ARISE,
Awake and Act
As one of the youth in India, I
feel we have become too
lethargic. Sometimes, I think
we are good for nothing because we have
let our country down despite the many
advantages it has accorded us over the
youth of other nations. Perhaps it is this
edge that has spoilt us and made us
irresponsible. We seem to take just about
everything for granted. How many of us
realize the importance or value of the
basic things in life that we get easily? Why
do we forget the struggle others in our
position go through to attain the same?
The best example is our lives at home
or hostel. It has become a custom that
when we opt to take bath, we become so
wasteful. We do not even have the
patience to close the water tap when the
bucket is filled with water. Is it because
we have access to a 24 hour water supply
and so end up using it the way we want?
Spare a thought for the millions of others
who have no access to the precious
commodity that we so wastefully use.
Imagine the millions of women who
traverse long distances on foot in the
blistering sun on barren sand to fetch a
pail of water to sustain their families and
their domestic chores. How many of us
can survive in the family on just a bucket
of water? Think of the people who open
their taps and are thrilled even if it is
 
only muddy water streaming from
their taps. At least they understand
they are lucky to get some water
irrespective of its contents.
Let’s leave water for time being.
Think of our actions during lunch in
the college dining hall. I have this
habit of eating at the very end. I have
always been left aghast to see a ‘red
bucket’ filled to the brim with food
left over by my colleagues. And yet we
read newspapers or receive emails
that speak of millions of people dying
every day because of starvation. The
same food which we throw could		 have been of use to those who cannot
afford or millions of families who
find it difficult to earn their bread
and butter.
Talking about wastefulness, there
are the perfumes or room fresheners
that we use for the perfect dates.
Sadly, they all contain chemicals
which cause harm to the environment
and ultimately lead to global
warming. And then we don’t blink an
eye when we complain. “Dad, please
get the air conditioner, it is so hot to
stay in this room.” Some of the
lamenters have no shame stating that

everything has a solution and we will
soon find another planet to live in;
just wait for the time to come. I find
such statements utterly irresponsible
and ridiculous.
I consider myself lucky to be in a
metropolitan city like Mumbai where
I hardly experience load shedding
except during the heavy downpours.
But when I hear people talking about
daily load shedding or going without
power for more than 18 hours in their
homes during summers, I am always
taken a back by their summer survival
stories.
Just for the simple reason that
tuition fees charged by educational
institutions in India are less
compared to their counterparts in
western countries, and because
majority of us are funded by our
parents, we have also began to take
our studies for granted. Our only aim
is to get good marks but not acquire
knowledge. Subjects like the Indian
Constitution and Environmental
Studies which are very important for
us but are not graded hardly get any
attention. But when we go for studies
abroad, we take our studies on the
constitution seriously well aware of
the requirements to attain credits and
the fees paid for the credit hours to
be eligible for graduation.
Perhaps its time we all realized our
follies and curbed such irresponsible
acts. Rather than being a boon to our
country, we may turn out to be a
nuisance. The youth power which we
boast of could bring down the head
of our country. Arise, awake and
Act!


Shah Dharmik Jitin
B.Sc. Biotechnology