The Youth Is Raising Their Voice And So Should You!
By Anshula Jayaswal
The recent years have seen a rise in the way the youth of the country has raised and made their voices heard. From voicing their concerns regarding the current political scenario in the country to holding strikes and protests for the conservation of our planet, the protection of LGBTQ+ members and so on, the young adults are making sure that they are being heard, loud and strong.
In Bangalore, several colleges and institutions have shown their solidarity towards the ongoing CAA issues. An example of that can be the panel discussion that was held at Mount Carmel College, Vasanthnagar. The panel discussion included three
panellists in total and aimed to make the audience understand what the whole issue was exactly about. They explained the Acts objectively and encouraged the students to keep themselves aware and informed.
“I think there is a need for facts to come out from the kind of clutter that has been created”, said Dr. Suma Singh, dean of Humanities at Mount Carmel College and an associate professor in Economics, who was one of the panellists during the discussion.
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Mr Aravind, one of the founders of anti-corruption movement who was also a panellist shared his views on the CAA, NRC and the NPR. He said that “the Citizenship Amendment Act by itself does not have the power to take away anyone’s citizenship in India” and went on to elaborate more on the topic, clearing any confusion and misinformation.
Mr. Gerald Manoharan, a practicing dispute resolution lawyer, another panelist who was present during the discussion explained about the legal issues concerned with the Act, all the while making the students and the audience more aware of the actual situation.
Another example of youth led movements within the city can be that of the climate strikes that are held regularly on Fridays to showcase the concerns regarding our deteriorating climate and to urge the government to take immediate action.
“Most of our working team is currently under 25. The most active members are students. We learnt that most people who are aware of climate change don't understand how serious it is and what they can do to mitigate it. With more awareness, they were able to act on the information provided” said Disha Ravi, one of the organisers of the climate strikes that are held on Fridays. When asked if the voices of young adults will gain more importance and attention as compared to the rest of the demographic, she said, “I've definitely seen this happen. The media has a way of spreading
misinformation and they concentrate a lot on young people who are working towards this. A lot of what we said to the media has been previously changed to suit their ideology. But at the same time, we have had our message spread without it being tampered.”
All this to say, if you are new to the city and are visiting to enjoy all that it has to give you, taking part in events and activities like these will in turn help the greater cause and will also keep you engaged
