The study conducted by Aizawl-based New Life Charity Society (NELICS) has found a disturbing trend among Mizo youths not to pursue studies to build their careers and waste away time by taking drugs or just sitting at the computer.
The youths have no sense of responsibility towards their parents, nor do they have any sense of values, the survey conducted among 3,000 families has revealed.
''In some cases, the youths force their parents to pay for their expenses, demonstrating a severe erosion of values,'' Zawmsanga Sailo, secretary of the NELICS, said.
The survey finds out that 15 per cent of the youths are school dropouts and 12 per cent refused to work to pay for their own expenses.
''More than 17 per cent of the Mizo youths ask and receive all their needs from the parents and four per cent use violence and threats against their parents to get what they want while seven per cent do not show any obedience,'' Sailo said
The survey also finds that 11 per cent never show any respect to their parents while six per cent refuse to work.
Sailo said six per cent of Mizo youths, based in Aizawl, sleep during daytime and stay up the whole night.
Nine per cent take drugs and other intoxicants and 13 per cent are regarded by their parents as 'useless' and 'completely undependable'.
The survey reveals that at least 14 per cent of the parents discourage their sons and daughters to take up jobs or do anything worthwhile to fend for themselves.
Still more shocking is that 20 per cent parents among the 3,000 interviewed accepted that they pampared their children to the extent not to expect anything worthwhile from them.
Another intriguing fact is that 11 per cent of them accept responsibity for their children becoming deviant or laggards.
It is often found that fathers refuse to discipline their children even while knowing that they were going astray, leaving the job entirely to mothers.
''Today's Mizo father perhaps seem to follow the adage 'spare the rod and spoil the child' which should be discouraged,'' Sailo felt.
The survey report blames the state-of-affairs on the parent's overall negligent attitude to their children's bringing-up with many parents expressing the wish that they had started all over again from the beginning to reverse the trend.
Sailo said his organisation would not rest content with just making the survey; it would create awareness among parents to realize the gravity of the situation and take timely steps before it is too late.
~Agencies(indianexpress.com)
