Making a stand

Through history, people have resorted to different forms of protest to highlight an issue or bring to light things they are unhappy about. Closer home, there has been no dearth of it with youngsters, especially, churning out interesting forms of protest like flash mobs and ‘Kiss of Love’. The recent trend of writers and artistes returning their awards has been a matter of debate. In such a scenario, youngsters voice out their thoughts on the issue and whether this is a right move or not.

Freedom of expression

Anisha Lalwani, a BCom (Honours) student from Christ University, points out that the artists are returning their awards to exercise their freedom of expression.

 “They are already recognised enough, so I’m sure that they don’t want any more recognition or publicity. For them, it might be a channel to express their views on something they strongly feel about and want the world to know. They want people to take notice of their stand on a larger platform.”

The right way  to go
Celest Pinaroo, a BA student from St Joseph’s Arts and Science College, believes what the writers and artistes are doing the right thing by returning their awards.

 “They might be of the opinion that some kind of injustice is happening around them and this initiative may have been taken to put forward their stand. Although the mode of protest may not be acceptable to all, it is their choice of expression and one needs to
accept that.”

Not a heroic move
Shivankur, a BBA student from Oxford College of Business Management, opines that it’s a rather idiosyncratically unprofessional move. “Whether it is for a philanthropic purpose or for any other noble cause, returning an award may seem heroic but according to me, it is not a viable way of supporting protest. It is to be noted that these awards were not mere tokens of appreciation presented to them but rather they are the results of their literary conquests and struggles.”

Disowning the effort
Adithyaa Sadashiv, a Visual Communication student from St. Joseph’s Arts and Science College, says it’s not the best decision that the artists are returning their awards. “The artistes have won the awards because of the good work they had rendered. By giving up this honour, they are not only disowning the work they have done but also those who have given them the award. Protesting is a good thing, but that which puts them in a bad light is not desirable.”

Looking for answers
Nabeel Ahmed Baig, a BA Psychology student from Oxford College of Arts, believes that the artists and writers are expressing concern about an issue that they are worried about. “They are voicing out their opinion which for them is of grave importance and in the hope that something needs to be done.”