~One day we will see the world to be as ‘our’ place and not ‘my’ place, and we shall then live a happily ever after~
As the much-awaited Youth Ki Awaaz Summit 2018 comes to an end, let us have a look at some of the inspiring quotes that have emerged for us to take back:
1. Jaiveer Shergill, Supreme Court Advocate and member of Indian National Congress:
“If 1975-77 was a bad example then, 2014-18 is a bad example now. Politicians are always on trials. However, we must be proud that despite apprehensions, India has sustained as a functional democracy. Systems have evolved.”
2. Kunal Sarangi, member of the Jharkhand Legislative Assembly and central spokesperson of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha:
“Identity should not become the main focus of your strategies. You cannot be spending 50 lakhs on the statue of Shivaji. You give Rs 500 crore to Kerala flood relief but spend around Rs 4000 crore on statues. Also, resource allocation should be based on the indigenous demands of the community not just a general perspective of development.”
3. Pratishtha Deveshwar, disability rights activist:
“Lipstick and disability don’t go together! We have our moments of weaknesses but we wear our scars like badges of honour. We look like any ordinary human being.”
4. Vinatoli Yeptho, slam poet:
“If we don’t start it now, we as a country will be giving birth to another generation of alienated, frustrated, misunderstood youth. The biggest threat to the core idea of what India is or should be that is- unity in diversity with this I end my talk.”
5. Konkana Sen Sharma, actor-director:
“I’m a very proud feminist. People have outdated notions of feminism, there is a basic misunderstanding and fear about what feminism is. Feminism is a complex issue. We must understand that we are living in an unfair world and we need to raise awareness about what feminism is. If not us, then who?”
6. Vijayanta Goyal, Deputy Commissioner of Police, South Delhi:
“When we ask our daughter to go the extra mile, are we ready to support her? Will men or family back a woman who has to work late at night? We need to change perspectives and be supportive.”
7. Beena Pallical, Dalit rights activist:
“If for 24 hours, all Dalits and Adivasis in the country stop working, just for 24 hours, the country will crash. It’s the fastest growing economy, let’s not forget the hand contributing to it.”
I believe that every person is entitled to their own spaces, choices and opinions. The moment we start coming up with categories and placing it in a hierarchy, we give rise to issues, to marginalization, discrimination, insensitivity and inequality.
These two days at the YKA Summit, I saw a new dawn to letting perspectives, and not traditions and stereotypes shape our present and future.
It is time that the youth is not just the future of the nation but its present too.
