“THE youth of Bharat should rise above selfishness by giving time to the society to make the nation strong. There is a need to make efforts for right action. The general trend of confining indoors should stop and one should come out to serve for the country’s cause. The youth of the nation must work for the safety and prosperity of the country,” said RSS Sarsanghachalak Shri Mohan Bhagwat. He was delivering a speech on the topic of ‘Bharat: Challenges before the youth’ at Satya Sai Nigamagamam in Hyderabad on July 24. The function was organised by Martyr’s Memorial Research Institute (MMRI). Prof D Manohar Rao, chairman of MMRI, welcomed the guests and the audience.
The Sarsanghachalak also released an audio DVD on Rig Veda Samhita designed, developed and produced by the Sewa Bharati Hyderabad. The DVD provides 64 chapters with 64 introductions recited in 11 different modes of Rig Veda. Shri Justice Parvatha Rao (Retd.) Sanghachalak, Dakshina Madhya Kshetra was also present on the occasion.
In his one-hour speech Shri Mohan Bhagwat exhorted the youth to cultivate values like courage, conviction and hard work. He said India’s future lay in the hands of the youth and they should work with vibrant thoughts and not with loudness. He said youth is reflected more in the spirit of work and enthusiasm than in age. Even after 64 years of freedom, multiple challenges prevail which never existed in the recent history of India. But solutions are more important than challenges.
Pointing out that problems are galore with China, Shri Bhagwat observed that national borders were still porous. He criticised the UPA Government for neglecting the border with China, in spite of knowing fully well their intentions. “China is aware that India is emerging as a strong nation with a strong potential to grow as a knowledge-based society. Understanding our importance, China started laying roads, railway lines and airports not sparing even the remotest areas along the border. It is strange that the Government of India has not responded in a fitting manner,” he noted.
The Sarsanghachalak called upon the youth to be on guard against cultural invasion, which is emanating from foreign shores with a concerted move to divide its people and create a rift amongst various communities. Their cruel purpose is to stop India from emerging as a super power. We blindly follow the western customs like Father’s Day and Mother’s Day. But do we observe Respiration day? Do we need to remember our parents only on these days? India’s rich heritage gives ample opportunity to each one of us to remember and respect our mother and father everyday for the entire life.
“Anybody going out from India whichever party they belong to should take a firm and identical stand on issues like Kashmir that it is an integral part of India and is non- negotiable. It is a strange situation to see army being not kept where it is required and kept where it is not required. The vote bank politics along with divide and rule policies being pursued by the Government are playing havoc with the harmony of the nation. The Communal Violence Bill on which no debate has taken place so far is already kept in the Government website. The members whose credentials are doubtful are in the National Advisory Council (NAC) to draft such bills as Communal Violence Bill. He added that even the Supreme Court raised questions on the credentials of some members of NAC,” Shri Bhagwat said.
He said it is unfortunate that those required to show accountability in the administration are escaping from it and the loot by the miscreants continues. The economic scenario is brought to such a stage that 20 to 25 per cent are becoming richer and 70 to 75 per cent are becoming poorer with unchecked inflation reaching alarming proportions of 9.44 per cent. Such policies are leading to jobless growth. There is a huge competition. Violence erupts due to such reckless economic policies. Progress and morality should go hand in hand. Blind imitation of western ideas is causing heavy damage to our social moral fabric. We should welcome good things suitable to us and discard those not healthy to us, he added.
About the black money stashed away in abroad and corruption Shri Bhagwat said hard earned money of our people is being robbed and is being stashed in safe havens abroad. When there is a hue and cry, some scapegoats are proped up for punishment while the biggies go scot-free. It is said the amount illegally stacked abroad is just enough to pay all our national debts and ensure growth and development for the coming 40 years. This is truly shocking and mind-numbing.
About the education system the Sarsanghachalak said that while the number of schools and colleges are rising, the benefit is not reaching common people as can be witnessed through large dropouts in the schools. It is unfortunate that values are falling so low that life is understood to be only food, sleep and sex and nothing more. He called for educational training reforms with stress on self-respect quoting Dr Abdul Kalam’s views.
Underlying the importance of unity amongst people, he mentioned that nobody is different from others throughout India with DNA being similar. The mindset should change from identifying only with a particular caste, religion, language and region. With so many differences prevailing, it helps only the enemy. But there is no need to despair and he reminded of only challenges in front of us and we can move forward by overcoming the obstacles. Indians are most intelligent and are ahead in every international competition. He cited examples of well-educated youth doing social work inspiring others to emulate them. India is a treasure house of knowledge. Progress will be abundant with our enterprising nature, talent, skill and resilience. Even in most difficult times, we have not suffered shortages. We could not be shaken even in the worst economic crisis, which appeared worldwide. He exhorted the youth to emerge from crisis of identity, credibility and character. There is lack of awareness of our history and our real identity. Humanity should be guiding factor cutting across religious lines, he added. He called upon the youth to inculcate self-respect and self esteem in them.
He said Bharat is on the throes of a three-fold crisis—the crisis of identity, character and credibility. No other country in the world has such a confused and contrite view of one’s own self as Bharat. We have a long and continuous tradition of dharma and identity. But, concerted efforts are on to prevent the future generations from knowing about this great dharma and identity. A society that has no knowledge of its past, will lack self-respect and a sense of purpose. The crisis of credibility is a natural corollary of the crisis of identity and character. There is utter loss of credibility. We do not know who we should believe in. This three-fold crisis is the biggest challenge facing our country. Neither China nor Pakistan are our problems. Our problem is our loss of character and credibility and the crisis of identity.
He said the concept of Vasudhaiva kutumbakam is India’s legacy to rest of the world and hence we should have no enemies. But since the world is not free from wrong people we should protect and guard against misdeeds from them in a democratic way without violence. He gave a clarion call to the youth “Save yourself; Correct yourself; Begin with yourself; Know yourself; Understand roots of the culture of Bharat.” Entire Bharat is oneself. He asked them to keep in mind Bharatiyata where good of others should be prime consideration. Without Bharat there is no world and for the sake of world’s survival India should raise.
He said one should remember that there is no revolution and there is only evolution. He said he would feel happy even if one amongst the audience goes out and works in the right direction with the aim of selfless service. He cited examples as to how Buddhist monks went over to China and successfully spread the message of our ancient Dharma. He regretted that efforts were not taken for the protection of Vedas. He reminded Swami Vivekananda’s eloquent words exhorting the countrymen to set aside devi and devata puja in order to concentrate on nation building.
Earlier, Sanghachalak of Dakshin Madhya Kshetra, Justice (retd) Shri Parvatha Rao introduced the subject of talk and said the problems of youth are immense which are emanating both from outside and inside the society. The attacks on the society by extremists in the form of Marxists are one of such challenges. Corruption of enormous magnitude involving lakhs of crores of rupees is another major challenge. Criminal neglect of administration and wastage of foodgrains purchased by the Food Corporation of India are some other issues before us. Even Supreme Court’s order that proper godowns should be constructed for storage is still not implemented. It is strange that Prime Minister feels that there should be no interference by the judiciary.
Our youth with extraordinary brilliance are encouraged abroad but not so in the native country with the result that we are deprived of such talented pool. There is so much poverty in the country. While youth in those days sacrificed their lives for the cause of freedom, in the present times not many are joining the armed forces and the lure for quick money is driving them away from joining such jobs. Not many are joining the legal profession and so many vacancies are unfilled in the judiciary. We have to stop this trend by motivating the youth to take up such professions for the cause of the society and the nation. He called upon the youth to take forward their fight against terror, he said.
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