Dedicated to Daniel Pearl

The new generation in Nepal looks more aggressive, more confident and more self-centered. These days we hear complaints everwhere; at home at educational institutions about the new generation. A common epithet the new generation has received from those who find problems in them is; “Oh, no, they have deteriorated. They have no respect for elders.”

I frequently hear such complaints about the new generation and sometimes I ask myself, “Has the new generation really deteriorated?” In fact, there are some problems in the new generation and the major reason behind the problems is the lack of proper ways in grooming them. The guardians feel their children are worse and they won’t want to spend time with their children. On the other hand, today’s parents don’t have time to spend with their children. The lack of affection, proper guidance from the parents prompt the children to befriend other people, whose company may not be fruitful. Majority parents want to get rid of the responsibility of grooming their children. They are very busy people and they want others like colleges, schools to properly guide their children.

On the other hand, our children don’t get any academic education about etiquette and discipline. Due to the lack of proper etiquette and discipline, they are gradually deteriorating. As I teach graduate students in Himalayan WhiteHouse International College in Kathmandu, I have noticed the extent of indiscipline among students. They usually don’t want to study and want to spend most of their time in fun. Majority students are smokers. They fail to respect their teachers. We hear complaints from their parents that these children don’t respect their parents as well. I also think many students are involved into the activities, which our society has restricted. I have heard many times that the graduate students in many other colleges also arrange their week-end holidays for Pokhara or any other place, just cheat their guardians and the teachers and enjoy their holidays with their respective girl or boy friends. It is something a serious crime in our society before marriage. The Hindu mythology expects women to remain chaste until they get married. Marriage is something very pure and is regarded as the bond arranged by the Almighty. But the young generation doesn’t seem to have realized the value of marriage and the chastity. 

I think it is high time that our educational institutions change its curriculum and begin providing the knowledge of etiquette and discipline to the students. The guardians at home also should provide more time to their children and should try to find out the problems in the children. The guardians should prepare an environment for the childrent to share their problems with them and they should be timely addressed.

You can see the photographs above in which youngers want more freedom and they are much aggressive.