The Postmodern Youth

The philosophical reflections on the today’s youth show that the youth live in the world of periphery. They only see flowers but failed to see that flowers come from a seed. They are happy seeing a beautiful and colourful butterfly but forgot a cocoon and a worm. They have not patient to wait for a plant to grow into beautiful flowers. They do not want the flowers at the funeral but they want them at this instant. They are afraid to see the core reality and thus they are superficially happy cozily going with the wind in the virtual world.

The nature of the youth turns mostly revolves around the tyranny of pleasure. Happiness and pleasure convey the desire for self realization and the young ones are more and more attuned with this trend. They want to experience the highest pleasure; as a result, they prefer group experiences which are more random rather than stable ones which include commitment and rules. They tend to be attracted to fantasy of immediate pleasure and enjoyment rather than disciplinary or religious nature leading to despise discipline, coercion, duties, routine, formal, etc. They are willing to do only that which is a source of pleasure. They fail to see beyond the bodily pleasure lies the real happiness and pleasures.

           

The youth are tired with religions, customs, traditions, rules and disciplines. For them these make them growing old. They want freedom and liberty, which clearly expresses in a slogan “it is prohibited to prohibit”. The postmodern culture of relativity barricades the minds to see and strike beyond the appearance resulting in confusion among the youth.

They are acutely aware of their individuality and originality, but at the same time they fear making important decisions, often procrastinating indefinitely. This indecision is connected to a constant change of values. They, therefore, suffer the painful dilemma of wanting without a clear sense of the objectives. This process of liberty deepens in such a manner that a new and true subjectivity emerges. The result is a freedom without limits leading to a post-modern self-absorption which pushes concerns for society to the margins.

With a rapid advancement of science and technology, there is a renaissance of body culture. Libraries are closed and fitness centers are opened. The present models are craved in the flesh on real people. The beautiful and healthy body is adored. Sports draw to a close the picture. They so called perfect body or zero figures are worship. It forms part of the ideology of the body and has turned out to be a passionate form of entertainment. They failed to see the sacredness of the body and thus reduce it to a mere flesh.

The advance in communication technology has also resulted in a growth of virtual world. Through the internet, a new culture and language enters into society. Young people form relationships that alter perceptions of time and space, taking them beyond their own borders. They are able to communicate with others anywhere on the planet in real time. It is the reign of “on line”, of network communications, of chat rooms and face book, tweeter, Skype, etc. We scarcely have an idea of what is to come from this virtual world. 

The growth of science and communication technology has made the world a global village. But the more the world shrinks, the more one becomes distant from one’s own. Modern technology is a double-edged sword. Superficially it links, but fundamentally it alienates. It is an addition to an overabundance of option that excuses one from making an effort to nurture human contact.

In the heart of these, there arises a spark of deep desire for closer relationships in the midst of a society given exclusively to work, to productivity, to efficiency, to making money. There is a carefree attitude, which combines the realization of uselessness of a life filled with agitation due to the excess of activities, with the lack of a vision for the future; many youth enter in the world of drug and violence.

The future seems to be closed because in the past, the traditional professions like engineers, medicine, law, professor, etc. practically assured work for life. Today there is a drastic shift of jobs. Architects become psychologists, engineers study law, lawyers are involved in information technology, and professors leave the classrooms to start small businesses...They hide insecurity and instability. The capacity for creativity and planning one’s life are put to the test. In another sector of youth, the future is like a lottery. Wagers are placed on activities either legal or illegal that will give rapid results: sports, T.V. stars, successful musical bands, drug trafficking. They seek to rise socially through money. The poor tire of remaining honest people when they are only able to attend schools and colleges of lesser intellectual quality. The future to them seems a rather somber prospect. The search for social advancement by the poor is not a new phenomenon, but the context in which it takes place is new. Stable national currencies, technological revolutions, microelectronics, and information technology all have impacted greatly the process of social advancement.

 There are signs of hope. Social and historical perspectives are slowly rescued, bringing about a new commitment to the humanization of the person, of society and of education. We dream of a different humanism that leaves behind the accommodations and skepticism of the postmodern. We wait for new social protagonists – economic, political and cultural – which will bring about a birth of new forms of production. Nevertheless, nothing is totally perfect in any culture. Postmodern youth enjoy the sweetness of liberty with the bitterness of the loss of goals and social references. In the search for autonomy, they forget the need of forgetting oneself and the norms for healthy living in society.

            These rays of hope that beckons us today to strike beyond infinity and look beyond visibility. The realization of this hope connects us to the transcendence of God. The challenge is to continue searching for true ways and knowledge, which philosophical, scientific and theological research will open up a door for the youth to see a cocoon in a butterfly or a seed in a flower or deepest core in periphery. A holistic approach will show us a way and plant a hope in our hopelessness.

Ode to Manipur

The erstwhile princely state, a hub of culture

‘The land of gems’

With her enchanting vistas of untrammeled

Beauty and ancient traditions.

Oval vale amongst cloud-kiss blue hills

Admixture of colourful communities

Inspiration from wondrous balance of environs

‘A flower on lofty heights’

World’s rarest orchids spring from the fertile soil

The endemic flora and fauna

Sangai- the dancing deer, rarest of creatures

Her rich natural heritage.

Her reputation shines for its traditions of arts

O! The ‘jewel of India’

The economic and fluid movement of the spear dances

The melody of the men and women folks

Origin and indigenous version of games

Her lyrical Ras Lila dance is a gift

To India’s panorama of classical dance.

A veritable beauty, rainbow cultures ever alive and shine

Manipur- ‘the little paradise on earth’

The epitome of the world tribes and cultures

Shining in the Milky Way.

