I am writing to express the immense pride I feel for the youth of our country. When we look at recent events in Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, we saw how mass movements there often turned violent. In contrast our Gen Z led their movement with remarkable peace, strategy and discipline. Instead of resorting to destruction they chose organization, dialogue and dignity. The law enforcers, who are meant to protect citizens, began acting like private servants. Many were seen without name tags. We witnessed the use of dangerous electric shock batons, indiscriminate tear gas and even reports of girls being molested. What they did not anticipate was that Gen Z was strategic enough to record these acts and bring them to light on social media. Rather than investigating these incidents, sections of the mainstream media chose to speak against the youth, labelling them as antagonists and deepening divisions among citizens. Despite all these challenges the youth persevered and won public support. Our youth have shown us what responsible citizenship looks like. It is now up to the rest of us to match their standard.
ALWYN FERNANDES, Benaulim
