“If words are more powerful than swords, then perhaps the bards are braver than warriors.”
I had written this line back in 2017, inspired by a discussion with a fellow writer.
I pondered upon it for quite some time. I had a blog, wrote stories on romance and history. As someone who loves history as much as I do, I often thought stories were my way to introduce people to lesser-known characters of the past, and make them fall in love with the subject they found “boring” during school. But was I making a difference?
I had a platform, a voice and the right words. The sizable number of followers I had slowly gathered over my years of blogging were mostly youth; from 14 to 25, as my insight of target audience suggested. An impressionable age to be in.
Could I not talk of the relevant things? I had been too comfortable writing fiction and stepping into non-fiction, especially debatable social issues needed a lot of thought. Was I ready to be rejected for my ideas? Opposed for my chain of thoughts?
Perhaps even threatened on the internet? I was not so sure. So I began with a very safe piece on my Facebook page, the need to teach children to respect women, of any position and profession.
I found teens who otherwise only read romance on my blog come up to me, requesting me to write more of such articles for them. They even suggested me to write on social issues. My second article on Rape Reforms made some of them even say that I changed their opinions on capital punishment.
The responses made me bolder. I wanted to talk about relevant issues of rape, casteism, body-shaming, patriarchy, feminism. I needed to read into them, not just from Google but actual books and stories of people who made a difference. And hence started my love for a different kind of non-fiction.
My idea of writing is very informal, unlike most article writers. I am aware of it and I have no desire to change it. I speak to my reader through my typed words.
I do the same, preferring texts over calls; the perks of being an introvert. If a reader can connect to me through the emotions that back my opinion on something, and perhaps even change their mind a little, or respect to agree to disagree, my job is done. But somehow the blog was too personal a platform to do it.
I came across Youth Ki Awaaz on Facebook then. I read a few articles by eminent people on the platform and I knew instantly that this was where I wanted to voice my opinion.
Every opinion, whether you agree or disagree with it, matters. It was during Gandhi Jayanti that I wrote my first article here, on how in my opinion, non-violence couldn’t be a tool of self-protection. The rest I can say is history. I don’t write on social issues unless I absolutely strongly feel the need to voice my opinion. Hence perhaps it is strong when it does come out.
In the future, as I continue to write articles, despite my blog and publication being mostly fictional genres, I would still place these issues over any other writing hoping that my words impact someone somewhere and make a difference.
That is why I write, and I always will.