Manipur, Oh Manipur! Ah Manipur

Alas! Oh why? Why? Why?

Can you stand still with Thy Name?

                       Or, will you become “A Little Hell on Earth?”

I Have a Dream

“Women are desire of prosperity. By cherishing women one cherishes the goddess of prosperity herself, and by afflicting her, one is said to pain the goddess of prosperity,” Manu.

The students are the seeds of society. If the seeds are tainted how can we expect healthy plants? The youth are the buds today that will bloom to flowers tomorrow. We are, today, facing many problems of an unprecedented nature and certainly the problems of women are the foremost at this juncture. There are various forms of injustice done to our mothers and sisters in our society. Certainly words are insufficient to describe such injustice. My spirit, however, urges me to express some serious concerns.

The Constitution guarantees the right to equality, right against exploitation etc. Despite these rights, there are lots of injustice, exploitation, rape, discrimination and violence done to our sisters. While I do not want to burn my fingers on this sensitive issue, I feel compelled to express my distress because I love every mother and girl in the world. I hear the thundering echo of favoritism, exploitation, violence, rape, murder, etc even in our Naga society. If you too love them, hearing the echo we all must raise our voices for these voiceless victims.

Our women carry cultural stigma, social wounds, emotional hurts, physical pain, traditional scars etc. They are emotionally, mentally and physically tortured. All these grave problems cannot be solved by the magic word – education. Every girl child must be guaranteed equal status like the boy child.

To understand the traumas and sufferings of women in our society, just take a look at the data in the crime clock in India, as released by the National Crime Records Bureau Statistics;

“Molestation every 15 minutes

Rape every 29 minutes

Cruelty by husband and relatives every 9 minutes

Sexual harassment every 53 minutes

Dowry deaths every 75 minutes”

The above statistics are based o reported cases. Are you alarmed by it? For all these actions, we have to blame ourselves and our society. We have to free our women by breaking the shackles that chain them. The days of just thinking are over. If we delay our action, our future generation will be ruined and we will be held responsible. Let us, therefore, here and now take a resolution that we will protest against every case of injustice against women.

“Give me good mothers and I will give you a good nation,” says Napoleon. No nation or tribe which does not respect women has become great or will ever be so in future. By the condition of women we can judge the quality of a country.

To bring justice or equality, to solve all the problems faced by the women and thus to create a heavenly home in Naga society may seem an impossible dream. Despite the difficulties, frustrations and seeming impossibilities of the moment, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the Naga dream that one day this state will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed that all men and women are equal created to the image and likeness of God.

I have a dream that the Naga women folk will be able to feed the men folk with the honey of peace and reconciliation and that shooting, killing, factional clashes, brutality and displacement of people will disappear from this land for ever.

I have a dream that the Naga men and women will share equally their ancestral property and enjoy equal rights and privileges. I have a dream that the Naga of different tribes will be able to sit down together, holding their hands together at the table of brotherhood and sisterhood and thus walk together as brothers and sisters in the sweet Dzüko valley.

I have a dream that one day the Naga women will reign in the state Legislative Assembly even in the Lok Sabha. I have a dream that our women will become a chief minister, governor, prime minister, I.A.S, I.P.S etc transforming society.

I have a dream that one day my sisters will adorn our society with their splendid cultural dresses and arts as a part of their cultural identity and demonstrate their cultural pride. I have a dream that they will bear witness to the diversity in unity that the beautiful rainbow cultures and tribes of the Naga will be the epitome of the world cultures and tribes shining in the clear blue sky.

Women like Indira Gandhi, Hellen Keller, Helary Clinton, Angela Merkel, Sonia Gandhi etc should offer us inspiration by their living example. Yet, who can stop the modern women from advancing? In this progressive world who can suppress them? For all action- oriented people nothing is impossible. Therefore:

“If you can’t swim, fly

If you can’t fly, jump

If you can’t run, walk

If you can’t walk, crawl

But keep on moving towards your goal.”

Anonymous

The Eight Sisters of India

The virgin forests of Arunachal

Sparkle its rosy cheek as the Sun first kisses its Land

With gentle rays of New Hope

The snow-clad ton of Sikhim touches the heaven

Bringing bliss with majesty to its land and people

Cold airstreams sail from the mountain top

To the Brahmaputra vale of Assam

Fill with Symphony by women folks, gathering the gem

Clothing with majestic floras and faunas and bio-diversity

The sweet dawn and twilight hymns of birds

As it mingles with the wild orchids of Meghalaya

Twinkling in the morning dew as the Sun rises

The tinkling sound of bangles

As cold water cascades down to the Umiam Lake

Vacationer leisurely rowing away at dusk

Lost in the scenic beauty of nature

Angelic blend daffodils on the hills of Nagaland

Gently curving as the wind blows

Its supreme beauty - never sundry, yet evergreen

The melody of Mizo damsels from the hilltop

The finest choir singers amongst the sisters

O! ‘The land of Jewel’ oval vale

The fairy Loktak and the unique Sanghai

The gentle steps of the usual dances

Thunders the heart of every creature.

The kingly state of Tripura

The bud migrants crowning with multi cultures.

O! These eight sisters of Northeast India

With their unique characters and loveliness

Hub cultures shine in the sky

The Paradise in India.

Are we swimming with the time?

 The present age is known as mass media explosion. And this phenomenon has captured our imagination without which we cannot think or act. But the most pervasive of all the media is the world of information technology. The computer is doing all odd jobs for us if not in our society. Ours is still a long way to go. However, we are slowly catching with the outside world and we too have our own share in the world of the information technology. The information technology is slowly creeping into every fiber of our lives making us to be totally dependent of it.

