By Jagdamba Mall
The pub-culture must stop. It is because of this culture that youth in the country have taken to drinking in a big way. In India, 40 per cent of road accidents are alcohol related. These young people not only jeopardise their life but also become a danger to others on the road.
Naga society need not pass through the process of religious and cultural genocide like the western countries and then return to the same point after completion of the circle. They should learn from the history of Christianity in the west and do not need to preserve, protect and progress the ancient virtues and converted society has to return to their cultural roots.
Pub-culture is against the Indian ethos and national alcohol policy must be made more effective to curb pub expansion and alcoholism. Union Health Minister Ambumoni Ramdoss said on January 31, 2009 in New Delhi “The pub-culture must stop. It is because of this that youth in the country have taken to drinking in a big way,” he said further adding that “in India, 40 per cent of road accidents are alcohol related. These young people not only jeopardise their life but also become a danger to others on the road.”
Nagaland is far behind in all respects in comparison to national scene—be its economy, agriculture, industry, work culture, virtuous living and righteousness, art and culture etc. The Nagaland media is still in an infant stage. But they are very quick in aping the west and anybody hostile to Hindus. It is, therefore, surprising to see an editorial in Nagaland Post under the title “Saffron Talibans” on January 27, 2007 supporting the vices of pubs when Naga society is engulfed by this culture accompanied with alcoholism. Condemning Hindus and Hindu ethos in Nagaland media is understandable because they are motivated in that way. Hindus don’t expect any appreciation from Hindu baiters but it is not understood why Naga mediamen are harming their own kith and kin by encouraging and promoting bar-culture in reaction to opposition to this evil by Hindus. An editorial with similar central theme appeared in Eastern Mirror under the title ‘Dangerous Trends’ on January 28 wherein the editorial has condemned the reaction of the society against the pubs—the breeding centre of evils and supported the alcoholism and resultant vices. In the eyes of Nagaland Post, drinking, dancing and eloping hussies with boys are “innocent and helpless” acts and those who oppose these are guilty. In an editorial Eastern Mirror—“of pub culture & etc” (February 2, 2009) it is said, “Remove the frills. All these foam and froth against pub-culture is just another instance of gender bias and the term is simply directed against women drinking and socialising with men in these public places.” Are pubs, bar, hotels and red light areas fall under the category of public places worth visiting by virtuous people? Certainly not. These are unholy prohibited places for every righteous person. Media is duty bound to oppose it. This editorial is nothing but granting sanction to this malady, called pub-culture and alcoholism. It is also giving glory to this growing dangerous trend. The editorial in Eastern Mirror goes further, “Pubs and bars have been around for quite sometimes and growing ever more popular with every passing year with men as their steady clientele…But moving along with changing times women have now increasingly started becoming a part of pub-crowd, either in company of men or even by themselves. This has unsurprisingly made the conservative lot very uncomfortable leading to this present unsavoury instance of assault and subsequent debate.”
In Bharatiya ethos, not only the healthy competition between men and women is encouraged, but mutual cooperation on the line of symbiosis is practiced. In Bharatiya ethos, men don’t envy it. Rather the advancement of women in righteous fields is ever appreciated. If men are doing something wrong and picking up any from of vices women are expected to correct them and vice versa. The guilty must be punished whether it involves men or women. Therefore, the opposition to pub-culture is never an action of gender bias.
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