There is no other quote which summarizes the diverse demographic that is the youth as aptly as this one:
“We are the Dreamers of Tomorrow”.
Over the years, India has continued to have a retrograde political arena wherein party leaders who have been well into their second century of life – and pushing into their sixties – have been called as ‘young’, ‘the voice of the youth’, ‘forward-thinking’, and what not, while pushing their age old traditional agenda on a demographic with whom they cannot identify with in any way.
This is not an isolated incident but one which is repeated throughout the nation, in all constituencies. Thus, it is important for the youth to step up, take a stand, and make their opinions known on the issues that are plaguing the country – and even the world.
Today, in the aftermath of rapes, we have had venerable politicians, party leaders and some spiritual gurus, blaming victims and clarifying that women should not be wearing clothing which will excite men instead of firmly placing the blame on those who deserve it – the perpetrators of the crime, the rapist themselves. This shows how far removed the mentality of these retrogressive leaders is from the mindset of the youth and the 21st century. In such a situation, it is not only important, but also necessary that the youth raise their voices, stand firmly against the wrongdoers and those letting them off scot-free, and take the reins of the nation in their own hands. After all, it is as Captain America has quoted in the Civil War comics, ‘Doesn’t matter what the press says. Doesn’t matter what the politicians or the mobs say. Doesn’t matter if the whole country decides that something wrong is something right. This nation was founded on one principle above all else: the requirement that we stand up for what we believe, no matter the odds or the consequences. When the mob and the press and the whole world tell you to move, your job is to plant yourself like a tree beside the river of truth, and tell the whole world — “No, you move.’
A tad verbose, but it gets the message across. It is of vital importance that every citizen plays a role in the process of developing not only the country, but also the entire world, and this burden will sooner or later fall on the shoulders of the youth, and when the time comes, we can only hope that they are ready for it.
After all, they will be inheriting a world rife with wars, with mass exodus due to the refugee crisis, with global warming and climate change as glaciers continue to melt and temperatures continue to soar, and with rising tensions among nations, religions and cults on differences of geographical borders, religious turmoil, and much more. Thus, it is of vital import that they be ready to face these challenges, and to that end, instead of waiting for tomorrow, the smarter choice would be to start taking an interest in these issues from now itself, form an informed opinion on them, and through discourse and debate, work towards the best future of the human race. Because the alternative is too scary to consider.
