They say, we need to educate the younger generation for a better tomorrow but what happens when there are actually real educated people who have educated themselves really well that they know what is best for them and the society? Do we encourage or discourage them? Do we support them or are we being obstacles in their way?
Well, being educated is not only about being able to read and write but it’s about how a person educates himself and his mind-set. How he deals with certain situations, if he is being resourceful to the society, etc.
It is motivating to learn that, there are groups and organisations, leaders and workers working hard for the betterment of the people in the society.
As people are getting more educated, they encourage and support the youths to follow their dreams; knowing government job is not the only answer. It is indeed motivating and inspiring to see such encouragement from all corners which give hope to many youths to start with different career options. There are many fields in which the young Naga youths are good at. There are many who have already started their journey to what best suits them. However, why is there no progress yet? Why are there no changes yet? They are encouraged by people. Their hopes were held high. They are energetic and dedicated towards their goals. Still, there are no signs of progress. A lot of available fields and issues are present on which we can talk about. Yet, I would like to focus mainly on entrepreneurship.
We, Nagas, talk about how almost all the market places are occupied by the non-locals (no pun intended). We complain about how lazy our Naga brothers and sisters are. We even talk about the lack of responsibility in us. But, did we ever try to understand and realise that, gone are the days when our people were irresponsible and lacked knowledge because with the development and advancement of the world, people are exploring and expanding their knowledge- having a better understanding of what they actually want and need to do. Provided, they need a platform to bring their dreams to life.
Everything is perfect. People know what needs to be done and seem to be focused. The point lies in the area where everything falls apart. It is the mind-set of some people who are yet to educate themselves and understand the real importance of supporting and providing a platform to our own people who truly want to achieve their dreams.
Offering more platforms to those people who are not our own by giving excuses of some lazy, irresponsible Naga youths and denying them opportunities; being greedy about money, hence, offering the rich who are once again not our own. What will those narrow minded people gain from this? Are they being wise enough?
I do not blame everyone for this but there are people who do not help in ways they can. Rather, they are filled with greed and want money from people who can afford to give them. Therefore, they end up helping and supporting the ones who are not our own. We need to understand the struggles and the outcry of people because of unemployment among Naga youths today. There are many who are learning the significance of entrepreneurship and other fields as well. We need to stop blaming the present generation youths for what the past generation has done.
In the past, there might have been a lot of the so called ‘entrepreneurs’ who were irresponsible which created fear in the minds of many which is why, people are more cautious about giving opportunities to the present generation which is understandable. But we should keep in mind that the mindset of people ‘then’ and ‘now’ are different. People are learning, exploring and expanding their knowledge and I believe, opportunities should be given to those who actually need it. There are youths filled with the zeal and enthusiasm to do something, to become someone and contribute to the society. Can we not be of any help to them? Can we not give them the opportunity in whichever way we can?
We think too low of our own people. We deny opportunities to those who really need it and can do something. Wherever we go, we see less of our people and more of the others. It is true, there are some Naga entrepreneurs who are difficult to deal with, which is why they tend to face failures in their business. There are some Nagas who ask extremely high prices for their goods. There are some who are filled with pride which only chase away customers because of their arrogant attitudes. It is also true there are some entrepreneurs who end up causing huge loss not only to themselves but also to the ones supporting them. To these people, you need to reflect yourselves and try to learn from your mistakes because the reason why many of us tend to go back to the non-locals for purchasing goods or offer them opportunities is because they are easier to deal with.
We need to maintain a balanced strategy where we can help and support each other to progress more. We need to encourage the emerging entrepreneurs. Likewise, the entrepreneurs, be it young or old, should also give his/her best and be dedicated enough and strive towards building more trust. It is not about blaming and complaining about how lazy, ignorant and irresponsible a person is, but it is about helping and supporting each other to grow better. We know what we have to do. The problem is, we are too scared to take risks.
I believe the beauty of us, Naga people can be seen more when we unite and come together for a brighter tomorrow. I believe, we, Nagas are blessed with abundance of knowledge and wisdom. Yet, our greed has led us to our own downfall. Still, I believe we can overcome any obstacle and bring more positive changes in the society if we stand together and strive for betterment of our society.
Why do I believe in something that seems almost ‘unrealistic’?
With the belief that, there is goodness in our Naga people as, “We” are “Nagas”. Most importantly, we are created by a living God, pure and spotless who has blessed us with wisdom and courage.
Let us think about it. Are we making proper and good use of our blessings?
Kepevino Hozoyeh
