Abuse, Tolerance, Divorse and more

These days people seem to term every kind of "punishment" as abuse; as do they seem to tag every intercultural conflict as racism. The word punishment is so negatively loaded that it is hard to make a positive case out of it. One should associate shikshe, which means punishment in lay terms but has an intention of correcting the wrong. It is no surprise that "learning" is also called "shiksha", so there is a learning in the path of punishment. Lack of shikshe in schools is leaving children lacking in learning. But where should one draw a line between punishment and abuse? That is a hard puzzle to solve and I do not hope to provide an answer for it in this forum, which also does not mean that I have an answer for it.

People punish others for some "wrong doing", which is measured on a scale of some socially held assumptions, or "code of conduct"s. Many scholars have argued that punishment is used as a tool to deter future violations of codes or to let the offender know his transgression. By stripping-off the power to punish from a police, you are empowering victims. On the other hand, when you handover too much power you could be empowering an offender; as can be evidenced from some TV footages of several African nations, or from the Taliban regime. Even in schools when teachers are stripped of their ability to punish (I am not referring to abuse here), you are not just diluting the environment but infact stripping the child of an opportunity to correct. But, that does not mean that children should be taught to walk on a thin rope of coded instructions. One area that is significantly being impacted by lack of punishment is the respect to elders. Children are gradually lacking the basic social etiquette of respect. There are some positive outcomes but more negative than people realize. Over a period of time this system creates a sense of anarachy, again that does not mean that I support a dictatorial monarchy. For a society to run smoothly there needs to be some order, some socially accepted and respected code of conduct (one that evolves with time). Punishment (not any form of talibanic physical aggression) is central to such a system.

The other consequences to the lack of punishment (rather discipline) at schools and at home are the reduced tolerance levels of the next generations. Children are becoming less tolerant and more aggressive to even minor hurts and altercations. There are more interpersonal conflicts. People are learning to live by themselves because they are losing their ability to take criticism and any sort of punishment. "I am always right", "listen to me first" kind of mindset is becoming more prevalent. Individualism is taking its toll on the socialistic perspective of the east. People are more concerned about self enhancement, because they lack the ability to take pain, seeking easier ways of life. Any pain taken is only for self appraisal or personal sense gratification. People do not want to raise kids or take responsibilities. Even those who have kids are largely neglecting those for personal gratificatory interests. Even though these appear to be unrelated, deep within their is a lack of discipline.

There are more school violences than ever before, there are more gun shots heard in schools these days. Socialistic intolerance is surfacing more often than ever before. More people are getting divorced for ridiculously insignificant differences such as perfume preferences. People cannot tolerate minor inconveniences for a holistic welfare. People are soon lacking their ability to commit to relationships, creating a choatic society that lacks coherence. Trouble will be more evident in the very near future where human life will soon lose its significance and respect.

Lets either give some freedom to parents and teachers or be prepared for a society of selfish rascals who will soon lack all moral and ethical inclinations. Lets be prepared for a world of criminals and code breakers. The age of Kali will soon start exhibiting its true colours, a world of noise, disturbance, and unruly chaos.