Am I a Pseudo Activist?

I often wonder if, as a writer, I at times reduce myself to a pseudo activist. Do I hide behind a mask and pretend to be genuinely concerned about what’s happening around us? Is this the most appropriate way for me to react to all positive and negative developments that impact me as a citizen of my country and a representative of humanity? Should I come out to the streets, participate in rallies and protest against wrongdoings by our political class? Am I searching for a safe zone in front of my laptop so I could insulate myself from the sun and the rain? Am I being just too convenient to contribute positively to my society? Finally, am I being true to my conscience, which is the most critical intellectual mass of my existence?

Here’s where I begin a monologue with myself. Well, everyone isn’t born with similar strengths and weaknesses, and everyone’s surrounding realities despite being part of the same socio-political environment aren’t necessarily the same. How we react to a social event of a reasonable impact is largely determined by our circumstantial realities, followed by means of manifestation we think we are good at. The highly charged political environment I was raised as a child in, meant an early proximity to protests, rallies and meetings. I could never stand injustice. But as a young boy, I didn’t know how to stream my protests. Not until I figured out I could write!

The pen indeed is mightier than the sword. While most forms of art excite me and I can consume them with reasonable levels of maturity as an audience, I’m not necessarily good at performing the same acts. I probably am marginally better when it comes to writing. My friends and family have been overwhelmingly kind with their criticism of my writing, be it poems, short stories, novels or articles. I owe it primarily to my father who I inherited it from, and also to friends who appreciated me even when I was certain I’d written a crap poem!

I believe I’ve done a good job if I’ve entertained someone in a dignified manner, tickled someone’s brain cells with a thought, highlighted an issue worth being aware of, offered my point of view on a matter of national importance, participated in a discussion concerning a positive change to our life, voiced my protest against ills of institutionalized religion, advocated a more scientific approach to understanding social stigmas, batted against the political anarchy in the country, questioned the collective conscience of groups or sects. All through my pen, in my tiny little way. 

In the end, if the narratives I script have made a positive impact to anyone’s life even for a moment, I’d consider myself privileged to have been of some use. I am an activist in my own right. If each one of us identified an area we are good at and utilized that to make a small difference, the output at the end of the chain would be worthwhile. There’s an activist in all of us; we must awaken that and see the flurry of possibilities.