The future of a bombastic-word-speaking nation

“There is benefit in every kind of hard work” — Bible

Harsha Mohan Sharma

(harshasarma183@gmail.com)

It’s just the day after Maghar Bihu’s Uruka. It was a holiday, but I went to college. Work on  the campus wall is in progress. The masons do not have their Urukas, as they belong to the “Pomua Muslim” community. They generally do not celebrate Bihu either. They celebrate Eid well. They have been at work since this morning. The fog cover had not been removed by the time I reached college. That’s why on the day of Bihu, the sky is covered with smoke from the burning meji and velaghar. It takes a lot of time for the sun to come out. The ‘Pomua Muslim’ masons are at work without mistaking the cold and fog. There are two big ponds at our college. The banks are tied high. Different species of trees are on the banks. The pond is home to various species of fish. It is a pleasant natural environment. People who see it for the first time are sometimes forced to think of it as an elite resort and not an educational institution. Perhaps because of this, many people come to the banks of the pond to have a picnic party. Even today, a group of young boys have come here for a picnic. Following the source of the smoke, I found a place where the food was cooked. They have dug a hearth (chauka) on the bank of the pond. Fish and meat are cooked on the fire.

Was there no Uruka last night in your home? I asked.

This time, Uruka was not good, sir. I ate only goat and broiler meat. Pork was not eaten. They answered together.

This day means a pork party on the college campus. And what bottle is that in that bag?

The boys pretended to hide the two bottles of liquor. I said you would have to get permission to eat at any picnic there in the future. I have talked honestly with them and pointed out the hard work being put in by the masons who call them “miya.” I didn’t say much because I was alone. I came back with my dignity.

This is a real picture of Assam right now. No one is willing to show what the rest will do after one lakh of the 50 lakh unemployed get government jobs. We generally blame or scold “Miya.” We are highly told that the Miyas have engulfed our everything. But do we really work as hard as Miyas? On the strength of its hard work today, the nation called Miyas is moving forward in all fields. The one who roars against Miya also built their buildings by Miyas. From vegetables, fish, and meat to milk and sweets, Miya has captured the markets through their hard work. It will be surprising to know that most of the laru and pithas available in the Guwahati market are made by Miyas. Our local self-help groups have also made laru and pitha and opened them up for sale in the market. A packet of ten coconut larus is sold for Rs 50. A packet of ten pithas is fifty rupees. Miyas has given the same amount of laaru pitha to the customer at the rate of forty rupees per packet, keeping the quality the same. The customer has also taken it for granted. Recently, a friend from Bartala near Mukalmua informed me that in the sar area, Miyas have completed preparations to open a paat silk and muga garments industry on the pattern of Suwakuchi. Now, they are running a system of handing over paat silk clothes worth Rs 20,000 to customers for ten to twelve thousand rupees. Just as Chinese products have captured markets all over the world, perhaps in the near future, Miya products will continue to glut the Assam market.

We will agitate without working; we will dream of winning the world drunk from morning to night and keep abusing the hard-working nation. Will we improve like that? Isn’t our lazy and relaxed nature destroying ourselves? Will a conscientious man support the fact that those boys came to eat food the previous day after eating in the “logbhaat”? Do their parents not know this, or will they dare to encourage their children to work hard instead of eating a feast regularly if they find out later? Have social organisations adopted any fruitful schemes in this field? Do you know that a nation can be saved with a flurry of words? There are still a lot of barren lands or reserve areas in Assam. Why can’t the strong Assamese youths go there and dominate before they go into the hands of the Miyas? If necessary, get permission from the department concerned and take up production-oriented work there.

Hardworking nationals are not shy about working. Without judging the way or pattern of work, it is done where you can earn two paise. They see work as a means of happiness. The result is the benefit of ten people along with themselves. Confidence is strong among hardworking people. Confidence in the mind forms a storehouse of happiness. Hardworking people should not keep their heads down for anyone. People who do not cheat at work have higher self-esteem. Work makes people experienced. Experience makes people more accomplished. Hardworking people lead a life of honesty. The mindset of working makes us more responsible. Work done in an in-depth manner gives us mental satisfaction. The level of satisfaction increases further if the work is known to benefit others. Idleness is born to work if anyone keeps on making preconceived notions of what he will get from a job. But the idea that the work will benefit others compels us to be inspired by action.

The caste, which was once ravaged by “kaani,” is now in the grip of alcohol, cannabis, and drugs. The rampant circulation of intoxicants has engulfed the upcoming generation like an octopus. The young generation is depressed about not getting proper support. Most of them are consuming intoxicants to keep themselves from forgetting. There is no dearth of work in Assam as well. There is only a lack of a working mindset. The nation will survive only by making karma addictive rather than taking alcohol, cannabis, and drugs. The soil of Assam is quite fertile. Many can run the year well by cultivating one crop. Doing two or three will also take the economic condition of the people to the pinnacle of progress. The government can play a major role in making people work-oriented. Instead of glamorising government jobs, they have to be made available as a survival measure. New areas of work have to be found. The new generation needs to be educated to fit into the world of technology. Just as China has worked with a philosophy that must be twenty percent more than that of a father, our young generation has to be encouraged to work. There will be competition for our work with Miya if we go hand in hand. Those who are competing in work will bring a smile to their faces. It won’t take long for the foundation to be destroyed if we go around abusing Miya and roaming around in gossip and banquet. The future of a nation that does not work is dark. “The lazy wear the shackles of slavery, but the industrious live with an independent mind. Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice, and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do.” — Pele.