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| Image Source: souandresantana via Pixabay (Edited by Author) |
— Author: U.D.
Have we forgotten how to live like real human beings? Nowadays, it feels like we are losing our core values just to chase after every new trend. So many people are genuinely worried about where this modern world is taking us. Let's be real, our society feels completely stuck. We just blindly run after new things without a second thought. We are behaving exactly like a strong eagle that flies around in endless circles with no destination, only to end up totally exhausted. We are so desperate to appear modern that we have lost our own identity. We don't even take a moment to look back and see how far we have wandered off track. Sadly, time is running out fast.Being modern has nothing to do with buying expensive clothes or wearing trendy outfits. True change isn't about what we wear on the outside.
Just look at the world today—science has reached deep space, but simple things like modern technology still haven't touched many small villages across Assam. A society becomes truly progressive only when people are kind, healthy, and always ready to lift each other up. If we want to build a better world, we have to start by clearing our own minds first. We must stand together when danger hits and reconnect deeply with our own roots, language, and culture. If we expect others to value our heritage, we have to live by those traditions ourselves. You cannot clean a house without sweeping your own floor first. True progress always starts with our private thoughts and behavior.
No community can call itself civilized if it clings to dark superstitions while claiming to be progressive. Hurting innocent people because of witchcraft rumors or fighting over religion shows how backward we still are. Scientists and philosophers have already proved that everything in this universe is closely connected. When humans lose their inner wisdom, their ability to think clearly dies. True scholars believe that culture is simply passing down values, language, literature, traditions, and food habits from one generation to the next. It is our culture that builds a clean social environment, and we must protect it together.Sadly, many people today use the word 'modern' just to hide a selfish or luxurious lifestyle.
We ignore our mother tongue and blindly follow foreign trends. This mindset makes us treat our own neighbors like strangers, leave our old parents in old age homes, and ruin the beautiful respect between teachers and students. The youth are fast losing respect for elders, and our sense of duty toward local art and literature is dying every day.
Luckily, some parts of Assam still protect their language and culture with pride. But protesting on the streets will change nothing until we personally care for our mother tongue at home. Today, people love to blame the youth for being undisciplined, but they ignore the real cause. Shifting the blame onto kids is lazy. Parents must actively teach children at home to love their roots, respect elders, and know right from wrong. Some parents even proudly boast that their child speaks fluent English but cannot speak proper Assamese. While learning global languages is great, neglecting your own mother tongue is entirely wrong.
We have to find creative ways to make the younger generation fall in love with Assamese stories and literature. Even if they study in English-medium schools, parents should encourage them to read regional books that match their personal interests.
They need to grow up learning about our historical heroes and the great figures who enriched Assam. This responsibility belongs entirely to parents and our society.School education and true life values (Sanskar) are completely different things, though they connect. A person might not have a university degree but can still have a beautiful, kind character. On the flip side, we often see highly educated people who completely lack basic decency and manners. These first lessons always start at home. No matter where our children study, parents must keep an eye on their actions and guidance.
Criticism never hurts society if it comes from an honest, selfless place. A true critic points out a mistake simply because it is wrong, not for personal gain or malice. That is why correcting your own child, friend, or loved one is sometimes necessary. For instance, it is terrifying to see a large section of today's youth trapped in drug addiction. Out of fear of social shame, some parents hide their children's mistakes. This only makes things worse and leads to tragic endings. Just like an old tree that cannot bear fruit but still offers cool shade and oxygen, the elders in a family hold invaluable wisdom for the youth.
Furthermore, discrimination based on caste is poisoning our world from within. A few narrow-minded people spread hatred in the name of religion. When Yudhisthira was asked about the meaning of Dharma, he said it is mysterious and boundless, like the hidden tracks of a snake or a mountain peak lost in a vast ocean. Religion has no borders; its purpose is to unite human beings, never to divide them. Yet, we build hundreds of separate places of worship and divide even God. Even in the 21st century, we haven't learned how to be civilized.
A famous American professor once called Mahapurush Srimanta Sankardeva the pioneer of open-air theater in the world. Yet, despite being born in his holy land, some people still divide our community based on caste, ruining our social system. If they truly respected his teachings, they would proudly call themselves simply 'Assamese.' Discriminating against others because of caste is a direct insult to Sankardeva’s vision of a completely caste-free society.For selfish reasons, certain groups have fragmented the greater Assamese community using religion as a weapon.
Today, if a girl from a supposedly 'high' caste marries into a family deemed 'low,' they face social boycotts. Indigenous groups, who are the true sons of the soil, face discrimination every day. Anyone who thinks Sankardeva’s faith supported such divisions is deeply mistaken.
If we cannot stop these internal evils right now, no street protest will ever solve external issues like illegal immigration. This is because we lack unity and love among ourselves. The greater Assamese identity was built by joining various tribes and communities together like a big family. We must immediately stop mindsets like "You are Karbi" "You are Mising", "You are Bodo," or "You are high/low caste." As the legendary singer Dr. Bhupen Hazarika warned us in his song: "If today's Assamese fails to recognize themselves, Assam will go to ruin." If we do not stand united right now, we will end up as strangers on our own land.