Any society however, cannot remain static. It has to adopt and adapt to social realities and thereby, making its citizen to be in conformity with present scenario. It is in this context that the discipline becomes relevant. Any discipline, which does not connect with the social realities, becomes a mere intellectual gymnastics.

            Arguing further on this issue we have to critically analyze how this information technology is affecting our society and influencing the way we think and act. How a particular group of people is defined and how the IT vocabularies have become part of today’s usage. Reflecting on this backdrop it would not be incorrect to say that the next generation will be an IT generation. I am not sure how far the society is ready to take up in the new development that is taking place rapidly. Without giving adequate response to the new development-taking place in the society, the society will experience a cultural lag, which in the long run causes certain anxiety to the people.

           

            The clarion call for the social thinkers is to critically evaluate the recent technological development and educate our people to respond in relation to the social cultural set up. Whether we like it or not the information technology is slowly creeping into our social fabric, save in the remotest place where there is not power to do so. Just because technology is efficient and making our life easier, cozier and simple we cannot side line the certain traditional ways of doing things which in a way bring people together, and help people relate better.

             Technology should serve us and not vice versa lest we become techno-coolies. Tradition, which is the uniting factor in family and village celebrations, should continue to have a place in our life. Thus, any mechanical device should be judged on the basis of relationship and quality of living. Do we have the inclination for that?

Cyber Ethics

Introduction
         Cyber Ethics is a branch of Ethics. It deals with the proper use of a extensive range of telecommunication and data storing devices. It becomes very relevant in our contemporary society. There are different ethical theories like, Utilitarianism, Nature, Virtue, non-consequentialism, etc. and each of these theories has its own unique principles. These theories and principles bring significant characteristics to the decision-making process. Although all of the ethical theories attempt to follow ethical principles in order to be applicable and valid by themselves; yet each theory falls short with complex flaws and failings. For example, utilitarianists may say social networking is ethically moral, for it benefits most people in India. The deontologists would say social networking is morally incorrect because many youth fail to do their duties; instead they are busy with computers. For deontologists, duty is more important than building a good relationship, so social networking is immoral. But where do I stand?

What is Cyber Ethics?

Cyber Ethics is the study of moral, legal and social issues on cyber technology. It examines the impact that cyber technology has for our social, legal, and moral systems. It also evaluates the social policies and laws that have been framed in response to issues generated by the development and use of cyber technology.  Hence, there is a reciprocal relationship here. Cyber ethics is also called as computer ethics. The very words suggest the study of ethical issues limited to computing machines, or to computing professionals. Cyber ethics, therefore, is more precise than Internet ethics, which is limited only to ethical issues affecting Computer Networks. Let us now discuss some cyber issues.

Social networking

A social networking service is an online service, platform, or site that focuses on building and reflecting of social networks or social relations among people, who, for example, share interests and/or activities. Most social network services are web based and provide means for users to interact over the Internet, such as e-mail and instant messaging. Some of the popular Social Networking sites are Facebook, Twitter, Nexopia, Bebo, Kontakte, etc. etc. From Utilitarian view, social networking sites are ethical because it is used to build relationship and create greater good for greater number of people through interaction with email, Facebook, Google talks, etc. Question should be raised as to whether social networking sites give is intense happiness and how long is the happiness received and how does it helps people to prosper for the greatest number? If the happiness is intense, lasting and help others then Jeremy Bentham would say that it is morally right, because the effect is good for the greatest number.

According to Virtue perspective many of the communication involves face to face communications. Yet social networking is not ethical right because using twitter or Facebook etc. could harm moral values, as they don’t allow time for compassion and admiration, etc. and people are not getting help because when they need help the other user might turn of the computer.

Copy Right and Downloading

When something is copyrighted, it means that someone else owns it. It means that you and I cannot copy or distribute it without the owner permission. It is dishonest and illegal to download copyrighted any materials. When you see a symbol-C- it means that the material is copyrighted.

Using resources in any manner that board’s policy, federal state or local law including unauthorized copying or transmission of software are immoral acts. But these acts from the utilitarian perspectives with reference to Indian situation are allowed because it served the greatest happiness for the greatest people.  For the deontology any action which fails to fulfill the four conditions of double effect is considered as immoral act.

Cyber Terrorism

Cyber terrorism is someone who intimidates or coerces a government or an organization to advance one’s political or social objectives by launching computers-based attack against the government.  Parker defines it, as an act of terrorism committed through the use of cyber space or computer resources. It is the use of Internet based attacks in terrorist activities, including acts of deliberate, large scale disruption of computer networks, especially of personal computers attacked to the Internet, by means of tools such as computer virus. All the ethical theories except egoism would consider this act as immoral because it serves only for individual benefits

Pornography

Pornography or porn is the explicit portrayal of sexual subject matter for the purposes of sexual arousal and erotic satisfaction. Initially though people go to such sights out of curiosity. Some researches done say that easy access of pornography in various ways especially through Internet is one of the major reasons for the increase of crimes related to sex. Pornography has often stirred ethical controversy.

 One may ask, what is wrong in watching pros, which give a lot of pleasure and even control rape cases? The addiction of porn leads to action of rape, molestation, etc.  Ethically speaking we have no right to use others to satisfy our hidden desires. If we analyses it according to Kant’s or virtue ethical principles, I must act in such a way that my way of acting could be considered as a universal law. The action of watching porn promotes porn too that is victimizing many innocent who become prey for trafficking and sex trade. It is also against Martin Buber’s I thou relationship because it treats the other as sex object. So it is immoral act.

