Ezhuchi Nayagargalae!!!

Lot of things have been happening in Tamil Nadu in the recent past, pre-jallikattu rising. (I do not want to describe them using any label and neither do I want to name any one for making these happen) But they gave a lot of reasons for the common man to feel angry, frustrated, betrayed, cheated, and taken for granted. There have been voices raised here and there, questions asked, demands made. During most of these times, most of our youngsters (I am going to refer to them as “Ezhuchi Nayagargal” – ENs for short) were only creating memes and photo shopping images, writing poems and jokes (I am not going to use any adjectives to describe these either) in the social media.

Then suddenly something happened. Before even anyone could realize what is happening something happened. To quote Yeats: “A terrible beauty was born”. And all of you have witnessed it.

Was it for Jallikattu? Was it against Peta?

A scene like this could have happened at Marina :

Boys A & B : (Raising slogans) ….”We want Jallikattu”… “We want Jallikattu”

(Boy A as an aside to Boy B): Dei machi apdi enna thaanda seivanga jalli kattula….nee paathrukiya?

Boy B (Aside): Illeda naanum paathathilla…..

Boy A: oh apdiya….ok ok

Boys A and B: “We want Jallikattu” …“We want Jallikattu”

Now…don’t get me wrong…I am not trying to say that the whole thing was aimless and that the ENs did not know what they were fighting for.

What I am trying to say is Jalikattu was the last straw. All along a silent volcano was boiling, bubbling and frothing. It was looking for a vent. The Jallikattu offered a tiny fissure and it erupted…..surprisingly it wasn’t lava that overflowed. It was a silent river, with strong currents though.

Let’s keep the discussions on the “anti-social elements” aside…

Let’s not question was it the police who set the vehicles ablaze …

Let’s not be bothered about the attempts made to satisfy the vested interests of some…

Let’s not keep sniffing for ‘ulterior motives’…

(There are people who usually take care of these….they will come out with different narratives, add different colours, and what not)

I am not asking you to forget all these. Keep them aside for a while. Let’s first applaud the grit and determination of our ENs. Let’s celebrate the feeling of uniting for a cause. Let’s rejoice that at last our youth have taken things up in their hands and have started the lead.

Dear ENs….now you have raised your own benchmark and set it at a wonderfully high level….you protested in a non-violent way, displaying extraordinary solidarity. I had goose bumps every time I saw those mobile torches raised, as if proclaiming to the world that you are the torch-bearers for the future.

(I am excluding those very few who sought to vulgar and abusive language and uncalled for behaviour)

Having taken things to this level, you cannot afford to fall short of it….not even by a millimetre. So from now on you have to measure every word and act of yours by those yardsticks. This is just the beginning…the real test is hereafter. Do not get bogged down by those who describe your act as an ‘orgy’. Do not waste your time in condemning people who talked disgustingly about your gathering in Marina. Do not allow your spirits to be dampened by wet blankets.

Let the fire blaze on! You have other things to do…..deal with them one by one. No looking back. Jaihind!!!