Amid the ongoing student protests in the country, there have been quite a few renowned sportspersons in the last couple of days showing solidarity with the youth of the country through their kind, understanding words on social media. Sachin Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh, Abhinav Bindra, Shikhar Dhawan and many others have shown their support through a balanced choice of words but former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has taken a really tough stance. He is not beating around the bush and appears to be blaming the authorities for all the chaos that the country has witnessed in the last few days. The 61-year-old dives deep into the issue and says the students’ protest shows something is terribly wrong. On X, Manjrekar uses very strong words. In the space of 10 hours, the former batsman, who played more than 111 international games for the country, wrote twice on the Elon Musk-owned platform and made his position very clear on the matter.
“I stand in solidarity with the youth of India. Do not suppress them, give them wings. They will take India to new heights,” Manjrekar wrote the first time.
“This isn’t just about NEET paper leaks [mainly the reason behind the ongoing protests]. It’s a revolt against feeling generally suppressed in a democracy & the mainstream media’s brainwashing. As a father of two, I know first-hand: suppressing & brainwashing today’s youth will never work," he wrote in the second post.
Last night, the legendary Tendulkar also threw his weight behind the students, although his way was very different to that of Manjrekar. "My father was a professor. He was a mentor and guide to many young students. One lesson that he instilled early on was, ‘Failure is okay, cheating is not.’ Never take shortcuts. As adults in society, we have the responsibility of shaping culture. A society which prioritises outcomes over effort will seek shortcuts over meritocracy.
"Today, when students feel disappointed that their hard work hasn’t been rewarded, it is understandable. Collectively, we should all work together towards ensuring they don’t feel this way again. Young India is full of dreams and energy. They are the fuel to our success.
“As a society, all of us, including parents, teachers, friends, relatives, schools, and administrators, have a massive responsibility and different roles to play in ensuring our youth remain encouraged and energised.
"We must create a culture where hard work is rewarded, honesty is encouraged, and merit wins. I am certain we will all find solutions that strengthen our children's future and safeguard their aspirations. Jai Hind!" Tendulkar’s note on X read.