Hacking

 Hacking is the computer equivalent of breaking and entering. A computer hacker uses one’s skills to gain unauthorized access to another computer or computer network and once a person get inside, can wreak havoc by altering important information, deleting essential files, or just crashing the whole system. Many hackers, who break into commercial web sites, are looking for customers' private financial data (including bank account and credit card numbers). A hacker, who causes a network to crash, can cost a company hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost productivity. Some terrorist plans may be hacked by the government agents resulting benefits for the country and the world. This act of hacking is good for utilitarianism, so it is moral hack. This act is justified. But from virtue, non-consequentialist and nature perspectives, the very act is immoral though it may result greatest benefit for most people.

Analysis

The above we saw that different theories and principles bring significant characteristics to the decision-making process. Although all of the ethical theories attempt to follow the ethical principles in order to be applicable and valid by themselves, each theory falls short with complex flaws and failings. Each theory emphasizes on different aspects of an ethical dilemma which probably lead to the most ethically correct resolution according to the guidelines within the ethical theory itself. So, before making any decision on whether an act is morally right or wrong, one needs to abreast all the theories of general Ethics and knows the situation or circumstances.

Conclusion

What I learn for this Ethics course is that all ethical theories are based on the previously explained ethical principles. Each theory emphasizes different aspects of an ethical dilemma and lead to the most ethically correct resolution according to the guidelines within the ethical theory itself. Each theory has its own uniqueness. One, therefore, needs to necessarily analyze every issue in all the perspectives to make a moral decision reliable. In other words, one needs to combine all the theories.

We are fortunate to have a variety of ethical theories that provide a substantial framework when we try to make any ethically correct answer. When one understands each individual theory, including its strengths and weaknesses, one can make the most informed decision. By analyzing all the theories, one would say that using different ethical theories in combination, one will able to use a variety of ways to analyze a situation in order to reach the most ethically correct decision possible. That would help a person to understand in a more holistic manner.

Heidegger's Philosphy of God

         Heidegger, though by a hair’s breadth dealt about god apart from his criticism of the Metaphysical concept of God, one can find God in his philosophy when we delve into his philosophy in the light of Darridean Deconstruction. To understand his concept of God one needs to know the background of Heidegger. Firstly, Heidegger was born in Christian family and studied Philosophy and Theology, the context and practice of which should be examined. Secondly, He uses speculative and crafted tools that he borrows from the theological tradition; this process of appropriation of Theology needs to be taken into account. Finally, it is to be noted that the link between Theology and philosophy is an active link: "Source means future.” With this short background, I would like to delve into the concept of God in the world of Heidegger. 

Scholars have different views on the concept of God in Heidegger’s world of ‘Being.’ Heinrich Ott accepts the explicit denial of the identity of Being and God, and tries to explain how God can be a being which is not inferior to Being, in which Heidegger himself puts God as being in God’s existence. But Thomas O’Meara contends that the only place for God in relation to Heidegger’s philosophy is “beyond Being.”  With these two different scholars’ view on him, I would like to quote Heidegger’s view about God from “What is Metaphysics?” - “The question of God should [is] not be posed at all.   If He should be mentioned, we might say of Him that He exists, though not in the same way as rock, tree, horse, and angel. Rather does man appear as a being of higher rank, distinguished by Being and it is better to refrain from naming God.”  This reflects the Indian philosophy of God- God is neither that nor this.  This shows that he does not affirm nor deny God’s existence. Yet, the above quote of Heidegger, for me, seems to me that He is more favour to as God is ‘beyond Being’ or reality and I would agree with Thomas O’Meara on Heidegger’s concept of God as being Being.

Heidegger’s reference to God is negative in appearance as you can see from the above quote too. God is neither Being nor a being. If God is neither Being nor a being then God is beyond substance and essence. Though Heidegger considers God as being in existence (god) like any other being and his ambiguity about God does not mean that he is an atheist. This calls us to go beyond Being for an appropriate description of God and this he has indicated in later part of his life on his discussion of the ‘event’ that he does envisage some sort of reality beyond Being. He though, does not speak about God implicitly or explicitly, but one can easily recognize the source, when he describes about the source of Being and time. I call that source of being as God.

I would say the first realization of God in Heidegger is that when we realise that we are contingent being- in Heidegger’s expression, “why is there any being at all and not rather nothing?” This contingency is evident with regard to our own being, when we realize that our own finiteness, that we are going to die. This leads him to have faith in beyond being or reality. In other words, Dasein or Being is always becoming. As man, being-in-the-world realizes that, he is going to die; he becomes aware that he is not the master of his destiny. When we realise that we are not a master or a giver, etc. we naturally begin to search for the master, the real source, the giver; thus the question of the meaning of our human existence necessarily involves a search for the giver of this gift i.e. for the source of our being. I do believe that the ultimate source of our being is beyond the scope of Philosophical investigation. This calls for a faith in which Heidegger would mean living a life as a fully mature conscious being, aware of one’s privilege and responsibility for creating the future, yet confident that our human existence has an ultimately meaning because of the presence of God.

 Being is neither God nor a substituted for God. God is not determined by being, and being is not the fundamental name of God, but rather goodness. This description of Being and its relation to man confirms the fundamental openness of man and points beyond man and Being to the source of all that is. This reality ‘beyond Being’ is none other than God. I called God though; Heidegger does not name this reality and much less describes it. Here he begins to describe about God not in terms of being but meaning. Besides meaning his phenomenological hermeneutic reflects the relation of being with beings and the ultimate reality.  He seems to be deconstructing the traditional metaphysical description of God as absolute in all respects to a sense of relative to Dasein (human) if there is a genuine relation between God and man. This notion becomes clearer when he says being-in-the-world.

