All is Political
Nothing is the same. Nothing is the same anymore.The streets taught us that silence has always been political. The random discourses taught us that apathy is a side. The failures taught us that every time we overlooked injustice, we endorsed it. We took part in it. Actively. We have now stopped pretending. Or wishing for someone to come in and save the day. Now, everything is political. My friends, family, colleagues and anyone whose path I cross. Everything and everyone is political. All is political. We should have known this earlier.
Breathing. Political. Laughing, political. Even our curation of joy is a sign of defiance. Defying the rage that has built up in us or the torture that our country has subjected us to.We call each other comrades in a long war, knowing each other by the pace of our breath and pulse. Our laughter is an act of rebellion and relief. Even in daily discussions, nothing is off-limits anymore. Nothing.The quiet sibling now rages against the new tax laws. The mother shouts back at the screen when the president speaks. The children next door chant the catchy slogans that they barely understand.Every word has weight, and nothing is 'just a conversation.' Not anymore. And when we are silent, it is an act of resistance.All is political. We should have known this earlier.
Our decisions, regardless of their size or location, carry significant consequences. That is what we want to remind everyone. What you buy, what you eat, whom you speak to. Even that simple selfie you took next to the billboard carries tremendous consequences. We are holding ourselves accountable, and we are also holding others accountable. There is no opting out of this case, not at all. You are either building something better with us, or you are an enemy, a part of the rot that needs to be cut out and discarded.All is political. We should have known this earlier.
Children. Speak to your seniors. You should no longer tremble when you tell them that respect is earned, not demanded. It is cultivated, nurtured and built into action. It is not an entitlement. Titles do not absolve complicity, not in our time anymore. We reject. We no longer peddle the lie that the old are wise. No, even fools grow old, and they have a weird tendency to survive longer. And for the record, the old easy were not wise. Some were just violent and unchecked. And they carried these to our present. There are no sacred cows in our time. The inept patience for hierarchy, disguised as tradition, is not available on our menu. Shape up or ship out. That is the law.And for those who hid behind class, skin, accent or institution, you are not spared either. We have found our voices, and they are not gentle at all. Not when you are not gentle to us.All is political. We should have known this earlier.
As days go by, we stand for what is right, and we stand bold. We no longer apologise for clarity. We no longer apologise for passion. And we do not feel sorry for demanding better. We show up. Again and again, we show up. We are exhausted, but we are unwavering. In this case, we have no neutral grounds. You are either with us or against us. There is only movement and stagnation.All is political. We should have known this earlier.
We learnt that to live is to choose a side. And we decided to stand with what we want for our present and our future. Not just for those who come after us but for ourselves as well. We have suffered, and we are suffering, and we deny that all our lives will be about cycles of suffering. No. We must live and thrive in an environment of our own making. Of our own making because those who came before us failed us. And we are not failing ourselves this time. No! Every breath, every act, we politicise with purpose. And if we don't, someone else will, and they will choose against us.Remember that. All is political. We should have known this earlier.