#FingerOnYourLips

She wondered about the future Specifically what it meant for them her generation of 60 millionodd kids They were divided loosely down the centre Divided in their perspective of social mediaSome saw it as a tool for glamorous fulfilment and furtherment Some saw it as a Toolkit for knowledge and changeShe was 20 aware politically aware She quite clearly sided with the second categoryA young girl not much older than herself a climate activist was plucked out of her home in Bengaluru thrown into judicial custody in Delhi for ldquoamendingrdquo slightly a Toolkit accused of being part of a huge terrorist conspiracy She felt it was absurd she wondered if this young girl was being made an example of ldquoThis is what happens young people when you challenge us When you challenge the most basic Indian tenetmdashchildren should be seen and not heardrdquo the political ldquounclesrdquo seem to be telling themThe attempt was to spread a climate of fear among them A stand up comic lured to Indore arrested in a cafeacute before hersquod uttered a word holed 37 days in a dingy jail danger lurking in the shadows waiting for him Itrsquos true that this was a communal conspiracy but also a message sent to comics everywhere ldquoWe will watch you watch your content Misinterpret it to suit our needs What are your jokes about Are you making fun of lsquousrsquo the Big Brothers of our nation demand to know We donrsquot laugh we wish to replace lsquosense of humourrsquo with a lsquosense of hatersquordquoAnd then she wondered about the stand up comic now out of jail on bail She heard he was quitting comedy Where would he go from here His ilk forever targetted by an army of killjoysThen she thought about herself and the country of her birth and what separated her from her eldersIt wasnrsquot just about the generation gap she had with her parentsThis was a macro question Could her gen just as easily turn the other cheek take off the blindfold theyrsquod been born with Could they continue to hide behind the veil of ignorance the curtain of silenceCould they justify inaction with ldquoHey dude I need to get through exams I canrsquot worry about wherersquos the country goingrdquo or ldquoBro I have to focus on my career I canrsquot be bothered about the larger picturerdquoAlso could her generation hitherto obsessed with TikTok type videos and ldquoPawrirdquo type nonsensical songs their ldquofive secs of fame on Insta videordquo continue to live in La La Land Could that object in their hand the handset ever become a megaphone to ldquospeak outrdquoThe protest the candle march the banner the sloganeering had minimised itself into the hashtag The hashtag had the ability to stir up scores of young people like wildfireAnd with half of Indiarsquos population below 25 what did her brethren thinkWould they come to be termed as Generation E I E Enough Is EnoughOr finally would the powers that be have succeeded in their repressive endeavour to crush any chance of debate dialogue dissent or discussionWould they end up being Generation F Generation Fearful or Generation FuriousHow did they wish to be remembered what was to be the legacyA generation feasting on SnapChat or one that lsquoSnapped into actionrsquoOnly time would tellRahul daCunha is an adman theatre directorplaywright photographer and traveller Reach him at rahuldacunhamiddaycom