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After many days of undeclared curfews, hartals and severe restrictions on the movement of people, it was a day of freedom on 27th July, 2010. I as usual had to go for a bit of shopping as well as to observe the mood of people and overhear their conversations which revolved round the issue of Aazadi. I was in a bus back to home with a small child of 3-4 years old as my companion besides me on the seat with a new toy gun in his hand, as is my nature I socialized with the child and enquired what for he had got the gun? I was surprised and awe stuck when he confided to me that he will kill the military man with the same. I was born in late 1980’s when the armed insurgency initiated and grew up in the gun culture and these things were no surprise for my generation who now are in the prime of their youth, but those who are born after 2005 when the militancy had reclined I couldn’t make it out for them. As soon as I pondered deeper I could make it out that the sentiment of violence, enemy, resistance and resentment had been transferred to the new generation of toddlers, infants and children who grew up with mobiles, internet and electronic gadgets in their hands and cartoon shows and movies but the daily atrocities, the conversations of elders and the hated figure of an alien soldier present at every nook and corner of each alley plus the over politicized environment, has led to the promiscuous political puberty of the new generation.
