It is high time society confronts the unsettling reality of adolescent involvement in a spectrum of deeply distressing and destructive behaviors-ranging from gang violence and school bullying to wild partying and, most disturbingly, child rackets and also girls from the state lured into shady jobs in massage parlors that often consequentially result in prostitution. Authorities, parents, and society at large often attempt to downplay these facts or shield the public from their full extent. Yet, denial does not erase reality. Decades ago, there were reports of juveniles skipping school and frequenting restaurants or roadside joints to drink alcohol. Some of these students were barely 14 years old, yet they carried themselves with a bravado and recklessness often mistaken for adult confidence. What should have been youthful curiosity shaped within safe boundaries instead spiraled into precocious rebellion, fueled by social neglect and unchecked access to harmful environments. More recently, troubling reports have emerged about underage girls frequenting midnight pubs. The insinuations are grim and leave little to the imagination. These are not isolated incidents-they point to a systemic breakdown in moral oversight and social accountability. However, despite the repeated alarms raised by concerned public and even sections of the media, the response from authorities remains sporadic at best and apathetic at worst. The question is why is there no sustained effort to ensure that such vice dens never come up? However, vigilantism is no alternative. The questions are many, but answers remain elusive. The failure to act decisively raises uncomfortable possibilities: Is society’s silence a reflection of fear, or simply become numb-acquiescent in the face of escalating moral decay? It is not enough to issue statements of concern or demand authorities to hold those responsible accountable. What’s needed is a coordinated, transparent crackdown on the environments that enable such behaviors, coupled with a broader cultural shift that prioritizes mentorship, guidance, and moral education for young people. Parents must be empowered and held responsible in equal measure. Schools must go beyond curriculum and become safe spaces for emotional and ethical growth. Policymakers must treat these issues not as moral inconveniences but as urgent threats to the social fabric. Even recently, in Pune, a sex racket operating as massage parlor was raided by police and according to media reports, of those arrested included five stated to be from Nagaland. This is also an issue that needs thorough study on why girls from the state who go to metro cities looking for or promised jobs, are more often than not, lured into such sleazy jobs? Society must rise above its discomfort and confront what it has long tried to ignore. These are not just random reports but happening with deeply worrying frequency. Whatever be the depth and extent of these reports, they only lead to conclusion that there are factors that continue to make such possible. Though there are far too many cases, both reported and unreported that continue to surface, a society that prides itself with culture of high values and a faith whose tenets moral and ethical values are uppermost, has remained muted, as if silence could somehow soften the blow of the truth. It is time that leaders of society including the state government take serious note and act on such happenings if there is any serious effort to offer the youth a future worth striving for.
Tuesday, July 1, 2025