When I talk about discrimination at the workplace or my hometown, I cannot forget the bad influence it’s had on me. I still remember how painful the chain of abusive events was in my school days. The worst incident happened when I was in class sixth, one of my girl classmates refused to sit beside me because I was ‘different’. I was not much intelligent, attentive, and I was an average student.
Besides, there was another serious problem: my identity. I am a Muslim, and my mother tongue is Urdu. My friends were all the local language speakers of my hometown Hyderabad. I never learned Telugu, but that does not mean I was an alien who came from another planet! They all bullied and humiliated me in front of other students. I ignored them as I never felt it was important to respond to their aggressive behavior.
Now, when I heard about Youth Ki Awaaz asking their community of writers to pen down their views about different forms of discrimination in our society, I thought this was a wonderful opportunity for anyone who had seriously faced discrimination in this country. Hence, I am looking forward to shattering the wisdom lights on this controversial subject of modern times.
I believe that our society is still not developed or educated enough when it comes to acknowledging discrimination. The discrimination faced in homes, schools, colleges, universities, and workplace should not be tolerated. If we don’t stand firm for one’s self-respect, then the tale of pain and suffering will remain alive forever. It is also interesting to note that the events of physical and mental abuse often start from your home itself, which is why I have this strong sense of doing something better for my society.
In the end, I want a straight and clear-cut answer from every responsible authority. When can we, as normal people, perform our rightful duties without the fear of discrimination and violence?