suddenly something...

its 6:47 am and though i'm supposed to be working, i suddenly felt like bloggin a bit.

i actually watched quite a bit of tv at night and i was watching one tree hill, this high school drama soap on star world. no, this is not a blog about high school drama. however, it just got me wondering a bit. you know i was looking at the way students and of course the student council is treated and i wonder if that could ever happen here in our country. yes, one tree hill is tv, but that is how it is too. a student council - the so called student government is in most cases allowed to speak their minds. however, it is so different here. a council in school or college is pretty much just a group of people donning a shiny silver badge. there is no real freedom - whether that be creative freedom or the freedom to speak your mind. everything always has to be politically correct because only then are we respecting our seniors.

this is not a rant against just a student council. this is indian society in general. we are taught and encouraged to speak the truth and speak our minds, but just as your old enough to know what your mind is, you're asked not to air your views lest someone misunderstand. im sorry...what was that again? why are people who are willing to stand up for what's right, or even be united against a authoratarian post automatically black-listed and branded rebels without a cause. why is the brainwashing redoubled once a thought-provoking idea is raised? why are our new ideas and creativity disregarded and merely rubbished as useless and foolish?

the youth of india is constantly being accused of becoming increasingly lethargic and developing an "i-don't-give-a-damn" attitude. whose fault is that really? when we do start caring and try and ask questions you answer us by telling us to shush, and 20 years laters, when our spirits have in all likelihood been permanently shushed, you expect us to go up in arms against every issue worth appearing on ndtv. and of course, we will too consequently grow up to become adults like you, who pass the blame to the useless youth and try fooling everyone including ourselves with "if only i was younger...."

the change needs to begin in our adults, because they are the ones who influence the minds of the children. a child can't think for himself so the adult must teach him how to and tell him its okay to think for himself. tell him its a good thing he has an opinion and to voice it. the sad part about our youth today is that they have no opinions and i wonder why? unless you have opinions, you don't believe. unless you believe, you're not passionate. and unless you're passionate, you don't fight.

sure, post rang de basanti, there is this youth movement which is apparently uprising. but is it really? would anyone speak up if it didnt directly affect them? sure, maybe a couple. patriotism isn't only about saluting your flag or singing your national anthem or about abusing a Pakistani. It's about loving your country enough to give up your life for it, it's about knowing what is happenin in the country apart from the latest movies and all the page 3 gossip, it's about reaching out to help a fellow Indian in whichever way possible. we don't have to go to war to prove we're patriots, we can do it each day in our small way.

i do it by not littering the calcutta streets. (and give dirty glances and shouting at whoever does!), what are you doing?



i know this blog started out about a student council and ended in patriotism, but i think the basic point i was tryin to make is that very few people in the country have opinions or viewpoints and are only attracted to mass opinion. of course, in bengal, sourav ganguly is an opinion too. he is the only viewpoint there is.