Ukhrul: Over 500 students and youths of Hungpung attended the one-day consultative meeting organized by Thawaijao Hungpung Young Students’ Organization (THYSO) under the theme ‘Defining THYSO’ at Ilongshim, Hungpung on Saturday.
Dr. Soreingam Kasomhung, Asst. Professor Dept. of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, JNIMS and Lurstep Khapai, Principal of Sentinel College were the speakers at the august event. Ency YL, President of Women of Hungpung Unit for Social Advancement (WHUSA) along with her team also made their presence felt.
The consultative meeting commenced with a prayer by PS Sword, Pastor of Hungpung Baptist Church. In a brief Presidential address, Hubert Lunghar expressed his joy at the attendance and said the meeting is convened to bring clarity to the minds of the youngsters and shape their future through consultation and brainstorming session.
Dr. Soreingam Kasomhung spoke in detail about the negative peer pressures and the current trend of the youth in Hungpung and Ukhrul in general. He emphasized on the importance of teenage and adolescence stage and how it is crucial in setting lifelong habits and interest and set the foundation to one’s future. He went on to explain peer pressures, both positive and negative and advised the youngster to build strong self-confidence and find friends according to the kind of future they want.
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His major concern, however, is the increasing drug users among the youths in Tangkhul area. Peer pressure being the major cause of increasing new users. He informed that in total there are 800 government registered drug users in Tangkhul area. Majority of the users belong to the age group between 13 to 35 years of age. However, what is alarming is that there are expected to be ten times more unregistered users that are unaccounted for. He believed that there are close to 6000-7000 unofficial drug users in Tangkhul area and this is leading to other negative impacts like increasing theft and petty crimes in the neighbourhood. According to 2023 District data, 103 deaths were reported due to overdose, which is equivalent to 1 person dead every 3 days. Imagine the future of Tangkhul in this scenario, he mused.
Apart from human deterioration, the financial implications of using drugs are immense. As revealed by drug users, in an average, in a week, a user can consume Rs. 3000 worth of drugs and if this is taken into account, crores of rupees are spent on drugs on a monthly basis. He urged the parents to be more vigilant and not consider the act as taboo and to get help as early as possible. He urged the civil organizations to take the strongest action against sellers and peddlers.
Meanwhile, Lurstep Khapai, Principal of Sentinel College, Ukhrul recalled the history of THYSO and its struggle to stay afloat during the initial stage. While the organization began with a sincere aim to motivate and encourage youth, at some point of time, there was no one to take the leadership forward. It has gone through a sea of change since its inception in 1957, he shared.
The educationist felt that there is a need for the youth to do self-assessment and self-evaluation in order to see growth, adding that without hard work, sincerity and perseverance, God cannot even help. He also urged THYSO to use their platform to research Hungpung dialect by coordinating with Tangkhul teachers and elders with an aim to preserve the rich vocabulary.
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Later, Wungchipem Mahung exhorted on the privilege of being born in Hungpung with a rich legacy. He urged the youngsters to preserve the legacy and become responsible and accountable individuals. He quotes the famous saying by US President Kennedy, “Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country,” asking the youth to emulate the saying. He further advised the youths to take ownership of the organization (THYSO) and to learn to support each other.
Two artists from the village, Reitimla Khapai and Bruno Awungshi entertained and engaged the participants with their melodious voices and inspiring message through their songs.
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