Many adults have probably looked you in the eyes and said “beta, you are the future of this country.” I never really took these words seriously until a few years ago, when I realized that we live in a country where we’re stuck in a vicious cycle of problems. Corruption, beggary, uneducated ministers, rape, tax evasion, and a faulty justice system are just the tip of the iceberg, but these issues are so deep-rooted that there is little or no hope for change in the upcoming years.
Over the years, I realised that there is so much we can do rather than sit around and complain about our country. Yes, India has its fair shares of issues, but as a citizen there is definitely something we can do besides re-sharing memes about Rahul Gandhi. What India desperately needs is a fair share of active citizenship from its youth. If all of us potential change makers go abroad to study and then settle down, India has no hope. We, the educated section of the youth, need to recognise the gravity of the situation, gather the dying bits of patriotism from within ourselves, and collectively set out to make a difference.
In my opinion, the first step is to acknowledge our privilege. Understanding that we are only a few of the lucky ones in the country is a crucial step in becoming a change-maker. This gives us the responsibility to act in the favour of the other not-so-lucky people in the country. We have the resources, the money, the contacts, and the necessary education to lead change. Wanting to spend the rest of our lives minting money but continuing to complain about all the mishaps that occur in India isn’t an ideal future to look forward to. Our generation has to be the one to make India the utopia that everyone wants to be associated with.