The shocking death of Nabeel Mohammad in a ‘friendly fight’ recently has shaken up the old city. Though, an irreparable loss to the family, the teenager’s tragic end has served as a wakeup call to the community.
Ever since the unfortunate incident happened on May 3, a catharsis of sorts is going on among parents in the old city where waywardness is fast catching up among youth.
The bottom-line is how to rein in the youngsters. The other day the Majlis leader, Asaduddin Owaisi, surprised everyone when he spoke touchingly about correcting the wayward behaviour among the youth. He devoted a greater part of his speech to the need for parents to keep a watch on their wards. It is the responsibility of parents to ensure that their children have a good upbringing.
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Mr. Owaisi faulted the growing trend among youth to stay out of homes till late in the night and blamed the parents for not keeping an eye on their activities. By and large this is the feeling in the community. Many squarely blame the parents for giving unfettered freedom to their kids which claimed a promising life while sending others behind bars.
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The ‘Shab-e-Meraj’ celebrations on Saturday also saw ulemas in many mosques referring to this incident in their sermons. They urged parents to instil Islamic values among their children and see that they channelised their energy and time in studies rather than loitering on roads late in the night.
Most of the areas in the old city come alive as night deepens. In some places kabadi is being played while in some a wrestling bout in on. Many youngsters love to show off their acrobatic skills on bikes while a few are deeply engrossed in social media. What keeps them going is the availability of foodstuffs all through the night. “Hotels are shut down but you can get anything you want anytime of the night”, says a former corporator of old city.
Psychologists attribute the whole thing to identity crisis. Youngsters tend to project themselves in their own way since there is no proper platform for them to develop their identity. There is need to create awareness on social issues and develop sensitivity to others.
“Without this nothing will work”, says COVA president, Mazhar Husain, who has already launched Compassionate Citizenship and Responsible Activism programme.
Ulemas urge parents to instil Islamic values among their children and see that they channelise their energy and time in studies rather than loitering on roads late in the night