CHENNAI: Be angry. Be very, very angry. As long as it is for the right reasons. That's exactly what Nobel laureate Kailash Sathyarthi told young students at the concluding session of TNIE’s ThinkEdu Conclave. “I am probably the only Nobel laureate who asks people to be angry.
Be angry if you see injustice, but it should not be driven by anger or revenge or violence. If it is for the greater good and is inspired by compassion then anger is the greatest energy for change. And I call upon you to have that anger,” he said.
Talking about how this generation of educated young needs to stand up and fight for the rights of the uneducated, he said, “I know that you have that power and capacity. We are a changing nation. I never saw such an empowered youth as I see now.
Don’t be afraid of anything. We have been taught for ages to be quiet and disciplined,” and also added, “Young people have to take the lead.
100 million youth are deprived of their education and their youth. They are facing multiple vulnerabilities and violence. I have faith in you.
Going to schools and colleges and universities all these years, it has made me confident that you are hungry to do and deliver something good for humanity - beyond caste, borders and nationalities and social and gender bias.” The applause was genuine and heartfelt.
The eminent child rights and anti-child labour activist talked about schools were coming attack by forces of fanaticism because they realised that schools and education had the power to burn through their human capital, “Ten year old and eight year old children are being made human bombs. When a boy was given the gun to kill suspected traitors of ISIS, and he could not do it, he was buried alive. Boko Haram and ISIS are feeding off this,” he said sadly.
Closer home, Kashmir was a burning example, “What has happened in Kashmir? Schools were burned
because the militants understood that education opens up the mind and the future. Those who want to close that future close schools,” he lamented.