It’s a confusing time. We, the youth, believe ourselves to be in a state better than any of the previous generations. We believe we are awakened; we are revolutionary in our own ways. But are we not missing out something in the bigger picture? Are we not over looking the fears of our previous generations who feel we are losing our way? There’s a part of me that wants to defy these fears to fall in line with my peers. But then, there’s a part of me that cannot help ponder over the missing ethics, the loyalties in friendships that once existed, the respect for the Gurus who treated akin to God.
We live in a time where the whole of India rejoices and celebrates the death sentence of Kasaab, a terrorist, who, according to us, deserved this death sentence more than anyone else. Are we not following the principle of “An eye for an eye”, forgetting that it would tantamount to leaving the whole world blind? Everyone is eager to voice their opinion on how apt this decision was (though delayed) but what about the million things going wrong all around us day-today? We choose to overlook the greed of men who molest every woman they come across, if not literally, at least with their eyes and their dirty comments. We choose to overlook acts of domestic violence, bribery and casting couches. And all this is because we are busy criticising a misled youngster who thought he could serve his community and become deserving of the blessings of God for having done what he was told to do.
We live in a time where at least some of us care to listen to the stories that our parents and grand parents have in store for them about their school and college days. I’m sure at least a handful of us must be wondering what went wrong that brought us to a stage where we call our teachers names, take pride in abusing them behind their backs and some of us do not even care to respect them when they are around. I cannot deny that it’s not a one sided road; many teachers today don’t match up to the standard of our parent’s Gurus. They feel that being overly friendly with students or pestering them for marks would earn them respect, forgetting that respect has to be earned, not demanded. They probably are not aware of the fact that a teacher can be respected only for his knowledge; for everything else, he can be loved.
We live in a time when almost everything under the sky is justifiable in the name of Progress! Be it our so called ‘relationships’, late nights, the bizarre dress sense or just the way we address of parents i.e. the openness, the answering back etc. I realise how pessimistic I may be coming across as, but honestly, I term it as thoughtfulness. I still believe in the integrity of the youth and myself. Deep in my heart, a fire still burns under the name of ethics, humanity and love. I fuel this fire every time I see my friends go out of their way to help the underprivileged, every time I watch how the youth united to help the victims in tragedies like the Mumbai terror attacks or the floods, every time I have a heart to heart (eye wetting) conversation with a teacher who might rightly be called a Guru for not only teaching me some subjects but more importantly how to live. I still believe that we may be a little off track but we are still close to the path to be followed and can hop on as and when required. I still believe in the beauty of the dawn that gives me hope for a better tomorrow!!!
Me.....
- Ipshita
- Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India
- I love the stillness of the wood: I love the music of the rill: I love to couch in pensive mood Upon some silent hill. Scarce heard, beneath yon arching trees, The silver-crested ripples pass; And, like a mimic brook, the breeze Whispers among the grass. Here from the world I win release, Nor scorn of men, nor footstep rude, Break in to mar the holy peace Of this great solitude.....
Totally agreed. Deep down everyone on this planet has something inside which makes him/her at sometime point of time in his/her life to think what is the reason of his/her existence in this world. Is it only to take birth, grow up, marry, work and die or there is something which has to be given a thought atleast once in life which turns a body into smthn called human being. In this era of cut-throat competetion every where, it is very hard to think of running a race together instead of defeating someone, sharing knowledge instead of keeping to ourself to secure 1st rank in school/college, helping a poor child to pay his school fee instead of spending of thousands of money in pubs & discs, helping a poor man to get a job instead of throwing sm1 out of the work to get a promotion. But if each n every person in this world starts thinking and can change himself/herself atleast 1% then a step can be taken for a better world with better people and better lives.
ReplyDeleteVery true!!!! And the discovery is self is the toughest journey one can undertake. It not only takes strength but also courage to look inside ourselves and question ourselves. There is always a deeper meaning to our existence on this planet, given that we care enough to findit out. And referring to what you wrote, I'm reminded of the lines of the song... If everyone cared and nobody cried,
ReplyDeleteIf everyone loved and nobody lied;
If everyone shared and swallowed their pride,
Then we'd see the day when nobody died....
And I'm singing,
Amen I, Amen I, I'm alive!
a lovely piece...n yes i agree....people these days thin they know the best while dos who think so r d foolish most. the word modern has been contorted and distorted to bring under its umbrella all sorts of despicable things...in d name of freedom we create distances between ourselves n people we love...
ReplyDeleteno word no emotion is pure coz every word n every emotion is given a meaning by the interpreter as per his needs...wot a world!!