Thousands of people gathered at Jantar Mantar for protest in India.
And there are probably millions more sitting at home, watching, hoping, supporting in whatever way they can because distance, responsibilities, or circumstances don’t allow them to be there physically.
The youth gathered there demanding accountability for the recent failures of the education system. Multiple paper leaks, repeated disruptions, uncertainty around examinations and careers.
And what frustrates many people is that leave accountability aside, there hasn’t even been a proper apology for many of these failures.
One thing I have been noticing though is how quickly people are discouraged whenever they choose to question something.
When such a huge section of people comes forward to raise concerns, it is perfectly fine if we personally don’t support the movement, don’t agree with every demand, or don’t want to take the same risks.
But discouraging people simply for questioning?
That is where I disagree.
Questioning a government does not make someone anti-national.
It does not make someone less patriotic.
In fact, the ability to question is one of the most important parts of a democracy.
Whether this movement eventually leads to actual change or not is secondary.
The fact that people are willing to come together, organise themselves, and raise their voices despite criticism is already a significant thing that should not be taken lightly.
Especially when people feel frustrated that important issues are not receiving enough attention, it becomes even more important that these voices are heard.
You may agree with them. You may disagree with them. But dismissing them without listening is rarely a good sign for any democracy.
-Jahnavi Chowdary
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