In conclusion I would say, though Heidegger’s refusal to deal explicitly with God does not mean that he is an atheist. But if we delve his philosophy in the light of deconstruction we can see his idea of God, which it is of greater significance for religion than he himself barely realizes at the sun setting of his life. Heidegger though, does not give name God - the source, the meaning, the beyond being, etc as God, I would say these are the description about and of God. I would term all of them as God.

Let Me Burry My Excuses

“Ninety nine percent of failures come from people who have a habit of making excuses” states George W. Carver.

Perfection comes to those who learn from their failures and mistakes and not from their excuses for perseverance, brings perfection. Practice makes thing perfect and everyone desires to be perfect in everything. Everybody wants to be a person of wit and wisdom. Many of us would like to be a scientist, a doctor, an engineer, an army officer and so and so forth. To achieve this stage of life we must strive to burry all our lame excuses and alibis. Notwithstanding our failures we should not give up, for success belongs to those who toil hard and judiciously plan ahead. It goes without saying that hard work never goes without reward.

The wild fire is destructive by nature, so does excuse. A celebrated writer John Manson inscribes in his book “The impossible is possible” that “Excuses are the tools a person with no purpose or vision to build great monuments of emptiness.” “I can’t” is the worst excuse and is the foremost enemy of success. Let us, therefore, stop saying “I can’t” and also stop “blaming others”. If we give in easily to excuses then we won’t be good in anything. To quote J. Manson, “You have never failed until you begin to blame somebody else.”

There is always an excuse and alibi saying that, I am perfect, and the others are not so perfect like me. We live in the illusion that we are perfect and this is the beginning of our downfall. We are accustomed to point at others with a finger and tend to justify ourselves as perfect. But ironically while pointing at others with one finger, the rest of the fingers are pointing at us.

Here is a short story. A man drives on a lonely road a midst a heavy rainfall. As he reaches a curve, he sees an old farmer surveying the ruins of his barn. The driver then stops his car and asks him what happened. “Roof fell in” said the farmer. “Leaked so long it finally just rooted through!” “Why in the world didn’t you fix it before it got that bad?” asked the stranger. “Well, sir,” replied the farmer, it just seemed I never did get around to it. When the weather was good, there weren’t need for it, and when it rained, it was too wet to work on!” So if we make endless excuses we too will be caught up in web of problems and troubles. Proverbs: 28:13 reminds us, “A man who refuses to admit his mistakes can never be successful. But if he confesses and forsakes them, he gets another chance.”

There are generally three types of excuses:

1.The excuse that we use to defend the truth

2.The excuse that we go against the truth

3.The excuse, which we neither defend nor go against it, but just emerge out of our habitual practices.

Those who use excuse to defend the truth are often regarded as perfectionist. They are always willing to learn and understand their failures. They know what Vernon Sanders observes, “Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterwards.” But those belonging to the second and third category are not willing to burry their excuses. They think more about their false egos and capabilities without actually realizing that, the truth has to surface some day and when it emerges; their explanation will have no meaning at all.

Our lives are filled with excuses. The quality of our lives depends on the way we choose to live with the truth. Does the truth actually exist today? Yes it exists. If we wish that, the truth should rise in every situation of our lives then we need to burry our excuses.

Nowadays, we discover that, the truth is buried and the excuses give the opportunity to rise in every situation of our lives. Blames, accusations, corruptions, exploitations, extortions have become the order of the day.

I have come across several people who just keep covering up with one excuse or the other to justify their incompetence and satisfy their egos. This is because we live in a world where everyone wants to be a master and not a leaner. If everybody were to be a master then we will have no learners. Let us not postpone but do things one day a time so that we can transform the world we live in.

St Paul in his letter to the Philippians rightly reiterates that; “In everything you do, stay away from complaining and arguing, so that no one can speak a word of blame against you (Philippians- 2: 14-15) .” When a winner makes a mistake, he says, “I was wrong” when a loser makes a mistake, he says, “It wasn’t my fault.” Do you admit, “I was wrong,” or do you say, “It wasn’t my fault?” A winner explains; a loser explains away. Proverbs says that “work brings profit; talk brings poverty.”

We have many explanations for failure this is a sheer mechanism of escapism. “Excuses always replace progress.” says R. W. Emerson. We need to decide now about the excuses that we continue. We need to nurture hard work and perseverance if we want progress in society. If we are to strive for perfection then we need to acknowledge our failures and not our excuses.

Excuses should be reduced to ashes, not embalmed. A person, who justifies his or her own delay or excuses, is just uprooting his or her own future. If we deny a responsibility we are denying the very foundation of our own existence.

Death

              The most frightening word, which no one inclines to entertain with, is DEATH. Death is one of the existential questions, which everyone tends to avoid consciously or unconsciously. It is the end of life. It is a universal phenomenon and a law natural. But what is Death? Is death simple an end of life? Is death emptiness and nothingness? Why is death a mystery?

The normal understanidng of death is- if the heart stops breathing and if the temperature of a person slowly drops down to that of its surrounding, we pronounce dead. We have scientific knowledge from the very conception about life, but we are ignorant regarding to the signs of death. “It is when someone ceases to live. Medicine does not know what death is; it can only decipher its signs and apparent causes, but the profound reality of death escapes it. The pathological or natural mechanisms (aging) which result in the fact of death, are more or less explained, but knowledge goes no farther.” (Marc Oraison)

Scientists recognize three types of death that might occur during the life of every organism namely: ‘Necrobiosis death is an ongoing process of death of cell in every organism during life time. Nerosis death is the death of tissues. For instance during the heart attack some blood may clot up and cut the blood circulation some parts of the heart. the affected parts will die but an organism  continue to live. Somatic death is the dead of entire organism.

