----------------------------------------------------------------------- Documented by Goa Desc Documentation Service & circulated by Goa Civic & Consumer Action Network (GOA CAN)<[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Ph:2252660 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------ Goa Paints a Landscape of Moral Entropy ------------------------------------------------------ by Nandkumar Kamat
Actually this is a week appropriate to discuss the relevance of World Environment Day - June 5 and the lack of interest of the state government to celebrate it as the world does. But I am deeply disturbed by the NDTV programme televised a few minutes before writing this article. Captioned 'Goa rape case' it was followed by a 10-minute discussion by a Mumbai-based female teacher, a researcher and a student. On the eve of Goa 17th Statehood Day, it was not certainly music to my ears.
This was unwanted negative publicity for the number one state of India. All the facts of the case are not still out but that does not matter because Goa has already painted a landscape of moral entropy.
The bizarre incident of the past fortnight in one of the best art colleges in India located on Panaji's scenic hilltop might have sent shock waves among the parents concerned about their children. This incident is just an indicator of the major social tremors which would be felt in future.
Despite their good academic records and reputation, professional colleges in Goa, over the past 15 years have become victims of corrupt influences. This virus has also infected the general colleges. The moral decay of our campuses of higher education actually began from 1972-73 when the first incident of ragging was reported in Goa Medical College.
Then the politicians began meddling with education and the marks scandal took place in 1980. It was not the first and last marks scandal. It was followed by the sensational ragging incident in Goa Dental college in 1984. The traumatised victim, daughter of a central government legal counsel was bold enough to come forward and expose the anti-social activities in the campus. Such incidents of ragging have not ended after 1984.
Senior students in professional colleges wait for a chance to torment the freshers and the initiation ceremony generally ends with the 'freshers party'. This is the great tradition which the students of Gandhi, Tagore and Vivekananda's country are religiously keeping alive in Goa with immense pride before they step out to join us as 'respectful' citizens.
After 1984-85, consistently, the moral downside of Goa's educational sector has been continuing. At least two suicides have taken place over failed romances in cyberspace. Chatting and dating is common but many incidents of dating violence go unreported. A large number of fun-loving local students routinely join the night long acid rock parties and intermingle with foreigners. Their parents do not like strangers complaining about their children's behaviour and they often become over-protective.
The globalisation of the consumerist Goan society and the negative influence of tourism has resulted in the corruption of our campuses. Very recently the Chief Minister had critically commented about the involvement of some parents in purchasing of the leaked question papers of the Goa Board. He referred to irresponsible and corrupt tendencies. Let him also give a fresh look at the misuse of computers distributed under the Cyberage scheme. Are the student beneficiaries really using the computers for the purpose for which these were distributed? Only time will tell.
The students must be having a quiet laugh behind the government's back. This is the age of multi-channel cable television, cellphones, SMS, fusion music, fast food, funky costumes, of parties which end at dawn, freaking out and having, developing a trait called 'attitude'. The government has no social intelligence about the deteriorating youth culture and the sexually charged and often violent campus environments.
The government has underestimated the smartness of Goan youth. If challenged on the issue of morality they are in a strong position to expose the politicians and their double standards because political parties do not contest elections with a moral agenda.
The continuous corrosion of moral values in Goa's higher educational sector needs to be viewed against the background of the government's confused stand on public morality. There are six major areas which require urgent attention of the government and the society. These are, the failure of parents to keep a regular watch on the behaviour or behavioural changes of their children, the failure of the appointing authorities to conduct checks on the moral quality and character of the manpower in education, the permissiveness about campus functions, the availability of various types of psychotropic drugs, the glorification of sophisticated forms of gambling, and the easy availability of alcoholic beverages without an age bar.
The children spend more time at home so the parents should be in a position to understand their behavioural changes. The extraordinary freedom which the Goan students enjoy in a liberal environment of co-education has spoiled them because the parents are happy to see them occupied with something like education instead of idling at home. Families with one or two children are afraid to confront them for fear of threats which the smart children could issue. Families have to be strong to overcome such blackmailing.
Teachers hesitate to act as moral police and many of them help the students to cover up their wrong doings. There is a great crisis of character in Goa's higher educational field. Everything else, except morality and character matters in recruiting the manpower in education. Morally upright teachers and educational managers become unpopular because they exercise some moral power which upsets others.
Teachers who are addicted to smoking, drinking or gambling are the most corrupting influences in any educational campuses because they are experts in justifying their vices in a convincing manner.
There are no guidelines or rules specifying the conduct of functions in the campuses. Often the most corrupting functions are permitted by lenient and vulnerable authorities. There is a growing trend to stretch the functions past evening and well beyond midnight, often by flouting the Noise Control Act.
The smart students display extraordinary 'creativity' under the private veil of darkness. The recent daylight incident may indicate that even the darkness is disposable. Now students have become bolder to paint moral entropy in broad daylight.
The government has sent wrong signals to the students and the youth by encouraging and supporting sophisticated gambling like the casinos and the online lotteries in the name of mobilisation of revenue. There is no age bar for consumption of alcohol.
With what face can our politicians tell the students that matka is banned and casinos are permissible? On what moral basis can the government justify free availability of alcohol and drugs and the legal ban on tobacco products?
Students know these contradictions and in future thanks to a confused government, they would paint the landscape of moral entropy on a larger, uglier canvas. -------------------------------------- The Navhind Times 1/6/03 --------------------------------------
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