Traditional practices are subject to alteration. Engaging in sexual/romantic relationships having once reached a suitable age is natural. Our classics are full of stories about premarital and extramarital relationships. There is, therefore, no reason why that cannot happen in today’s human society. However, the necessity of standing on one’s own feet in this competitive world has definitely gained prominence over marrying. This should mean that youngsters cannot risk doing anything at the cost of their health, career or ambitions. It ultimately depends on how one perceives things and maintains a balance between their career and relationships. I feel lessons to a child in this regard can and should begin from home.

—Ram Prasad Sharma,

Ranibari, Kathmandu

Every society has its own norms and values that set guidelines for people to move forward armed with certain ethical values. The Nepalese society has fixed its own specific parameter in order to maintain such norms and values. Our religion-dominated society puts certain dictums on a person under which no one is allowed to establish physical relation before marriage. However, the young generation inclination toward western culture has led them to breach the longstanding social values. As youngsters these days are too much reason oriented they feel such social norms and values act as a barrier and stops them from exercising their individual rights. Premarital sexual relations are considered an illegal and unethical act in our society, but it has been a normal phenomenon of life for majority of the urban youths now a days. According to a survey, the teenage pregnancy rate caused by premarital sex has been rising. The situation is really alarming .If this trend continues then a day will come when we will see our social customs and values collapsed completely. While exercising individual rights a person should always be aware of the fact that rights and duties are interrelated and inseparable things. If a person wants to exercise his rights a corresponding duty follows him automatically. But it is sad that today’s youths are more

concerned about their rights. The kind of rights the youngsters are expecting to exercise and are enjoying these days overrule their social obligations and duties. So it is time for youths to reconsider their perception toward individual right and freedom and help maintain the social norms and values.

—Ambika Pandey, Chitwan

Youngsters feel the need to prove that they are intelligent and popular. They lean towards the modern and scorn traditional values. Guardians are often not aware what their teenagers are doing. Adolescence forces youngsters to do these things and causes lapses in tradition.

—Anil Chongwang

There are helping hands for willing minds. To reach our goals we must keep our eyes on the prize and focus on our ambitions. It is the purpose of youth to find a goal and do all they can to attain it. To hit that target, everyone must be deaf towards legends and tradition as popularly interpreted. If we think about tradition and follow its directions, we will never pass the 16th century, and be able to get or achieve the new things. We must take the shortest route to accomplish our mission and we must not care about what our tradition says and what unexpected result may occur. Youngsters are the building blocks of the nation as well as the universe, so they should not be narrow minded and bound by tradition.

Therefore, I think, youth must have a strong foundation before

they tie the knot, but they should

not be concerned about tradition in their decision.

— Sudip Michael Regmi

Many youngsters in the 21st century are career and future oriented. They don’t want to be responsible family men or women who are bound to a conjugal life and its many burdens. This does not mean that there will be a negative impact on tradition or a move against traditional practices. The emphasis is on the degree of understanding between the couple. They want the satisfaction of their desire before they tie the knot and follow the traditional practices which must be preserved.

— Niraj Bajra Bajracharya,

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