Speak up against injustice

[1]

Image Thumbnail:

When 18-year-old high school student Krittika Biswas was wrongly arrested on the suspicion of sending obscene emails to a teacher, she sued the New York City government and her school administration for $1.5 million. While Krittika spoke up, youngsters here feel that speaking their minds may or may not get them any support. There are some who don’t wish to speak up at all and choose to suffer instead.
Many also feel that speaking up is the way of life in a liberal United States of America but it’s not the same here in India.
Here teens debate the pros and cons of voicing their opinion. Nineteen-year-old Aamina Shah says she fights back whenever she isn’t being treated fairly. “I scored much below my expectations when my Class 9 results were declared. My parents refused to believe me when I told them that it could be a mistake at the teacher’s end. They blamed me for not studying well,” she says.
She took up the matter with the school administration. “I demanded re-evaluation of my papers, and it so turned out that there were few unmarked sections in my papers,” she says. So it indeed turned out to be a moment of vindication for Aamina. “Not only did I get better marks, but also proved myself right,” she says. “I ended the matter because it was a genuine mistake on the part of the school administration. I was able to prove my innocence to my parents,” she adds.
But not many teens are as courageous as Aamina. Aseem Sachdeva, 19, confesses that he has never stood up for himself and has never taken a stand on any issue. “There are times, when I feel frustrated, but I have been taught to be ‘patient’,” he says.
Many experts also feel that “trait of tolerance” is embedded in the Indian culture. “That’s why it took us so many years to realise that our country needs freedom,” points out Dr Geetanjali Kumar, CBSE counsellor. But, having said so, Dr Geetanjali also sees hope in the present generation. “We have consumer clubs in schools and slogans like jaago re coined by the new generation,” she adds.
“Lashing out against the system isn’t a big deal. Any one, when pushed to the wall will speak up. But a strong support system from friends and family is very essential. That’s what happened with Krittika. Not just her parents and friends, she had the support of the Indian government as well,” says Neeru Kaur, a student.