#Why do we love being passive observers?
A man out there is dying for us. Yet all we do is hold silence as if already mourning.
Mourning their courageous effort going in vain.
Am I judging? No. I don't have the right to judge when I'm myself equally silent.
But...why are we silent?
Because uncertainty scares us.
Because political activity (voting, civic participation in protests, bandhs, etc), which is the fundamental block of any functioning democracy is not appreciated.
Political Involvement involves life risks.
And we have a family to feed. Responsibilities on our shoulders. We cant risk our lives for something people would gossip about and sympathise for 2 days and forget by the weekend.
...
I see history repeating itself, as a pattern.
During early British Raj days, large sections of Indians, i.e. poor masses did not concern themselves with who the supreme authority was, either. Why? Because they had their own battles to fight. Battles against hunger. Against diseases. Against zamindari system. Against uncertain weather affecting their crops..
It took almost 100+ years and thousands of leaders raising their voice together to rise.
Against a foreign authority. Against a particular section of people in apex.
Who powered us? Fraternity. Local Support. Unity. Support from influential classes and pressure groups. Financial, humanitarian and patriotic support.
But today, there's a difference.
Today?
Opinions are divided.
There is no one who is sure that the person sitting right next to them won't sh**t them (metaphorically or literally) when they express what they perceive right.
Who we are to rise against, are ourselves.
Now, we are not fighting aliens. But our own family that got ignorant and corrupt. It's our own creation. Our own people. In many cases, our own selves.
And therefore, there won't be any national leader like Subhash Chandra Bose or Mahatma Gandhi who will stand up and ask us to stand too.
There won't be another universally accepted leader because today's society is too fragmented to rally behind one person, and influential groups are reluctant to shoulder the risks.
Also, even if someone tries to be so courageous. What would we do? Applaud and let them be courageous. Alone.
People come online. Express their opinions. Yell at the youngsters in all uppercase and eventually go silent.
Young people are full of energy. But they are inexperienced.
They need a direction.
If not sense of freedom of expression (in a democracy, sadly) atleast a reassurance that if they go behind bars, someone will stand for them.
A reassurance that expressing political opinion wont automatically mean treason charges on their entire family and brutal retribution from the oppositions for the same.
Asking for directions.
Experienced 'wise' men, who yell at kids, and seem to know the way to helping out of the situation-
Stand up.
Educated and Aware people?
Influential people who can't be easily threatened?
Stand up.
Because no movement is successful if there is no one to back it.
Business houses, Celebrities, big influencers...who have backing...stand up.
Because youth does not need facilitation. It needs a direction. A clear path. And power.
Look up at the course of history and you will know how political sentiments actually took the form of actions-
Via institutional and organised support.
If there is a particular organisation that's trying to raise the issue. Support it. Not by speaking. Support it systematically financially and institutionally.
Students are not the only classes who claim to be patriots.
"Why do we demand courage from those with the least power while those with the most influence stay comfortably silent?"
If someone who is powerful and influential and claims to be a patriot? Then Act. Now.