 “We mortal human die for the same metaphysical reason that our shoes wear out, mountains erode and solid iron bars rust: all material things eventually fall back- or disintegrate- into that out of which they are made.”(Cyril Desbruslais). Whatever existing matters will eventually fall apart or disintegrate- death. “What we call “death” or “corruption” is a breaking down of the being concerned into its elemental or molecular constituents and the recombining of these into other beings or another being.

I have no idea of the movement of my death, but am certain that it will happen.  And it is the only event in my life for which my certitude is reversed, bearing on the fact and not on the date. Death seems to be a personal event “The death of one gives rise to the birth of another that is the law of nature. This rise of one gives in to the fall of another that is the norm of being.” (Kuruvilla Pandikuttu)

The very fact that we are born is we are bound to die. If life could continue to live on without death; life and the society or universe at large would be in utterly chaos. We will never comprehend death. It is a mystery lying before us.

Throughout the history in almost all the religions, gods and goddess have been held responsible for death. But we now know that we are made up of matter and we will return to that matter when all the cells of organism die. Death is a law of nature.  But if I am by chance going to face it tomorrow, I am forced to ask, what is death? My reaction would be very obvious crying to God with a deep anguish, why have you done this to me? But, the very fact that we are born is we are born to die, which gives life for others.

Death is a presencing and absencing phenomena, the co-existence of the opposite like, light and darkness and good and evil.   I can imagine that I no longer exist or am death, but with certainty I cannot imagine that I no longer am. “Death in no way can I apprehend it as a non-being of me,” says, Paul Ricour. This is me a mystery. As a mystery death opens us to ever more depths reality of life and of non-life.

Neo- Headhunting

Headhunting is a practice of beheading, displaying, and in some cases preserving human heads for various reasons. The practice of headhunting originated in some cultures from a belief in the existence of a more or less material soul existing in the head. The headhunter sought, through decapitation of his enemies, to transfer this soul matter to himself and his community. Headhunting is thus sometimes found with certain forms of cannibalism as well as with human sacrifice.

The practice of headhunting was prevalent not only among the various tribes of the Nagas but also in other countries like China, Nigeria, Nuristan, Myanmar, Borneo, Indonesia, Philippines, Taiwan, Japan, Micronesia, Melanesia, New Zealand etc. It could, therefore, be considered as practiced worldwide. ‘It has been associated (1) with ideas regarding the head as the seat of the soul; (2) with some forms of cannibalism where the body or part of the body is consumed in order to transfer to the eater the soul matter of the victim; (3) with phallic cults and fertility rites intended to imbue the soils with productivity,’ (Britannia Encyclopedia) and (4) with power, prestige, fame and glory. In short, it is associated with mortification of the rival, ritual violence, cosmological balance, displaying of manhood, cannibalism and prestige.

Headhunters were well trained in the field of headhunting. They were not only the bravest and the most courageous persons in the society, but also skillful and specialized in the specific field of headhunting. The specialized headhunters were very difficult to find in a society. Due to their specialization, experience and their prowess, they were crowned with power, highly respected and honoured in a society.

We see in history that every revolution does not burst out suddenly but evolves and takes shape over a long process. The rise or fall, merits or demerits of an event or revolution or reformation lead to a bigger one, a more complex event or happening, complicated yet better. So does headhunting, the old practice of headhunting - beheading the enemies’ heads, having emerged into new complex forms, which I would like to call ‘Neo-Headhunting.’

The complex forms of ‘Neo-Headhunting’ could be examined from two perspectives- the negative and the positive. The former is reflected and explained by the present social conflicts, factional clashes, tribalism, nepotism etc. that exist in our social fabric. The latter is reflected and revealed in our day to day experience of modern society, where human beings stop at nothing enslaved by the spirit of competition, greed for wealth and power, desire for position and status, abduction of person for monetary gains, ‘stealing’ of skilled and professional persons by agencies or corporations to throttle competitors and maintain monopoly etc. The underlying spirit is the same as that displayed by the old custom of headhunting: gain power, status and glory. While the old practice was rooted in social values for the good and protection of the society, the present practice is the reflection of deep-seated human selfishness and unquenched greed leading to gradual destruction of the society.

Gone are the days when our great grandfathers took part actively in beheading the heads of their enemies for countless reasons. With the advancement of modern science and technology, the age-old practice of headhunting is crystallized into neo-headhunting under various forms of seeking highly specialized personnel in every walk of life in the modern society. It has taken the most complex form in the corporate sector with the growth of various companies, associations, organizations, etc - both public and private. An agency or agent specializing in the recruitment of executives or highly skilled personnel in any field or job is neo-headhunting. No effort is spared in grabbing the best through offering of unreasonable salaries and incentives so as to weaken the competitor.

Specialized personnel seek for the highest post of office in any sector making the work easier for the modern ‘headhunters’. In modern world, agents, agencies and even companies become ‘New Headhunters’, seeking for specialized personnel for their growth and sometimes for their survival in the competitive world. This ‘New Headhunting’ has been experienced in every walk of life - education, research, business, industry, arts, games and sports etc. Every company or sector hunts for the highly specialized personnel for effective and smooth functioning, to maintain high status symbol and popularity, and finally make sure that the competitor is either weakened or made to close shutters.

