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Here is a good news for the ‘corruption-eaten’, ‘strife-stricken’ society of the State. Forty one per cent of the 1,419 youths interviewed in a recent survey, find it loathsome to bribe someone for securing a job. But there is another information, which has the potential of causing consternation. That is 57 per cent of these youths are of the view that they are heading only towards an ominous future. Providence has nothing but only the terrible things stored for the State, they believe.
But despite such a gloomy scenario, these youths are not against pursuing jest and happiness, making life meaningful with creative activities. While 31 per cent of them define life as a pursuit of creativity, 16 per cent of them want to build nests of happiness and a similar number of them want to lead a life in a way that is full of jest. No doubt, there are some who dream wealthy life. Fifteen per cent of these youths have such dreams.
Forty-three per cent of these youths want to be self-employed, 39 per cent of them want government jobs and only 14 per cent of them want to be engaged in the private sector.
These were some of the findings of the survey conducted by the new Assamese youth magazine Jeevan in 49 places of the State. The magazine was launched here today.
Plain dealing is still dominating the minds of the State’s youths if the findings of the survey are any indication. Seventy-six per cent of the youths interviewed have made frank admissions that they depend on an ‘invisible power’ during their hours of crisis. Ninety-five per cent of them have visited the places of worship at least once in their life, 41 per cent of them admit to the sins they have committed and 63 per cent of them have the belief that luck has a role in promoting careers.
For those who are predicting disasters for printed letters in these days of electronic revolution, there is a surprise. For, forty-five per cent of the youths interviewed by Jeevan have stated that they prefer books as the best gifts to their dear ones. Flowers also have been given a decent place by a sizeable number of these youths in such matters. Twenty-three per cent of them want to present flowers to their dear ones as gifts.
Sixty-five per cent of these youths are for a liberal approach in matters of culture. For them change is inevitable to any culture. Forty-four per cent of them are not willing to recognize the traditional barriers of caste and creed in matrimonial matters even as 24 per cent of them are willing to comply only with the religious interdictions in such matters.
While the favourite pasttime of 29 per cent of these youths is listening to songs, 22 per cent read books, 23 per cent use to gossip and 12 per cent of them either go to the cinema or sit before the TV sets during their leisure time. Forty-two per cent of those who go to the cinema prefer good movies.
Findings of the survey also reflect as to how alienated we are from nature today in this biodiversity hot spot. Seven per cent of the youths interviewed by Jeevan have revealed that they have not heard the calls of a cuckoo and five per cent of them have made it known that they are yet to see any of the kapous – the orchids our region boast of – in bloom.
Further, 46 per cent of these youths do not know the famous short story writer Saurav Kumar Chaliha. Twenty per cent of them take him for a poet and two per cent take him for a sportsman. Similarly, 18 per cent of these youths do not know what Charaideo stands for. Of them, seven per cent take Charaideo for a brother of a Swargadeo – the title used by the monarchs of the Ahom dynasty that ruled the State for about 600 years.
Interestingly, Cupid has a much large constituency among these youths, as, 65 per cent of them are of the impression that they are in love!
The survey covered Guwahati, Nalbari, Pathsala, Barpeta, Sipajhar, Dibrugarh, Dergaon, Bokakhat, Golaghat, Jorhat, Sivasagar, Sonari, Moranhat, Tinsukia, Doomdooma, Digboi, Duliajan, Nazira, Jakhalabandha, Jagiroad, Lakhimpur, Dhakuwakhana, Dhemaji, Silapathar, Gogamukh, Gohpur, Biswanath Chariali, Tezpur, Bongaigaon, Nagaon, Moriani, Mirza, Baihata Chariali, Goalpara, Dudhnoi, Abhayapuri, Majuli, Janjhi, Bamunpara, Saikhowaghat, Teok, Howly, Hajo, Tihu, Makhibaha, Sarupeta, Tangla, Makum and Diphu.
(Assam Tribune)
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THE SECOND (AUGUST) ISSUE of JEEVAN COVERS STORY IS : 10 POWERFUL YOUTHS WHO CAN CHANGE ASSAM IF THEY WISH TO.
MAIL TO : jeevanrw@indiatimes.com