Thank you, Anshul and the entire Youth Ki Awaaz team, for giving me the honour to write about my concerns and become an agent of change in my own way. Honestly speaking, I didn’t use to write much until I found this open forum, where freedom of speech and expression is given paramount importance, irrespective of which political or social line writers are adhering to. This is commendable. No wonder the huge following of Youth Ki Awaaz is growing by leaps and bounds.
Now, regarding why I write about social issues – it is because I strongly believe that the greatest tool for change in the 21st century would be ‘thoughts’.
India has historically established itself in the world by the dissemination of its ideas, and this must not stop. This very feeling instigates in me the junoon (passion) to write.
I am a firm believer in playing an active part in the nation-building process. We face exciting times, when the youth of India will witness the country being included amongst the greatest nations which have ever existed – possibly in a few decades and surely within this century. But, this will require a youth which is informed, enlightened and believes in the old dictum “Stay hungry, stay foolish.” This is when writing on social issues becomes important, so that India stays aware, conscious of the change, critical of its shortcomings and cautiously optimistic about the future.
Writing on social issues on Youth Ki Awaaz also becomes important for the deeper analysis it allows writers like me to present. Today, we have apps and forums where 140 characters define the news. This reduced attention-span facilitates a shallow understanding of issues, and I consider it my responsibility to ensure that the truth prevails through my writings by using a forum like Youth Ki Awaaz.
Next, I believe young people should do it too because exercising opinions has an intrinsic value in itself. Apart from the spread of ideas, it opens a mind-space where the writer, while drafting a piece, analyses a range of aspects about an issue which has never been thought about before. The great thing about the mind is its endless ability to absorb and analyse.
Also, speaking on issues makes a person critical of the changes happening around them, which helps in self-awareness and general awareness. If the analysis is against some policies of the government, it serves a larger role in the nation-building process, where checks and balances are integral to the spirit of democracy.
Hence, through this medium, I would urge every fellow youth to explore the world of writing. The possibilities are immense and the scope is unlimited. It’s time to unleash your potential.
Thank you.