Today’s world is a world of competition. Competition, whether healthy or unhealthy, constructive or destructive, has come to stay. One competes with the others for one’s own benefit, fame, glory, power and popularity. Various forms of competitions, especially the unhealthy and destructive ones, are nothing but the residual of the past practice of headhunting. Today, with headhunting firms are focusing on the domain of specialization and expertise in a particular field that increases one’s market value. One company tries its best to over power the other, or weaken the other or tries to become more popular than the other through new techniques and innovation, thus displaying the strains of the old headhunting. Today’s competition is rightly called ‘cut-throat’ competition where one tries to put the other out of business, just like finishing off the person by cutting one’s throat. Definitely, headhunting in the modern world!

The enemies’ heads are replaced by getting or grabbing of high position or posts, seeking money and power, wean away professional persons from competitor etc. In the olden days headhunters were crowned with respect, glory, honor and fame. Today’s ‘new headhunters’ are too crowned with money, power and position. The more a person specialized, the more he is crowned with and is sought by associations, companies, organizations etc. Such persons literally become a ‘prey’ to be ‘captured’.

Examining the present world will show us how the ‘New Headhunters’ hunt for the heads - for professional persons in every field. Football star C. Ronaldo is hunted by almost all the world’s biggest football clubs or associations; M. Dhoni in cricket, Angelina Jolie in Hollywood, Sharuk Khan in Bollywood are some of the examples of persons in great demand or persons who are ‘hunted’. Companies and agencies or clubs hire professionals and highly trained persons to hunt for talent and skill, just like the olden days warriors who were trained to be headhunters.

Despite the recession, the world keeps moving and companies are all still hiring, especially for the top positions. In a tough competitive economy, companies still need quality head-hunters. If you run a big company and need someone to do the high level work, say, a CEO, how would you go about recruiting for that person? You go searching, seeking, scheming. Exactly what the headhunters in olden days used to do! We have evolved from headhunting stage to that of ‘Neo-Headhunting’ stage. When rural illiterate people are ‘hunted’ to work in urban areas for a meager salary and living in inhuman conditions to satisfy the greed of the rich, truly the body is broken and the spirit crushed, as used to happen in the practice of headhunting of olden days. Belief in an ideal dies hard but takes new forms with the passage of time with new meanings attached. I am of the firm belief in this new web of headhunting that has become a part and parcel of our way of life.

What Makes a Virtual Family Possible?

In a letter to the editor of the “Time of India” recently I read “new system will soon make a virtual family possible.” It said that modern ‘technology abolishes emotional distance. But this fantastic idea has other implications, about which I have serious reservations. There is an axiom that, ‘No man can live as an island.’ There is no substitution for the human touch.

Almost everything we enjoy today seemed impossible yesterday. So what transforms the impossible into the possible, the possible into the probable, and the probable into the real?

When we look at the world, how mean it is! When we look at it negatively, how desolate, dull, selfish, and empty it is! But when you look at it in a positive way, how rich, interesting, beautiful and full of meaning it is! “Eyes that look are common. Eyes that see are rare,” says J. Oswald Sanders. How we position ourselves to receive the world makes all the difference. We can never see the sunrise by looking to the west. The choice is up to us. If we look at life the wrong way there is always cause for alarm. What we see depends mainly on what we look for. Some people complain because roses have thorns. Instead, ‘be thankful that thorns have roses.’

Looking at the modern global world, many people say that the new system will soon make Virtual Family Dinners possible. It is modern technology, which abolishes emotional distances. It’s a small world these days. Global markets, cheap and frequent flights, the internet and fast-paced lifestyles, have changed families and extended the boundaries of what one calls home. Living on the other side of the globe away from parents, siblings, friends and people could make themselves islands. But human beings cannot survive in isolation, “no man is an island,” and it is modern communication technology that makes emotional closeness possible.

Preventing people from studying abroad or taking jobs in other parts of the world due to deep craving for familial fostering, is not only impractical but even undesirable. Children do leave the warm nest of their sweet home some day. Physical distance no longer implies emotional distance. Nowadays, communication has become easy through e-mail, mobile phone, visual internet phone calls, and courier services. Staying in touch no longer means letter writing. Parents in India know exactly what their child in New York have had for lunch that day. Grandparents can listen to their baby grandchildren gurgle their first words on the internet.

Technology is developed to further human needs. Emotional closeness is a vital need and technology caters to it. It isn’t always possible to forge close links in one’s immediate physical environment, especially if one is hopping from one country to another on a regular basis. Strong relationships are built over time. It is almost true to say that globetrotters do not leave their dear ones behind any more. Where you are physically now is just incidental to where your heart is.

The family meal is a wonderful institution. It is an occasion to communicate, share, reflect, love and be loved. It is an auspicious moment, where one feels the physical warmth of being together. But today coming together for a family dinner is not possible in a world where parents and children are busy with their activities in different parts of the world. Modern technology may make a virtual family dinner possible. The imaginary scenario is that members of a family living in different parts of the world- one in Jakhama, another in Bangalore, a third one in New York and a fourth one in Tokyo- can, by prior arrangement sit for a meal at the same time, in fact even eat the same favorite dishes and be connected by image and voice to carry on a family conversation.

So far so good! But, I ask, is that all there is to a family dinner? Just the same kind of dishes and the conversation in which you share your thoughts and feelings with the people you love – all at a physical distance? Is not being able to the salt important? Can anything substitute human warmth and touch, which everybody thirst for?

But, does this great distance can only be good if you can only share your thoughts and live with the people you love? Is not being able to pass the salt hardly important? Is anything can substitute human warmness and touch, which every body thirsts for?

