see that the educational institutions in Nagaland are continuously producing educated youths but employment opportunities are limited in relation to educated youth. The prevalence of high unemployment level is because many job seekers’ expectations exceed the emerging realities of the labour market and they prefer to remain unemployed for some time rather than accept a job that they feel is beneath them. This creates the inverse relationship between educated unemployment and educational attainment. Addictions: The menace of drugs and alcohol has woven itself deep into the fabric of our society. As its effects reach towards our youth, the future generation will have to compete with drugs like cannabis, alcohol and tobacco. More youngsters are struggling with addiction than ever before. Peer pressure, adolescent immaturity and irresponsible parenting is the three-headed monster luring our children towards addiction and a life of suffering and regret. The use of drugs and alcohol is not confined to males alone, but females as well. Drug addiction and alcoholism have taken their toll on the youths, predominantly the student community, and this is turning out to be a major social predicament in the state. There are many other types of addictions like pornography, mobile, social network, gambling, and computer games and so on. Insurgency and Political Unrest: Insurgency in Nagaland is a great concern for the growth and development of the state. Isms: There exist in the midst of us the so called ‘isms’ in diverse forms that threaten the unity and development of our state. All negative ‘isms’ influences the young to deviate from the constructive path of life. Spiritual Bankruptcy: We are all Christians but our lives do not show that we believe in Jesus. Many of us do not practice religion today. We have become complacent with our pride as Christians and do not practice or live according to the values of the Gospel. Family Disintegration: The dissolution of marriage has been quite uncommon and rare in our society. In case of any crisis or threat to stability of marriage the community and kinsmen played their role to keep them united. The system of religious belief provided enough sustenance to the institution of marriage and family. But today we feel sad to see many broken homes and families breaking away from the fabric of family life which is vital for the growth and development of the future generation. Crimes against Women and Marginalised: Considerable changes have taken place in the traditional role of women and at the same time there are violence’s, crimes, and gender based discriminations on the increase as reported in the media. Women have to take new roles in the society and bring up changes to the existing and ailing social problems of the state. The news papers report many incidents of crimes committed against women and their cry for justice. There are many who suffer silently being victimised by their own trusted people. Those who voice for the voiceless are silenced by the vested interests. Health Care Issues: It is another major issue and concern in rural areas of our state where health care providers are not reaching up to the expectations. Infant mortality during some seasons in the rural areas is alarming and the health in general needs attention and action. Govt. hospitals need to equip with clean and hygiene environment. The cost of treatment has to be made affordable for the general public. There are many issues and problems that we face today both as individuals and as a society. Some of us may think that these problems presented here are not social problems while others may have the opinion that these are issues that needs attention and action only by the Govt. or those in authority and power. The solving of social problems depends upon finding out the causes and the social conditions attached to it. Every problem is caused by multiple factors and it is unique in many aspects. Our problems, differences and issues can be solved when each of us take the initiative to change our perceptions and understanding of the existing conditions. We strongly have to believe that these situations can be corrected, a strong determination to correct these situations, confidence in oneself and in the people that with efforts from everyone we can bring a change and using all the resources to bring development to the society. We are blessed with many things that can be a strong pillar of support for social change. Each one us can be an agent of change. This is an invitation to all the right thinking citizens that this can instil, inspire, and ignite our minds and thoughts for a bright and prosperous Nagaland if we together in our given capacities. Fr. Joe Mariadhas St. Joseph’s College, Jakhama - Nagaland