#Thread on Aryan Khan:

For the last few days, I've not been thinking of Aryan Khan, the son of superstar Shah Rukh Khan, but of Aryan, a 23-year-old young Indian, who was caught by an investigative agency for an alleged misdemenor. And I've been thinking about his mental health.
This is a young Indian, who has allegedly broken a law, with an offence that ultimately harms no one else but his own self.

Yes, there is no legal justification for what he did, but the criminal ramification of it must be a punishment commiserate with the scale of the offence.
But this young man is now the topic of discussion on every media channel, all debates, on trending topics, at homes, on Whatsapp groups and in some very mean memes. Everyone has an opinion on him. MANY want him to be held accountable for the allegeged misdemenor (still unproven).
There are hundreds of things more urgent and more significant than his misdemenor: from the steep price of LPG, to the deaths of farmers in UP, to the murder of civilians in J&K, to the violence against women in many parts of the country. But the discourse around them is limited.
I'm thinking of his mental health because at 23, to be made a spectacle out of, to have a misdemeanor amplified more than horrific national crimes, to be publicly shamed, to be held more accountable than those with public offices, what would that do for his spirit - and his mind?
I'm thinking about his mental health not only because we usually tend to think of such incidents from a legal lens, and never from a mental health repercussion lens, but also because this is a widely reported, public shaming of a 23 year old who has, allegedly, made a *mistake*.
This is not about sympathy/morality; if his offence is proven, he will bare the brunt of it.

This is about what we are normalising as a society: that in the formative years of your life, if you DO make a mistake, the price for it will be a humiliation you must live with forever.
We're already a conservative society, where parents supervise & sanction every move of their children, where mistakes have always been held against the young.
We're now telling those parents that not only are they doing right but perhaps they could be stricter, harsher, crueller.
Add to this the fact that he belongs to a minority community (which may be the point), and to an industry that's reviled & condemned when necessary, and exploited for publicity when needed, what hateful, triggering narratives are we weaving for young people seeing this unfold?
And for the last few days, I've also been thinking of Shah Rukh Khan, not the superstar but the father of a 23-year-old in India.
What of this father's mental health, when his son is being character assassinated, harassed & crucified for no reason other than that he is *his* son?
*Commensurate 🙈
*bear not bare!
Sorry for the typos 🙈:
*Commensurate not commiserate
*Bear not bare
PS. This post, in no way, condones the use of drugs. They are harmful to individuals, and are a menace to society as well. Drugs are terrible. Please don't take drugs!

(Pointing this out in case it felt like I'm minimising it's usage)

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More from @tanejamainhoon

25 Jul
#Thread on 'Commodification fatigue':

I haven't been able to write much since the second wave. Initially, it was the emotional toll that led to, what is called, 'compassion fatigue' (aka, I was dead inside). But I realise now it's more than that: it's 'commodification fatigue'.
2/ I'm exhausted. Of seeing how the internet has turned every thought, feeling and action into a commodity. And worse, we have now started ascribing value to people based on whose emotion - in the shortest, smartest, snazziest way - can fetch the most likes, shares & validation.
3/ So there is a performance pressure on everyone to 'build in public':
From startup founders to estate agents to doctors, everyone has to now be a content creator, to stay relevant.
And from engineers to lawyers to artists, everyone has to now be a commentator, to feel relevant.
Read 11 tweets
13 Jul
.@weareyuvaa is hiring!

Roles for 3-6 yrs work ex:
- A campaigns & programmes lead with work ex in impact organisations
- A community growth lead who's built online + offline campus communities
- A video content lead with YouTube expertise
- A social media all-star

Please RT :)
After a tough second wave, July's been exciting for @weareyuvaa, and we have awesome things lined up this year across content, campaigns, community, campus activations and research, with some of India's most respected brands & impact organisations.

Mail us on career@yuvaa.co.in.
With your mail, and as part of the profile you're applying for, send us a cover note on what you would like to build for us at Yuvaa and why you care so much about building it :)

Check out our work on:
instagram.com/weareyuvaa
youtube.com/weareyuvaa
twitter.com/weareyuvaa
Read 6 tweets
24 Apr
Since last week, many people/organisations have put together tonnes of resources. Trying to compile them here.

If you are looking for leads, try these first:

(Please add to this list.)
(Please share.)
Read 29 tweets
23 Apr
If you are COVID positive, or have a loved one affected by COVID, @weareyuvaa is hosting a FREE session with a clinical psychologist in collaboration with @MindPeersCo.

Saturday (24th) at 7 pm. Limited seats. Please register here:
mindpeers.co/event-detail/m…

Please RT! @fayedsouza
This is a 'safe space' session for 18-26 year olds to be able to express whatever they are going through in this tricky time. If you are feeling overwhelmed, anxious, sad, lonely, isolated during this time.. please come, share, listen, with help from a psychologist ❤️
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16 Apr
#Thread on "Don't spread negativity"

Since the pandemic began, a lot of citizens raised their voices online to try and hold our governments and media accountable to doing better by us in this time of crises.

Here's what we were countered with online:
Do we know how the money we donated to the government funds is being used? Is it being used to build medical infrastructure?

"Don't spread negativity"
Should we be allowing such massive crowds in cricket matches? Should we be opening up stadiums in Gujarat for people to gather in such huge numbers without any social distancing?

"Don't spread negativity"
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27 Nov 20
It's a disgrace how our politicians treat our farmers.

In COVID, our farmers were on the frontlines, making sure we don't go hungry, at the risk of their lives. And today, we are unwilling to even hear them out - and are tear gassing them!

SHAME on us for not standing by them.
Why have we become a country that's scared of merely listening to/having a dialogue with our own citizens? Isn't that what leadership means? Isn't that the job of a government in a democracy that is supposed to be 'of, for, by' the people?

Why is our response ALWAYS aggression?
If the very bills meant to address or solve the problems of a group of citizens, are being opposed vociferously by those very citizens, then who is the bill for?

And if the government believes its bill is misunderstood, why is it opposed to peaceful talks with its stakeholders?
Read 10 tweets

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