As I hear the chanting outside "…palaise palaise", I can't help but smirk and bask at the possibility of what this new world has in store. If you asked me even a month ago if I would live to see a day like this, I would ask you to stop dreaming and get back to work, but here we are, living the reality I thought was impossible. This is all thanks to the efforts and sacrifices of Gen Z and Gen Alpha.
A quick admission that might amount to social suicide — I am not overly into woke culture. To me, it is a fruitless exercise, like pushing 2024's beauty standards on the Mona Lisa. These new sensibilities were brought on by the more 'self-aware' Millennials, but mostly from the Gen Zs and Gen Alphas. And having seen them get overly broken up on 'simple' matters that we shrugged off, I assumed this would be another generation that would lie down and take it as the world burns. Boy, was I ever wrong!
By now, you know everything that has led up to this moment. You also know that protests are nothing new for the country. An issue arises, people band together, the issue is either resolved or 'dealt with,' and after a few heated debates amongst peers and some Facebook profile picture changes, we move on.
This, too, started as a peaceful protest for reform of a recruitment system. This time though, things were different. Rather than addressing the core concerns at opportune moments, it became a tirade of "my way or the highway." Following these "developments," it soon transformed into a full-scale uprising, the likes of which this nation has not witnessed in the last 30 years.
What's worse was that these protests were being cracked down by the very people meant to safeguard citizens in the first place. The outright massacre that happened between 18-22 July would normally break our spirits and weaken our will to fight.
This generation though, didn't take things lying down. They put up a valiant effort for what they believed was right. And despite suffering similar opposition and loss of life again on 4 August, they finally succeeded with their revised 1-point demand of making the PM resign.
Between July and August, we lost hundreds of bright, brave young minds to unimaginable violence. And how were their sacrifices portrayed? By crafting tall tales that make light of the bravery that it takes to stare down a barrel!
Every day that these young protestors stepped out of their house, they would put their names, medical and contact information as their wallpaper, so that if they were to perish, their families could be informed. Can you imagine the mettle it takes, the mindset you need to be in, to think like that, and still get out of the house? I certainly can't.
You see, we the millennials and boomers like the idea of an ideal. We cherish it, debate passionately about it, and would do 'anything' to protect it, but if our personal space/freedom/safety is threatened, we usually cave. Not this generation though! This new generation, when they have an ideal, they are prepared to paint the streets red with their blood to make sure it's upheld, and this, I think is what most people didn't realise. These kids have all of the spirit and bravery of all the heroes of our glorious past, that many used for their own propaganda.
This new generation has new heroes to rally behind and tell a future generation about. Heroes like Abu Sayed, Mir Mahfuzur Rahman Mugdho and countless others who sacrificed themselves for a better tomorrow, OUR better tomorrow.
But here's something to keep in mind for everyone; this is not the endgame, and yet, we are already doing an inappropriate victory lap. Your march to enact change for the nation was good but parading in social media with looted spoils is not right. Resorting to vandalism is not right. Attacking landmarks is not right. We fought against fantastic odds and triumphed, but if we keep this up, all the support and goodwill that citizens here and abroad have harboured will be gone. There's a lot that still needs doing to bring back stability to the country and you don't do that by carrying sofa sets, fans, and thighs of lambs.
While, perhaps, my opinions on woke culture might not change, rest assured, their courage has painted me, and many others, over with a deep shade of crimson. And if anyone were to ever doubt their resolve, I would give them a 4-hour lecture on how wrong they are. While age has robbed us of our energy and our courage, our spirit, for whatever its worth, is with these kids, who were prepared to lay it all on the line for a new chapter of this nation.
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