The legacy of silence: a letter to our elders

An open letter to the elders of our Indian community.

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TO OUR elders, we write to you with the full weight of disappointment, truth and love for our people.

But not the kind of love that flatters or conceals. The kind of love that confronts, that tells the truth even when it’s uncomfortable, especially then. Because we still care enough to believe that maybe, if you hear us, it’s not too late. You should be ashamed. You should be ashamed that every young Indian who dared to rise, who carried ideas, who led with courage, who stepped forward with fire: was met not with your guidance but with your resistance.

You didn’t build us. You broke us. Quietly, efficiently, and with a cruelty you pretended was “tradition”.

You crushed spirit, not out of principle, but out of fear, because deep down, you saw what we could become, and you knew it would eclipse you. Look around.