How The Hans India Shaped Me as a Writer

I wrote my first article for The Hans India when I was 15. It was a piece on cognitive biases, something I had just started reading about in class and couldn’t stop thinking about. I didn’t expect much maybe that a few people would read it, maybe that I’d see my name in print just once. But two years later, I’m still writing for them. And somehow, the excitement hasn’t worn off.

What started as a one-off article slowly became a regular column. I’ve written on everything from political polarization and youth activism to legal awareness, education reform, and mental health. Most of my pieces explore the intersections of policy, justice, and public discourse topics I’m drawn to both as a student and an aspiring lawyer.

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What I’ve learned

Writing for The Hans India has taught me how to think clearly not just about what I want to say, but how to say it in a way that’s accessible to someone who might be skimming the newspaper over morning tea. It’s also taught me structure, discipline, and (maybe most importantly) humility. Because if there’s one thing you learn quickly in journalism, it’s how to edit and edit again.

The process isn’t always glamorous. Sometimes it’s a back-and-forth of revisions that stretches longer than the article itself. Sometimes it’s a rushed deadline and a late-night email and hoping that your sources replied in time. But it’s always worth it.

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Why it matters

As a young writer, having a platform like The Hans India has been invaluable not just for publication, but for growth. Every piece is a chance to research, question, and refine. To try and make sense of the world, even if it’s only 800 words at a time.

Over time, I’ve also started hearing from readers teachers who used a piece in class, students who had follow-up questions, parents who reached out just to say they agreed or disagreed. It’s a reminder that writing doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It creates dialogue. And that dialogue is what makes it meaningful.

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What’s next

I plan to keep writing for The Hans India as long as I have something worth saying and I’m grateful for the editors who continue to give me the space to say it. These two years have shaped not just how I write, but how I think, and I’m incredibly thankful for that.

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