Neo- Headhunting

Headhunting is a practice of beheading, displaying, and in some cases preserving human heads for various reasons. The practice of headhunting originated in some cultures from a belief in the existence of a more or less material soul existing in the head. The headhunter sought, through decapitation of his enemies, to transfer this soul matter to himself and his community. Headhunting is thus sometimes found with certain forms of cannibalism as well as with human sacrifice.

The practice of headhunting was prevalent not only among the various tribes of the Nagas but other countries like China, Nigeria, Nuristan, Myanmar, Borneo, Indonesia, the Philippines, Taiwan, Japan, Micronesia, Melanesia, New Zealand etc. It has been, therefore, practiced worldwide. ‘It has been associated (1) with ideas regarding the head as the seat of the soul; (2) with some forms of cannibalism where the body or part of the body is consumed in order to transfer to the eater the soul matter of the victim; (3) with phallic cults and fertility rites intended to imbue the soils with productivity; and (4) with power, prestige, fame and glory. In short it is associated with mortification of the rival, ritual violence, cosmological balance, and the displaying of manhood, cannibalism, and prestige.

The miscellaneous tribes of Nagas were a home to many headhunting people. The entire life of the Nagas revolved around headhunting. It was not only the cause and effect of war; it was also the inscription for the Naga works of art. The primary purpose and function of the practice of headhunting was a part of the process of structuring, reinforcing, and defending hierarchical relationships between tribes, communities and individuals through fighting for dominance, glory and prestige. Inter-village wars, culminating in the taking of the enemies’ heads, were part and parcel of every day life among the Nagas.

Regardless of the arrival of Christianity into the soil of the Naga and the Nagas calling Nagaland a Christian State, the age-old practice of headhunting still carries on in our State. But it has taken the most complex form with the advance of modern sophisticated means and scientific techniques. Gone are the days when our great grandfathers took part in active headhunting for countless reasons. Now we feel proud that such practices do not exist any more in our social fabric.

But still it is very much in our veins and blood. Headhunting is seen very much in our day to day social conflicts. A variety of conflicts existing in our societies is nothing but the residual of the past practice of headhunting, which is now crystallized in various forms of factional clashes. Headhunting continues but the automatic Kalashnikovs and firepower have replaced daos and spears. These weapons or Kalashnikovs are much more powerful in taking away ‘heads’ than traditional doas. These clashes are a sign of lack of solidarity and integration. Obviously, all the Nagas are not aware of the new factional headhunting.

Urbanization and scientific technology have furthered headhunting in the new complex form of factional group clashes and conflicts in our society. In order to reinforce its identity each group is fighting for its preeminence and domination. Each one is fighting for power and supremacy creating havoc in the state of Nagaland. What else can we call these clashes and conflicts in our social fabric except a new form of headhunting?

In the old form of headhunting, innocent women and children were not spared, nor does today’s neo-headhunting. The innocent are the worst victims from primordial time. We ruin ourselves by killing our innocent brothers and sisters. Are we, you and I, aware of it?

Tribalism is the feeling of superiority of one tribe over the other tribes. This superiority complex leads to enmity between persons or groups. Headhunting could be closely connected with the tribalism. Tribalism breeds clashes and conflicts, so does the practice of headhunting. Tribalism is an intricate form of headhunting where effort is made to crush the spirit of other tribes. This tribalism is becoming more and more complex in our state. Nepotism is a new form of tribalism, which is very much prevalent in our society. Favouritism, by acting of kindness to one’s own kindred or tribe or party, breeds enmity between the pubic and the government, the politicians and the bureaucrats.

Looking at our own college, we see and experience tribalism practiced in every activity. A capable person, who could lead the group ably but belonging to a minority tribe, is not give an opportunity to do so due to the practice of tribalism. We forget to stand on moral ground and also forget to use our reasoning power. We become slaves of our feelings and emotions. Tribalism has not changed with Christianity but has taken a new form that co-exists with Naga Christianity. Our religion becomes secondary when there is an ethnic conflict or clash. We are all enslaved by this tribalism. Why don’t we learn from our own history? Why don’t we learn from others? For instance, by looking at the ethnic conflicts between the two tribes Tutsi and Hutu in Africa, we see clearly that the Christians themselves were found killing each other ruthlessly and cruelly. If the Nagas do not learn from history, the ethnic conflicts or clashes between various groups could grow to be worse than those between the Tutsi and Hutu.

Fortunately we have our common enemy “Indian,” under whom we are fighting for freedom, without whom the spirit of tribalism and factionalism or of ‘headhunting’ that is very much present in our blood would have burst, creating chaos in our State. We claim to be a Christian State and take pride in “Nagaland for Christ”. But we are now caught up in the crossfire, in the neo headhunting web which is extremely difficult to give up. But, if we all dare together and collectively voice our concerns, perhaps we can stop this menace of neo-headhunting which is eating away our society. But who will bell the cat? One group clashes with the other creating havoc in our state. Can’t Nagaland be the epitome of tribes, cultures, dialects/ languages of the world- a state that celebrates diversity instead of allowing factionalism and tribalism to breed conflicts and clashes? Can the rainbow of Naga culture continue to shine in the Milky Way? When will the honey of peace and reconciliation reign in our land vanquishing the conflicts, factional clashes, brutality and displacement of the people for good? The choice is ours. Our tomorrow depends on what we decide to do today. Let us choose peace, progress and prosperity. Let go of ‘headhunting’ and start hunting for peace and unity. What do you say?

“They wrote in the old days that it is sweet and fitting to die for one’s country. But in modern war that is nothing neither sweet nor fitting in your dying. You will die like a dog for no good reason,” says Ernest Hemingway.