What is the future of our community? (Part II)

By RK Rishikesh Sinha

We are confused about our future as much as we are confused about our past. The prevailing confusion comes visible in various forms especially in the Internet, and the same could be believed easily that is taking place on the ground.

The article is the continuation of Part 1: What is the future of our community?

Why confusion?

Blame the time. Knowledge and information is click away. And there is a saying which states that ignorance is directly proportional to knowledge. So, as much we consume information and knowledge, we are becoming more ignorant.

Anyway.

Coming to the topic — what is the future of our community?

Here I would like to take the privilege to fall upon one sociological theory. Though there are many theories to simplify our understanding that are taking place around ourselves. But this one I especially chose because I could relate to it easily and hope one could.

Disclaimer: The words, the terminology, and the expression are ‘general’ and it doesn’t relate to sociological terms and to their way of treatment. Name of the theory will not be disclosed, but it is a well-known modern theory in Sociology taught in university level. So, there is no harm to absorb the ideas presented in the particular theory. Nevertheless, since this blog is very general (with its topics that are discussed or presented) and in its readership, so it is necessary to cater things in simple terms, in order to stop distortion, mis-interpretation, and to quell the danger of double-meaning. Moreover, this is a theory, so it has ‘hypotheses’ as well as ‘criticisms’. Please don’t ask: How I could use academic theories to understand nitty-gritty of life and that is of a community. I leave it to your intelligence. Hope you come to know the reason behind writing this long Disclaimer!

Here it goes.

The very theory states four conditions that a community or society has to meet to sustain itself. Else, it will be out of the race, there will be a danger lurking upon it. The conditions are:

#(1)Adjustment: As the very word means it is the capacity to communicate or interact with the ‘environment’. We can take the social, political, economic meanings of environment. Here, it means we have to constantly make adjustments to the prevailing conditions. We as a community don’t have such problems. Let us consider it is ‘true’.

#(2) Target set: We have to set targets it may be again social, political, economical and in other spheres and resources. Here we can consider our attainment of ‘identity’ that we got after a long struggle; we can also take here the formation of Bishnupriya Manipuri Development Council (BMDC) in Assam. And if in future, our present as well as futuristic demands are met, we will sustain. Here, it may be the establishment of BMDC in Tripura or in any other state, or it is the demand of including ourselves in the 8th Schedule of Indian Constitution …and many, that we will put on demand. Let us consider, we are (will be) demanding in nature.

#(3) Harmony: (this is very tough to express and to explain, but still let me try) It is a demand for us to harmonise ourselves with “one” symbol. Generally, it is the language (a symbol) that we all die for, a potent combining factor. Like language, there are many symbols that are associated with a society or with a community. The harmonizing factor could be also mere Bishnupriya Manipuri ‘feelings’! To make it short, we have to constantly try to make ourselves as we are ‘one’. Let us consider, we are ‘one’. (Excuse me, here lies hell lot of confusions among us, this is a challenge, and in future — I consider — it will become a unformidable challenge. Don’t take the literal meaning of ‘one’.)

#(4)Institution : We must build up institutions of knowledge where our values are carried from one generation to the next generation. Here, starting from a family to setting up of museums, to educational institutions, to library, to maltheps, to the extreme take all the Bishnupriya Manipuri-related newspapers, journals, books, web-entities like this one will be included. Here, we should try to preserve the information-rich culture. One will find, most of the advanced communities after attaining all the above three conditions go for this one.

Hence, in my opinion as a follower of this thought process, our 'future' would depend upon meeting these four conditions.

The article is written in good spirit. It is just an effort to channelize our thought and to prompt our youngsters to unravel the events happening around ourselves. Due considerations have been made that it is not immune to comprehension due to double-meaning, and the very format (conversation-style) it has been presented. Let me conclude, this is mere an article, it is not a book, or an encyclopedic treatment to a subject where the very thought could be presented exhaustively.

The End.