It was raining cats and dogs for about an hour on Tuesday last. Soon after, the leiraks and parts of Imphal city were flooded. The scene in front of the Secretariat was hilarious. The VIPs and officers in ‘suit, boot and tie’ had to take off their shoes to walk into their offices or residential quarters.

In front of the Board of Secondary Education, thousands of job aspirants lined up to collect their admit cards for the written test for selection of Graduate teachers. The water was ankle deep. Some fell into the drain and some of the girls looked like Mandakini in Ram Tere Ganga Maili, after they got drenched all over. But their spirits were not down.

Some had stayed from morning, braving the rain lashing on their faces, and till evening could not collect their cards. The Board had only given them a day time and looking at the thousands of candidates, it was a complete fiasco of management. Both the candidates and the Board employees had a very terrible time.

Looking at the thousands of youths who had lined up at the Board, one can feel the pinch of unemployment among our youths. Some of the candidates were even more qualified with Post Graduate qualifications, diplomas and what not. It would not be surprising if one is willing to part with a few lakhs of rupees to get the job.

I guess, the crux of the employment problem is the lack of employment avenues. Until unless, industrialization takes its firm root and the youths have the zeal and courage to look beyond Governmental jobs, the problem of unemployment is here to stay.

ROAD NOT TAKEN

Then there was also the recent MBBS examination. One may comment that except for a few hundreds, the rest must have taken the exam just out of curiosity or for name sake. Whatever it is, I think that we are a nation who still roots for conventional courses like doctor, engineer or IAS.

I think it is time we look beyond that. Parents should now understand that there is life and of course lucrative careers beyond these. Competitions have become tough. Specialization is the key-word today. And the career options have become unlimited.

The point is that the parents should understand the potentiality of their children and should encourage their talents and interest. If a child is interested in art, you cannot push him/her to become a doctor. Even if he/she becomes a doctor just because of parent pressure, he/she will not enjoy the job. They will only find frustrations and failure in their life. Instead, the child should explore his/her talent in the field they want.

Today, there are several career opportunities with which one can harness their talent and expose it to the world outside. I remember friends who have switched their career since they do not find any job satisfaction with their lives. One such person was sent by their parents to pursue engineering course at a reputed college in Bangalore.

He dropped out in the middle of his course much to his parents’ heartbreak. He studied Hotel Management where he learnt how to slice an onion in one hundred and one different ways. Today, he is running a successful restaurant in the heart of Imphal town.

Or take the case of this friend of mine. He was always interested in art. But his parents insisted that he should take IAS examination. They spend thousands of rupees on coaching and buying books. But his heart was not for it. He attempted four times before he gave up.

He came back to Imphal and did painting as pleasure besides preaching the Gospel. He told me that he had regretted for having not followed his heart. If he had not been a painter cum preacher, he would surely have become a successful architect if only his parents had understood him!

I am glad that I was allowed to follow my heart and I am earning today by doing what I love the most. Plus, I don’t think I can do nothing else besides being a journalist.

SHOULDERING RESPONSIBILITY

When it comes to shouldering responsibilities, you better ask the eldest of the family. Being the eldest in the family can be hazardous to health- psychologically. You need to think of your siblings because you are responsible for them when your parents leave for their heavenly abode. Especially if you have younger siblings who are yet to find their foot and earn for themselves, you need to guide and advise them. You need to apply your ingenuity to make them fall into the line.

And I know this cousin of mine who have sprinkled a dose of inventiveness to make his younger brothers fall into the line. He is already married with one kid. He does not work but he is now ensuring that his brothers will very soon provide him all the comforts of life.

He has sent a younger brother for hotel management from a reputed institute on a bank loan at Delhi and another one for army training According to his plans, when the latter one starts earning his salary, which he will within two years, the bank loan for the former will be repaid in instalments.

Then, when the former finishes his course, the elder brother will send him to some foreign shores to earn in dollars. The elder brother will then buy a house and a car and spent the rest of his life with his wife and children in bliss. As for work, he has a farm where he will invest a part of the dollar money and make it self sufficient by rearing fish, cows, goats etc.

When I protested saying why should his brothers look after him and he replied that he has done much for them! He has run around to secure the bank loan. He made his younger brother physically fit by providing adequate diet and making sure that he enters the army. For the pains he had taken up to make his brothers stand on their own feet, he should reap the harvest, which will come from his two brothers!

As for a family with only daughters, do you not wonder why the eldest do not think of marrying in hurry while their younger sisters stand in queue and marry off as if the next day the sky will fall on their heads? Psycologically, it might be because the eldest sister think for her parents.

Perhaps she does not want to leave them out of pity or out of love. In other words, she sacrificed for the sake of looking after her parents. I don’t really have the answer. Perhaps, one such elder sister should provide me the answer.

PREGNANT PAUSE

Aizawl, my pet dog is now pregnant. Time sure flies. We had brought her from Aizawl during my shifting to Imphal. She was just a little puppy and now she has grown big. I do not know her breed. But I suspect she is a cross bred. She was gifted to us by a friend from Aizawl when we were leaving. My mother had a hard time looking after her, as she accompanied us on the Tata Sumo from Mizoram to Imphal.

With her body feeling heavy, Aizawl has now become very lazy. We have to provide her food at her make-shift kennel. She does not run around or welcome me when I come home. I miss her wriggling her tail and jumping all over me making my wife fume at the dirty clothes. Really today, she must be tired and exhausted. And she can be very adamant. As a part of the family, we cannot just neglect her. Half of the day we tend her and look after her.

Maybe, life changes like Aizawl. There is a time to run around and play. Or a time to carry your young ones in the womb. In the end, we all turn to dust. What matters is how you rear up your young ones and make them a capable being biding them farewell. As for Aizawl, we now cannot imagine life without her.

An animal, specially a dog, can change your daily doggone life.

If you do not have a pet-dog, I insist rear one and find the difference in your life.