Be a Rebel who knows that surrendering to the status quo will result in nothing. One who does not add to the future by bringing a change towards good is living a life for nothing. 'Formulate your own ideas' is the call that Bhagat Singh makes and we feel he is assigning us a tough one.
The only thing that has died a silent death is the Competence to Think. The children and youth of this age are under this epidemic of getting thoughts planted in their surrendered or controlled minds.
The 21st Century Skills are Communication, Collaboration, Creativity and Critical Thinking. None of these allows us to be passive. None of these wants us to accept things as they are. None of these wants us to keep working at the wrong place or moving in the wrong direction. None of the four has any scope for a Status Quo. All these skills and all other aspects of a developed human life sing one song: Shatter the Status Quo!
What is the Status Quo? It is not about one thing being as it is. It is not about a political system or educational system in one particular condition. Rather, the passivity we are suggesting towards is of the one who SHOULD React and Respond but does not! Status Quo in the minds that are entitled to do something is fatal. Colonial Rulers did not rule on us, they ruled our minds and made us accept a Status Quo of Efforts. The time when we realised that we need to shatter the bondage is the same time we shattered the 'hibernation' of our Intellect-Efforts-Courage and Togetherness.
To go against the established social norms is breaking the status quo. Bhagat Singh said that Destruction is not only essential but indispensable for construction.
This is the century of upheavals. Social or Political, Industrial or Educational challenges are a trend now. Not even one single being is allowed to breathe without efforts. No free bread anymore, forget the cakes. We all are chasing the sun whereas our own moons are taken away by the world. Confusion and purposelessness isn't a result of being out of sync with the world. There are, actually, multiple symphonies sung at the same time. The Noise is the Status; Silence is the intended status quo!
It is suggested that we should not speak unless we can improve the silence. We should confidently enter the bandwagon of life once we have prepared our minds with the healthiest of thoughts and strongest of convictions. My dear Bhagat Singh - the Writer again gives me these meaningful-apt words: "But there are things which one has to oppose or contradict, or to be more precise, to amend."
Here it is, the sense of understanding about what does this Shatter the Status Quo should mean: "To Amend". Violence with words or weapons isn't a part of the methods to shatter the dead minds. These are used as small tools to move a bit forward. We cannot opt for blasts only. The actual changes took place, not for buildings or roads or woods; the minds are the actual change makers and change receivers.
Be it relationships, family, workplaces, business, journey, education, teaching, cooking, reading, playing or even laughing, we need to bring in the new Liveliness everywhere.
"The revolutionaries know better than anybody else that the socialist society cannot be brought about by violent means, but that it should grow and evolve from within.” - Bhagat Singh
Moving against the Status Quo, imposed by those who do not qualify to instruct or preach or guide or teach, deserves to be thrown away for the "reconstruction" of our life. We can think of systematic reconstruction of our life as well as the society we live in, only after the total destruction of the existing system of diseases.
Seize the Day - Carpe Diem - this philosophy which is the life mantra I have been trying to adhere to has the same connotations. We need to take hold of the life that belongs to us and the passive life, devoid of creativity and enterprising acumen, has to go in forgetfulness. We need a new sunrise that brings to light the freedom of the mind not just the matter.
Gurudev Rabindra Nath Tagore has given the words:
Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high;
Where knowledge is free;
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls;
Where words come out from the depth of truth;
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection;
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way into the dreary desert sand of dead habit;
Where the mind is led forward by thee into ever-widening thought and action
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.
