About a couple of years ago, I watched a movie called "The Trotsky". The movie portrays the life of a Canadian high school student, Leon Bronstein, who thinks that he is the reincarnation of Leon Trotsky. Trotsky was a major figure of the Russian revolution and Bronstein thinks that he is destined to bring about a workers' revolution in Canada.
He begins this attempt by trying to unionize the students of his school. Although a students' union does exist, the functionality of this union is limited to organizing dances. Unsurprisingly, his quest does not receive much popularity among his fellow students.
Leon is faced with a question. Are his fellow peers apathetic or bored? Apathy means that one is indifferent, doesn't care. Boredom is a state in which a person lacks interest, but is not disinterested.
Just over a month ago, a student in the university that I am studying committed suicide. He had been persecuted and discriminated by the university administration for the past several months, along with four other students. All these students belong to the Dalit community, the most downtrodden and marginalised caste in India.
Their plight only received passing or minimal interest and solidarity from a large number of students within the university. Even after Rohith committed suicide, the situation did not change much.
On the first day after his death, a large number of people did participate in a rally, demanding justice. This showed that perhaps, they weren't apathetic, but just bored.
But from the second day, the numbers kept dropping. Boredom was kicking in, perhaps even apathy among a few. They felt, perhaps, that their job was completed after that one march.
I do believe, like Leon did, that a large number of people are bored, not apathetic.
But I am left with a question, to which I cannot find an answer. "What needs to be done or what needs to happen to shake the boredom out of my peers?"
He begins this attempt by trying to unionize the students of his school. Although a students' union does exist, the functionality of this union is limited to organizing dances. Unsurprisingly, his quest does not receive much popularity among his fellow students.
Leon is faced with a question. Are his fellow peers apathetic or bored? Apathy means that one is indifferent, doesn't care. Boredom is a state in which a person lacks interest, but is not disinterested.
Just over a month ago, a student in the university that I am studying committed suicide. He had been persecuted and discriminated by the university administration for the past several months, along with four other students. All these students belong to the Dalit community, the most downtrodden and marginalised caste in India.
Their plight only received passing or minimal interest and solidarity from a large number of students within the university. Even after Rohith committed suicide, the situation did not change much.
On the first day after his death, a large number of people did participate in a rally, demanding justice. This showed that perhaps, they weren't apathetic, but just bored.
But from the second day, the numbers kept dropping. Boredom was kicking in, perhaps even apathy among a few. They felt, perhaps, that their job was completed after that one march.
I do believe, like Leon did, that a large number of people are bored, not apathetic.
But I am left with a question, to which I cannot find an answer. "What needs to be done or what needs to happen to shake the boredom out of my peers?"
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