Venita's fight is my fight too, both being Moidekars.
But I would like to leave the youngsters to do what they must do i.e. study
well and make their futures rather than immerse themselves in the social
fights which are never going to decrease but increase ten fold each passing
year.
My only advice to the youngters is to enmass register themselves on the
electoral rolls and vote come every election, be it panchayat/municipality,
assembly or parliamentary. But vote sensibly in the case of assembly or
parliamentary elections for a party with a written down system of governance
and not for individuals and tall promises and for a 'panel' in the case of
municipal or panchayat elections in the same manner extracting guarantees of
compliance after elections.
Inshahalla, one day your vote may change the way we are governed leaving no
social evils to fight for and to leave Roland and Sabina free to do what
they do best for a living.
floriano
goasuraj
----- Original Message -----
From: "Samir Kelekar" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, February 26, 2009 4:03 PM
Subject: [Goanet] Goanet] The Accidental Activist - Where have all
theyoungsters gone?
--- On Wed, 2/25/09, Venita Coelho <venitacoelho at gmail.com> wrote:
I remember sitting in the college canteen in Calcutta and
listening to a wild haired
student explain exactly how to make a Molotov cocktail.
'But isn't all this
dangerous?' The student looked at me with blazing eyes
'I am in the right. This is
my land. I will do anything for it.'
--------------------------------------------------------
If Goan youth are more concerned about getting jobs and a girlfriend,
rather than making Molotov cocktails, I'd say they've learnt the lessons
of life well.
Interestingly there was a brief survey done on European countries. The
students of Italy, Greece and Spain are most likely to riot, while British
students were least likely to riot and protest. Their concerns were
staying on in school, getting good grades and finding jobs after they
finish. Interestingly, Italy, Greece and Spain are also the most
dysfunctional countries in Europe.
When we say we want youth to be involved in activism, we mean our brand of
activism. How much praise would we have for youth who show keen interest
in joining the RSS and Ram Sene?
My young cousins who are dentists are always off on some camp or the other
offering free dental to remote villages, educating the young on dental
hygiene, etc. This too is activism. It may not fit into our perception of
fire-brand, filling the streets, molotov cocktail type of activism, but I
would say it is far more productive to themselves as individuals and as a
society.
Let the young of our country prepare for their future lives as they
should; stay in school, get good grades, find good jobs. Their time to
grow old will come soon enough.
Best,
Selma
It is very tough choices for today's youth. One has to make a living as
well as one has to have social concerns. Two diametrically opposite
paths -- can the two be reconciled ?
When I was growing up, I went to IIT, chose the career option. I remember
Roland, Sabina ditched possibilities of a good career and plunged into
social work. It must have been very tough for them. What do social
activists get other than only trouble, meagre to live on, and beatings and
jail ? How can this be sold to any youth, when the other options are much
rosier --- a girlfriend, a bike and good money ?
The point is --- is there a middle ground ? Can we lure the youth by
helping him/ her advance his career by say offering a job and at the same
time inculcate a sense of social well being ? Not easy. I work with a lot
of students here; forget social work, the moment they get a big MNC
offering them a good job, they just forget you.
But the compromises that they do are long term. Politics is everywhere
even in jobs, and inablity to speak up even in jobs stunts one's
personality,
and even though one may have an apartment, i think many of these
only-career seeking people hardly have a life worth envying at least in
India.
regards,
Samir
