Speech over All IndiaRadio

We have been hearing oft repeated statements like ‘youth is a power to reckon with; youth has gone astray; the future of the country is in the hands of the youth; youth has lost sense of direction,’ and so on. This is not new. We have been hearing this from the time of Socrates! Of course, this modern era of science and technology, has created fresh challenges to the youth all over the globe in general and to Indian youth, in particular.

Indian youth, it is closely observed, are going away from Indianness. This, no doubt, is one of the negative impacts of the astounding growth in science and technology, IT to be more precise. However, if we look deep, we find that neither the youth nor the fast paced life can be exclusively held responsible for this. There has been a steady decline in the sense of values and erosion of morals in all the aspects of Indian society. Corruption is rampant. Power and pelf rule the roost. As the educated intelligentsia has committed the cardinal error of distancing itself from politics, the country has been virtually taken over by hooligans, leaving the common citizens hapless and hopeless. It is in this context that we must look at the Indian youth today and understand them.

The generation that lived through the freedom struggle was the product of a country that was under the British yoke. While it was struggling to cope with the unimaginable problems that cropped up due to successive invasions, the rule of the colonials introduced fresh dimensions to the already bleeding wounds. As the freedom movement demanded everyone’s attention and energy, not much could be done by that generation to prop up the withering culture of this country and pass it on to the next generation. The post independent scenario has been one long span of disappointment and embarrassment, bigger and bitter than the pre independence era.

A nation’s greatness is not measured by its riches or its military power alone but by its character. An age old culture that is still living is characteristic of India. India is alive if its culture is alive. Family system is the fulcrum of that culture. Therefore, if values are not practised by parents at home, we cannot expect our children to imbibe them. And, we cannot expect our country to be strong and progressive. Today, we are in a piquant situation wherein we have to address two successive generations together -- the parents and their children, the teachers and their students, the old and the young.

It is with this backdrop that I wish to place before our lively youngsters, a few thoughts that they may find worth pursuing.

  1. If you consider the history of mankind as a span of 24 hours, whatever has happened in the field of science and technology has happened in less than a minute! Things become obsolete even before they come to be! Information is freely accessible but there is no sense of direction. Opportunities are many but challenges are far too many. Society is open but corruption has peppered it with a million holes. Thanks to IT, the world has shrunk but the distance between man and man has increased. The facilities are countless and the distractions are innumerable. Families still exist and teachers are there but it has become difficult to find a role model. Let us remember our youth is the product of this society, this sad era of mounting challenges.
  2. Whether it is prawn or poultry or professional courses, mass production has become the theme that rules the minds of modern society. As a result, MBAs, Doctors, Engineers, CAs and the like mushroom in thousands, coming into the society like lifeless pieces of luggage in a conveyor belt, thanks to an education system that has retained its lacunae from the days of Macaulay.
  3. Life is so fast paced and utterly materialistic, there is no one to care for anybody. In competition, strangely, the first casualty is quality. It appears as if mediocrity has virtually replaced quality. If youth wants to lead a meaningful life, it has to recognize the concept of quality and restore it by imbibing it.

It is better to get back to the basics when there is confusion:

