I always used to
think, the youth of the 1960s and 70s were the one who pulled Geographical India down to what
we are today – unempathitic, morally bankrupt, divisive, greedy and corrupt. The recent
student protest reminds me of another eerie similarity between them and the
youth of 201x – Anti Hindi Protests vs Small kid dead protests – Both being
unwise, imprudent and rash resulting in a damaged reputation taking years to get repaired. Just while the
ill-effects of the former started wearing down, there is another shame to our student’s
Hall of Shame!
I have been
pessimistic of India’s older populace and their contribution to national
degradation in all fronts. I however had a slight dash of hope in the 40%
population under 25 today. I thought them as their image was - Cleaner,
innovative, with a contempt for ‘politics’ especially having seen the worse of
Indian Political Tamasha.
How wrong was I? The
recent protest against a particular nation showed encouraging signs at first.
Students taking up the issue of genocide and forcing Central Govt to act upon
it. Wow! I thought! Time moved on. One former party as usual made loud noises
to centre to capture this votebank! The ruling party added pressure to the
Indian Govt to act!! They were dismissed in contempt by the student leaders!!
Wow ! I thought!! Time moved on ..The Indian Govt did their best to even back
the UN resolution!!The protest was silent yet strong!! Wow ! I thought!! Time
moved on .. No political leader was allowed to share stage with the Students!!
Fantastic.. Till now!
Post the Resolution!
The protest still continues for God knows what reason! On hindsight, on reverse
engineering the path trodden, I understand that the reason is not exactly
driven by concern on how our ethnicity lives across the sea!! Here’s why:
1)
Today’s
generation is known for being self contained. Most of us do not know even our
neighbours professions!! We do not want disruption of our routine! This has
been a change since the youth of the 1960s who were I assume through hearsay
better at interpersonal interactions since the only way they interacted was
that! If the sense of self isolation is growing rapidly, how can there be a
real concern for people living across the Palk Strait!!
2)
We live in
a country where atrocities in broad daylight are being spectated upon rather
than being acted upon. We love apathy! Don’t we? How many of us, on seeing
somebody being beaten up / violently acted upon in broad daylight, take courage
to act to deter the same?? If this is the case with people from our own
country, how can we be empathic about someone living across the sea?
3) Hypothetically, if a town
captured by M-ists and M-ists are killed to recapture the town, there will be
collateral damage since war involves adrenalin. There may be a couple of human
rights violations by overzealous individuals but hey, if you fight a war, you
face the consequences!
If,
the M-ists were replaced by people of some ethnicity, you would get a feeling
of dislike which leads to violent crimes against them and that is because, we
love to differentiate &discriminate! True not only for India! If someone
sensible (Read: the ethnics) had opted for a political solution than all out
war at some point of their long history, the process would have been much more
peaceful and would have had a realistic solution for the conflict!
Warring
against your own country and threatening its sovereignty is a crime punishable
by death in any country in the world! Supporting the war? Do you allow Gurkhas
to claim Gorkhaland? What happened in Telangana separatist movement? I hear the
Nagas are asking for a separate state!! Nobody in the country other than those
involved are bothered. If this is the
case for your country, is it plausible that you react so strongly in case the issue is in
another country?
4)
China has protested
for owning Arunachal, can you expect Indian Govt to heed to it? This despite
fighting a war and losing it? [Loss of lives in either case]
Same
for our other neighbour! Use your 'fresh' brain people?
5)
The reason
I am able to zero in on is not empathy
but a distinct intent to evade exams and a misdirected ego to show
student power! (13 players in not playing in one venue in IPL would make a
difference ah? Po da! Lose-lose situation). All i guess is sane youth are not bothered on this agitation while the morally light may be deeply involved !
6)
What
worries me is not only the lack of brains or lack of skill to use it that
plagues today’s youth! What worries me is that either of these show a political
brain (ergo: selfish brain) behind it being fuelled by malafide intentions or
hoping for the best – dumbness in understanding international relations!
(Personal suspicion: Political leaders fuelling this or an aspiring politician
fuelling this)
IT being a very close neighbour,
we would do well not to let it be enslaved by the dragon economically and
politically which is exactly what is being done due to the rash and unwise
nature of protests being held!
Some selfish ‘leader’
would do well to stop this farce and get his monkey forces back to studies
which has a realistic chance of creating a positive change! Oh… is it what he
is escaping from?
