Chetan Bhagat wrote a very straight forward article addressing the youth. According to him the youth did nothing but held their phones during these days and swiped through the information that popped up on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat etc.
Well, he said, “The youth need to shut their phones and ask about their economy.”
This was just the title of the article. What was in it did not have substance. It looked as if he had to write something and therefore he pushed himself hard and the result was the raw and immature writing. Forget about logic it had no proofs but accusation on government, its policies and the lethargy of the youth. I do not argue against the remarks made on the government but speaking for the youth, I must say that they are doing a lot to not just overcome the pressure that is on them but also to overcome the sheer anxiety of the future.
Irrespective of whether you are a child or an adult the pandemic has shaken us all. With no one to go to, the youth though unemployed have become vigilant and searched for creative opportunities to keep themselves positive and earn bread and butter for their families. Some of the youth I know have become entrepreneurs.
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Whether it is baking or cooking, distribution or delivery, remaking old cars and bikes, starting their YouTube channel, conducting online writing workshops, online painting workshops and other sessions, online counselling, participating in singing contests, participating in quizzes, deliberating on political issues, and writing to various websites and newspapers and so on. They have done it all and Chetan Bhagat says “the youth need to shut their phones.” Does he want the youth to save their batteries? Will shutting phones boost the economy? Will it not shock the mobile phone companies? Will it not most of all affect the Reliance Company? What is he meaning to say, are the youth of the country dumb?
If not for the youth, the celebrity that he is would not have been possible. If his books sell like hotcakes it is because the youth of the country decided to set aside their precious time and read him. Or else why should one decide to read a non-literary piece of work? He feels the economy is in trouble and only the youth can save it, could be. But where are they given an opportunity either they are shunned out rightly or argued with the age-old argument, “they do not have the experience.” Certainly, they don’t like those who have lived for more than 60 years but none of us shares the experiences of one another. We have our own experience and each to his or her best.
These experiences have made us stronger. Reading various experiences written about in books and learning through different cases before us teaches us a lot many things about life and how to handle it. So the next time you play your experience card it will be best you rethink. The seafarers landed safely in Goa but little did they know that they would be in worse condition then they were in.
Many of the youth who made their living through applications like TikTok and others had to now look for something else or switch to some other application. Do you think the youth stayed with wide open hands to receive advice from you and did nothing until then? The youth perceived the future and started to prepare and plan their next move. If there are youth who are trending on YouTube and making their mark today despite the negativity that looms the country they need to be lauded for it. With the entertainment industry on a halt, they have been our real rescue to relax amidst the turbulent times.
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You switch on any channel and you have the news of Sushant Singh Rajput and the conspiracy surrounding it being discussed from head to toe. You have Kangana Ranaut making the hullabaloo being the opportunist that she is. Chetan Bhagat needs to understand that just asking about the economy will not help it takes more than just asking. It takes one to visualize something bigger. It takes one to move out of one’s comfort zone. It takes one to take up risks. It requires one to be different and tolerate the brunt of parents who complain about their children day in and day out. It takes one to be patient and try to comprehend the past and the future and live the present in the best way possible.
It takes one take that leap of faith that one will achieve what one has set out to. And I see the youth in my friend circle doing this and much more. What else do you expect? They can certainly not be you! And they dare to be different and that’s what makes the Indian youth unpredictable and successful. Only we ought to give them a chance to explore, a chance to spread their wings, a chance to set their indefinite goals, to break and build themselves, to be ready for anything that can come their way. Having said this, the youth who are passionate about life and all that you do, carry on with that same vigour and achieve great heights. You can keep your phones on and still do wonders for the economy.
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