Imagine
this.
Scene 1: An
Indian goes to France on a tour. On returning he mentions how clean the cities
of France are while peeing on the roadside and littering it with trash.
Scene 2: In
conversation with a guy in a restaurant, a girl proclaims how she is a feminist
who believes in equality. She asserts how she doesn’t want to be treated any
differently than a male counterpart and slowly slides the cheque toward the
guy.
Scene 3: In
the recent elections not only did the country see a 30% increase in the youth
population participating, but also did my Facebook wall. It saw a stupendous
rise in the number of people who voted and posted their selfies as proof.
Has the
youth really become responsible or was this entire fiasco just a trend upsurge?
The youth of
India are high on adrenaline. They are looking for change and ever exhilarated
to bring about a revolution. They want to be heard. They want to be treated
with respect and thought of as individuals with wisdom. I’m neither a critic
nor a judge, but do you remember when everyone was discussing Mr. Arvind
Kejriwal and how AAP is going to bring about political modernization? And when
the moment of truth came, the same people mocked him for his incompetence. This
is how quick a turnaround he fickle minded youth of our nation provides. While
there may have been several reasons, I believe that Rome wasn’t built in a day
and we’ll be fools ignore the bigger picture here.
When for
half the nation’s population it is difficult to decide which career path to
take, how do you expect them to decide the fate of the country? Do you think
that just because our generation has voted righteously, we’re responsible
people now? Let me provide an example. In Jamshedpur two politicians had to be
voted for. One was an ex IPS officer with a doctorate degree who had worked for
many industrial giants. The other was a nobody whose name people had heard for
the first time ever. The latter won the elections. Why you ask? It was because
his party was representing a Prime Ministerial candidate in the Central. Food
for thought, right?
Did you know
that not all Punjabis enjoy a patiala peg? Or not every girl who wears red
lipstick easy going? Or an individual working as an art/dance professional
uneducated or dumb? It is the Gen Y who has created such stereotypes and when
confronted act like hypocrites. The social attitude needs to change, the norms
and paradigms need to change and we, ‘The Youth’ need to be the one to do it.
If we want
our women to be safe anywhere she goes, we need to stand up for that girl being
molested in public in broad daylight and not stand by as a mere spectator.
If we want
equal opportunities for all, we need to reject any kind of favors we receive
because of reservation.
If we want
to help the society in some way, it shouldn’t be through donations to elite
clubs that organize those fancy charity parties. Become a member of Greenpeace
instead, join an NGO and donate to the ones who really need it.
The youth of
today wears branded clothes and follows the motto of ‘Just do it’, only later.
We participate, contribute and get involved but have no idea why. We have our
values and principles, but until the situation demands otherwise.
It is high
time that we removed the mask of these contrived pretenses and saw ourselves
for who we really are. We have the tools to collaborate, brainstorm and reflect
at our disposal. All we need to do is to take charge and speak for ourselves –
with clarity in our thoughts and the right motive in our actions. Only then
will our actions be more powerful and inspired. Something will definitely
happen when we pull ourselves together – individually and collectively.
Friends,
Indians, Countrymen;
Let us raise
our words, not our voices, for it is the rain that grows flowers, not the
thunder.
