By Mridang Lodha:
“…the indifference curve shall be a straight line in this case…” said Mr Rajiv Jha, the economics professor at my college. But soon another voice comoved my concentration. I was passed a sheet to sign on, which later turned out to be a requisition to introduce a new course at the college.
Welcome to the world of Delhi University campus and classrooms, each housing numerous young minds ready to voice their opinion in a way that most people and authorities would find difficult to turn a deaf ear to, to bring a change they seem necessary and indispensable for the better. Each of these young minds (read “activists”) are firm, confident and clear as to what they need to bring a change.
And this applies to the youth countrywide. The youth today is conscious and awaken, and always brings the change it wants to see, unlike generations who have sat just waiting for a tide to bring over another change.
The example at the beginning might seem feeble, but it truly illustrates the possibilities the youth of the country possess as activists. From being politically active in their respective universities, to raising awareness using street theatres, the youth is fulfilling its duties and fighting for its rights in a profound unified manner.
The face of it is certainly changing though. From the long rallies in the scorching sun, things have been made easier by social networking sites and wider use of the internet facilities. Not just this gives it a more sophisticated and a polished outlook, but also helps a wider group and variety of people.
Before the November terrorist attacks on this city left three of his friends dead, Kaizad Bhamgara, 19, spent his evenings jamming with his hipster Goth-rock band or chilling on the wave-sprayed boulders along the high rise-ringed shoreline.
But the pain of his loss and his frustration with the inept government response to the attacks moved Bhamgara to put down his drumsticks and pick up his laptop.
He set up a Facebook page called “Rise Up Mumbai! Rise Up India!” It soon expanded into a website, YouTube channel, and blog, all devoted to encouraging his peers …
Kaizad is just a name for the growing number of such activists, the list goes endless. Numerous groups on Facebook endorse one political ideology or the other. From political parties to NGO’s to individual efforts, the youth of the country is showing its active participation in this growing age of India.
The youth is emerging as a force wherever they exist, from making the school funds public to getting the basic facilities provided, from choosing their councils and union leaders to making a mark in their offices, they sure have a long way to go, but the beginning makes me relax, for the momentum they have is far from the reach of being stoppable.
P.S: Raise a toast to this platform of expression, another example of youth working to change the face of India … in its small yet conscious ways, it is!
Image source: http://sftindia.org/ [Discussion with Choeying, SFT India’s National Director about Youth Activism in Tibet Movement.]