  1. First, youth must understand that education is of two kinds. One is academic and the other man-making. In India, they were not different till the Englishmen came in and tampered with it beyond recognition. Today, they are different.
  2. The advantage of today’s academic education is that it offers a plethora of courses and opportunities which remained unthinkable even in the immediate past. On the flip side, it does not necessarily make you knowledgeable or eligible for a job straightaway and does not contribute in any way to shape your inner personality. However, having taken up this pursuit at an astronomical cost, borne by parents who do impose their dreams on their children without worrying about their aptitude, you have to do very well in your academic education to enable you to compete with others in having a good material life, which alone is the goal of your syllabus.
  3. Man-making education, on the other hand, was in the hands of the parents and teachers. Today, you are on your own to achieve this! It is the strength of character and moral fortitude that make a man different from an animal. A person who has these attributes will be successful anywhere. Unless you develop a sense of belonging to this great country, you cannot attain this. That is possible only by understanding the depth and dimensions of our great culture first hand, yourself. It is Indian ness which can offer solutions to humanity at large. That being so, is it not rudimentary on your part to know about your own country?
  4. Therefore, you must be good at your academic course, be highly proficient in computer skill and simultaneously, you must broaden and deepen your understanding by learning the greatness of India in architecture, metallurgy, ship building, astronomy, art and medicine on the one side and ever relevant principles led by lofty thoughts on the other side. The original works are very much available and anyone can buy and read them.
  5. The Indian understanding of education is ability to tackle the vicissitudes of life, deal with different situations that life offers. Even a rudimentary knowledge of Indian history will make you understand that the ancient Indian life was ruled by science that governed religion and not how it is made out to be.
  6. Youth must be synonymous with excellent health. In our younger days, the day to day life itself ensured adequate physical exercise. Today, thanks to countless facilities, we have become weak. Further, not many among you eat freshly cooked food since as a community, youth is wedded to junk food. Any improper action, however innocent the intention may be, brings in its wake unpleasant consequences. The deadly combination of lack of exercise and junk food can be traced as reasons for a variety of illnesses that afflict the society today like juvenile diabetes, early arthritis, high cholesterol and triglycerides levels that have made heart ailments as common as common cold, early puberty, and hormonal imbalance and so on.
  7. So, sweat you must regularly! Even here, it is imprudent to take to weights straightaway which have far reaching implications at a later stage in life. It is necessary to have a combination of yoga, ground exercise and breath-regulation to remain healthy today. Pranayama ensures appropriate supply of oxygen to the brain through the blood. This is very necessary in these days of stress and strain.
  8. Emotional health is achieved by understanding emotions and handling them. One must learn the difference between desires and needs. All our emotions must be active but under our control. In fact, our intellect should rule our emotions. This is possible by developing a keen interest in any of the fine arts. Of course, Indian music is the mother of all arts and it is rare to come across someone who does not like music. Music distils our emotion and elevates it to the level of devotion. Listen to good music and sing if you please!
  9. Intellectual health is obtained by reading a wide variety of books and seeking the company of the wise. A book is like a garden in our pocket. You can always open it and walk into it! Today’s’ competition demands that you must know ‘something about everything and everything about something.’ The company of those who are experienced in life fine tunes our knowledge in such a way that we get to know where we stand, where we should and what exactly we should do to bridge the gap. Also, confidence is the result of sharing knowledge. So, go out and have healthy discussions on anything under the Sun. Take care to avoid arguments since they do not help anyone in any way.
  10. Unless you visit the different parts of the country, you will not understand how great this nation is and who you really are. It is a privilege and a responsibility to be an Indian. Travel the length and breadth of this country by undertaking pilgrimage-cum-picnic tours. That will help you to learn wonderful lessons in history on the spot; you will be face to face before different dimensions of one unifying culture; the jungles, the snow peaks, the vast coast, the variety of flora and fauna will smoothen your emotions and kindle the spark of creativity that lies dormant in every one of us.
  11. Further, what would give you the edge is communication skill. A gift is received and a skill acquired. You must acquire a fair degree of skill in expressing yourself. Now, communication skill does not mean a bombastic language or a wide vocabulary or making an impressive speech. It simply means understanding clearly and expressing equally clearly. If there is clarity in thought, your expression will also be clear. Again, reasonable proficiency in English is necessary today more than ever. At the same time, unless you are good in your mother tongue, your communication skill will not be perfect. Start dreaming and thinking in your other tongue first!
  12. Last but not the least, citizenship! Please understand that no one is going to hand over a paradise. You have to create your own heaven or choose to live in hell! Yes, the modern Indian society does not have mercy! If you want a good life, you must start observing, understanding and reacting to anything and everything that is happening around you. You must raise intelligent and persistent questions. You must praise when a good deed is done by anybody. You must protest when necessary without fear or favour. It is your responsibility to make sure that all the weeds and their spurious growth are removed to let the garden of India bloom in is glory once again. In short, it is your quality of citizenship which decides whether you are educated or not, whether you are a patriot or not, whether you are courageous or not, whether you are a man or not!