Dziesekhotuo ‘Swiiro’
“The family is the basic unit of society carrying out the crucial function of socialization. It is the family that holds all other institution. If family fails all other institution: School, Church, government etc. ultimately suffer”. - Social Scientist.
The Naga family is facing such a situation, which is not reliable and overwhelming. Today Naga parents are worried for the future of their children as the present state of affairs is neither normal nor healthy for young generation to grow up in. Simultaneously, if is also equally significant to comprehend that the making of a person starts in the home and not on the street. By the time a young person reaches high school age, he would spend a number of years; adopt habits and ideas by sheer observation of his or her own parents.
Therefore education really begins at home. It is for this very reason that initial responsibility rests with parents if they are to properly mould, correct and provide the right type of influence on the person. In addition, generation gap also plays an important role in Naga homes. Conflict between parents and adolescents emerge due to differences in age and time.
In Nagaland adolescents live on different level when compared to their parents. The influence of environmental modifications categorized the teenager as modern and lavish and their parents old fashioned and stingy. Most young Naga instead of making their poor parents understand their needs raise the issue of moral support to get their demands across. “They just cannot understand”, is a common outburst from young people.
Another point of conflict exist between young and old Nagas is that, in previous days Naga family was characterized by its sense of justice, equality, integrity and honesty but with the emergence of modernization, Naga society not only developed in fields of automobile, education, music, style of dress etc. but also imbibed the negative aspect of life such as sexual immorality, false spirituality, corruptions, inequality and selfishness. Young Nagas try to modify their own value system which is mainly based on what they viewed, read and experienced so these are often accepted as brutal or a beast by older generation where as the youngster justify these behaviors as modern and not traditional.
There by it should be now widely accepted that both traditionalism and modernism have a great impact in Naga family and parents should know the differences and be aware in their style of parenting. Over regulation of children is a common error of Naga parents. There are some parents who force their children to go for a career which he or she has no interest. In the long run this will be detrimental to an individuals own capabilities and output.
Some Naga parents tend to be overprotective which is nothing but destructive. They attempt to mould and control their children’s behavior according to their own criteria. As a result, such children become quick tempered, have little personal courage and are mostly irresponsible.
And some rich families including families having only one child give free access to their children by allowing them to drive around spending their hard earned or easy earned money recklessly and sooner or later they end up in accident, drinking, drugs or others. Such children only live in the “Now” for they lack self-control and find it difficult to say ‘No’ to their desires.
Thus, style of parenting is the keystone in shaping the Naga family’ environment. Therefore Naga parents should make such a family where they teach, mould, correct, provide the right type of influence and realize different generations have different needs and interest.
