Let young people pursue their special dreams

The Occupy Wall Street movement has corporate greed as the focal point for its attack. It is time a similar movement were launched against the unholy alliance of political and business circles establishing a monopoly hold on resources everywhere. So pervasive are the influences of coterie interests in Bangladesh that it is indeed difficult for common people with no political or other affiliations to pursue and realise a dream. Dreams that have saved mankind from ruination are either falling apart or fast becoming distorted with commercial interests getting the better of prudence, fellow feeling, social obligation and justice. True, parochial, self-serving and business mentality now dominates human and even personal relations and amid the hullabaloo the demand of the heart takes a back seat. That indeed is the malaise of modern heart. Robotic, at times atrophic and selfish, people are fashioning a cocoon they think will give them the protection against social, economic and every other types of adversities. It is startling that the global warming-induced natural calamities -- a few of which have already shown what havoc they are capable of wreaking -- have failed to bring the world communities to their senses as well as together to fight a common battle. It is too early to conclude that free market economy has outlived itself; but about one thing there is no doubt that it is still tilting the balance in favour of the ultra rich and raising the social divide even higher. Man is perhaps best equipped today to increase human comfort and treat physical ailments but the many trappings of him are of no help to overcome his limitations he has confined himself to due to his avarices. No wonder, human avarices manifest themselves in myriad forms but how those impact the minds of the young generation counts in a big way. Today, science and humanities disciplines are neglected in preference for commerce ones. Why? Because that is the easy way out for students to step on the ladder of successful careers. The syllabi are, moreover, streamlined to help learners score higher marks no matter if they fail to acquire thorough knowledge of the subjects they study. Creativity thus becomes the first casualty. It is exactly at this point, dreams go distorted or, in extreme cases, up in fume. Not all can adapt to the cheerless, monotonous and even repressive system of education. We have made a hell of their lives by not allowing them to enjoy the simple delights of childhood. Society is all set to producing an army of traders, accountants and managers who in their turn throttle the cravings of their heart. Their appreciation for aesthetic beauty and urge to cement cultural mooring are not allowed to flourish. The landscape of their imagination is steamrolled into types according to practical requirements and the individual of an immense possibility is reduced to a cog in the wheel serving a special purpose. In short, society is getting stunted and it wants its young ones to fit into the engine. This surely is no ideal environment for the exceptionally talented young men and women to pursue their special dreams. When parents want them to take a shape like the products in a factory do -of the same size and shape, their special progenies look bewildered and after a while prove misfits. That indeed is a great loss for the nation. How creativity in the prodigies has to be tended is beyond our parents' knowledge and ability. Imagine all those children, who did not fit into the scheme of their parents, were not allowed to have their ways, we surely would have lost great minds like Einstein and Rabindranath, and lately, Bill Gates and Steve Jobs and many more who were great inventors, artists, writers etc. Had they been forced to the academic disciplines, the world would have been poorer without their contributions. People of genius are too big for the set patterns of society. It is therefore necessary to have enough space and liberty in the system for them to pursue their dreams. Without their iconic and inspirational role, what is left for the young people to model their life after? Many are of the opinion of appointing counsellors in schools for girl students in particular to brave the harsh world. Whether the counsellors will have adequate psychological background is not clear. However it is felt that educational institutions do really need psychologists to help students -- not just the girls among them -- overcome their frustration, disappointment and the lack of confidence when it comes to facing the hostile and unforgiving world. Every heart secretly nurtures a dream. That dream needs to be roused from slumber and with care it can change life for the better. A caring teacher can provide for the Midas touch. The problem today is that they are fast becoming a rare species. Whether professional psychologists will be an effective substitute for such teachers is a debatable issue but it can be worth trying when teachers of that rare breed are on the verge of extinction.