Youth Talk

‘Rules are meant to be broken’ is a saying that goes a long way. It seems like a dialogue someone donning a leather jacket and aviators would exclaim while getting off a Harley. Rules are supposed to stifle creativity and development but doesn’t breaking rules stifle our morals?

Ignorantia juris non excusat - Latin for ignorance of law excuses no one.

The young everywhere need to know that awareness of rules is as important as making sure they are followed. It is like throwing in players in a field to play a game without telling them the rules and expecting them to win and the outcome to be fair. Unfortunately, most of us live our lives being blissfully unaware of the laws of the land.

It is quite ironic that whenever we play a game, be it tennis or badminton, we are well briefed of all the rules the very first day, but here we are living our lives, carefree of the ‘fouls’ we could commit, and we do commit them repeatedly, paying a price every time and sometimes way too heavy.

Few realise how ‘little’ day-to-day crimes could have major implications. A few examples are underage driving, damage to public property, underage drinking, bullying, the ‘invisible’ cybercrimes and animal teasing.

Laws govern our existence and it is imperative that we are aware of them. Not knowing about a law is never the excuse to not follow it. Rules are made to not just be followed, but also respected.

The best initiative that can be taken by us is to educate ourselves. This may not be found as a chapter in any book, this may not appear in your Facebook newsfeed or a WhatsApp forward but simply ‘googling’ the laws of the country can make a remarkable difference!

And, better still, if this could be included in the syllabus in schools and colleges, it might act as a deterrent and contribute to a safer and happier society.