Prakash Raj says ‘end of fascists is closing,’ hails youth activism

Prakash Raj notes 'end of fascists is closing, ' hails youth activism Addressing DYFI meet, actor states young protesters have 'punctured the Centre's ego' and that 'we are not afraid of you'.

Key points

• Actor and activist Prakash Raj addressing the delegate session of the DYFI State conference in Thrissur on Thursday Photo Credit: special arrangement.
• Recalling his participation in the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protests at Jantar Mantar in Delhi, he remarked he had witnessed the "resilience and power" of young protesters.
• He was inaugurating the delegate session of the 16th DYFI State Conference in Thrissur, Keralam.
• Raj remarked young residents were no more scared of the ruling establishment and had begun questioning those in power.
• "For the first time, youngsters have said, 'We are not afraid of you.' We needed somebody to say that, " he remarked.

Actor and social activist Prakash Raj on Thursday remarked "the end of the fascists is closing, " asserting that the growing assertiveness of young residents nationwide had given him "more confidence and more hope" in the fight against authoritarian politics.

Referring to recent youth protests, Mr. Raj remarked young residents were no more scared of the ruling establishment and had begun questioning those in power.

He compared the emerging youth resistance to the warning call of a deer that spots a predator. "For years we thought the deer's alarm call was to tell the other deer to escape. No. When it sees the tiger, it moves one step ahead and notes, 'Ka!' It is telling the tiger, 'I saw you, '" he stated. "And the youth of this country has informed Prime Minister Narendra Modi, 'Ka!' – 'Now I know you. I know your politics."

"Youngsters have punctured their ego. That is why BJP administration is scared, " he stated.

"Since of the youth, the Prime Minister has kicked off making reels. Since of the youth, he is calling us 'Dhimagi Naxalites', " Mr. Raj remarked.

He remarked the label itself demonstrated that the ruling establishment had acknowledged that citizens were thinking and questioning. "At last, he has accepted that we all have brains. He has accepted that he is afraid of brains, afraid of individuals questioning and afraid of residents protesting, " he noted.

Mr. Raj remarked the nature of protest has now changed. "Now protest is not Jantar Mantar. It is wherever we are, " he remarked. "We had seen plenty of protests, including farmers' protests and workers protests. But most of them had been constrained by the fear of losing their jobs, land or livelihoods. But these youngsters have nothing to lose, " he remarked.

Plenty of of the young protesters, he observed, were children when the present political establishment came to power.

"They did not choose them. Now they have grown up and are saying, 'Ka!' It is a wonderful stage where the predator doesn't know what to do, " he remarked.

Mr. Raj, nevertheless, cautioned against viewing the removal of one political regime as the ultimate objective.

"Just pushing the fascist regime is not enough, because another one may come in that position, " he remarked.

Even if public anger eventually removes one administration from power, he stated, that alone would not constitute a meaningful political alternative.

"We need to see that another fascist in another group, in another form, should not come, " he remarked.

Mr. Raj called upon young individuals to go beyond street protests and develop a deeper political consciousness.

"DYFI, youngsters, you and elders have to continuously work not only to bring down the fascists, but also make every citizen and every youngster aware of how to choose an alternative, " he remarked.

Mr. Raj remarked the youth movement should evolve into a sustained campaign for political awareness, justice and a better society.

"This movement, which is now fighting the fascists, should grow richer with a sense of politics, righteousness and the ability to decide and create awareness, " he remarked.

Taken together, the developments around prakash Raj says 'end of fascists is closing, ' hails youth activism point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.