Hope

 Yesterdays news brought a some hope - for once I was not very sad to read the newspaper. It showed the world that in this country of 1.4 billion people, a few people with spine are still left and they can bring change to the country. 

And of course, I went to twitter to see some bickering and what enraged me were the reactions of TV media and their debaters. The famous shouter Arnab was saying that they were (the kids) threatening protests all over the country - what they meant was violence all over the country. And many commenters rightly told him to go to the field and see with your own eyes whether the protesters were violent or peaceful. 

In fact many people were praising them for the way they were helping others, providing medical supplies, providing water.

 I was so happy and proud to see the video of  a young girl opening her arms and holding them across other people in the group so that the cops won't beat them. I watched the video of boy being surrounded by and beaten by 4-5 cops and telling them "maaro, aur maaro, maar dalo". 

Yes, Arnab, I can understand you. We have become disillusioned and cynical and find it hard to believe that there are people who are doing some work risking their own lives without any ulterior motive, without being paid huge sums by people. But now we see that there are few such people left. Believe them Arnab, believe in the nation. 

And Anand Ranganathan - professor who is present in most of TV news-channel debates and always vehemently supports the government and opposes the opposition was for once objecting to a government action. He was saying "Good people were protesting against paper leaks and bad people were also protesting. Government instead of listening to good people, chose to listen to bad people - anarchists". Mr. Ranganathan you are a learned professor - you must know very well who and what anarchists are. Did you see anarchists in these protesting children from all over the country and their supporters who were sitting in Jantar Mantar for more than a month, risking police lathis, facing sun and rain? Time you changed lenses of your spectacles. 

And I have seen multiple videos of people saying that suddenly a truck filled with stones appeared on the protest side in Jantar Mantar appeared out of no where. 

Ok, that is that. Now the new education minister is said to have cheered the release of Bilkis Bano rapists and said toe be a much stronger supporter of right wing. And we all know that this may not change anything at all - neither for the students, nor for the nation. 

But as I told you before, it has brought hope in all of us that not all is lost. Jai Hind.