Questioning The Answers

Dhruv Arora

Sometimes, certain things catch you off-guard. For me, the Must बोल experience has (already) been nothing short of a roller-coaster ride that has (already) given me more than just my money’s worth. And considering my investment has basically just been time, I cannot begin to describe the wonders it has done for me.

Within days of a friend telling me about this campaign, I found myself neck-deep in it. Mostly because it engaged with an issue that was very close to my heart, focused on a skill I long-longed to familiarise myself with, and brought together a group of like-minded confident young people who were but-too-excited to indulge with the cause. It was a lethal combination, an offer I simply could not refuse.

Before I start, I have a confession to make. I automatically assumed, right from day one, that I already knew all there is to know about the issues surrounding gender, sexuality, and the air around it. Hence, I assumed that, when the workshops would officially kick off, we would start by learning more about social media and filmmaking.

Needless to say, I was surprised when I heard that the agenda for the first workshop wasn’t either of them, but understanding gender and the violence associated with it. I went in with an air of confidence and a pinch of excitement. Being vaguely familiar with Pramada Menon and Seema Srivastava, I felt I was prepared for this workshop. I felt as though I had the answers within me, and the workshop would be a platform for me to share my gift of knowledge, per-se. And boy-oh-boy was I wrong!  That this would be no ordinary workshop as soon as Pramada opened by stating that they weren’t here to teach us anything, that by the time we leave here we will have no answers. Instead, the accomplishment would be for us to leave here, not with confidence in our beliefs, but confusion about their validity. I seem to be one step ahead of them, though, since I ended up not only questioning my beliefs, but also myself. Alas! I learnt how to point a finger at myself, and ironically, I also learnt to never point a finger at anyone. Confused? Multiply the feeling manifold and you may reach where I was.

As far as working with non-profits is concerned, I consider myself a virgin. Being from a technical background, I have virtually no connection with social change. And yet, as soon as the first session kicked in (wherein we were supposed to cut out pictures from a huge stockpile of magazines, and paste them on a chart-paper which would be used to showcase each of our individualities, with an overarching idea of getting to understand each other better), I was already beginning to feel a natural part of the whole group.

I was a little sceptical, though, of how we would manage to preach what we were learning. However, as the workshop progressed, I had an epiphany. I understood that the aim of this workshop was to learn to implement. I surprised myself with the sheer amount of masquerading stereotypes I had within myself, and with the light thrown at us by our mentors, we all reached a stage where we were unsure and willing. This may sound strange to you dear readers, but that is exactly what we are aiming to spread, a message of confusion. A thought that maybe it’s time to question all that we’ve been taught, and let our hearts lead the way to a better tomorrow.

So, as I stand before you now (actually, before my computer that connects to yours that ultimately stands before you, but really, why nit-pick?), I can safely say that I know nothing. I am learning, to question. I am learning to live and let live. And that’s exactly the feeling we wish to inspire in everyone- to try to give everyone a chance, and not judge at the first glance. To live and let live. Not just to understand, but to give a chance to that, which we cannot comprehend.

Do you agree with the blog post? Or maybe not? Must Bol is an interactive space and we will love to hear from you in the comments section...