Sunil Ambekar
IT was miraculous for Bharat in the era of globalisation and glamour that the youth selected an unknown scientist APJ Abdul Kalam as their icon or ideal. He came from a rural background and became a scientist, devoted his life for mission on missile making. His team’s success gave pride to us as it gave sense of security and more than that the satisfaction of self reliance. Our youth is searching for something which will bring pride to our country. And here the patriotic mind gets excited with his real life stories. This choice guides us to read the agenda in young minds for change.
Why is a agenda for change needed? Who will take it up? And why will they take it up? Nowadays it’s fashionable to talk about change and to pronounce Agenda for Change. Politician, action man, bureaucrat or so called media guys, new generation army of activists from NGOs or human rights, and so on everybody proclaims that they are very much keen on change and they have a specific Agenda for Change.
Though their actions are creating some waves but they may not succeed in the long run. People especially the youth are thinking of transformation. Though he or she looks busy with career or sometime with ‘masti’-light enjoyment—but Agenda for Change for Bharat is taking shape in their minds very actively. It will take time for the youth to make their agenda for change a reality.
Change of Mindset
Vivekananda said that for everything wrong with our society Dharma is not responsible but as we have left dharma, we are trapped with wrong consequences. It’s also not true to always blame the west for everything. But merciless analysis is required for our problems which will lead us to find our own designed solutions.
Why freedom is needed? Just to get proper food, clothes etc. or something more? Every individual wants freedom for ‘Swa’ (own way of living), but still we enjoy freedom in a particular system like our family, society and self rule governance in spite of some bindings. Why? It’s our rule to take care for everybody. But why do we experience unrest even after 65 years after our Independence? As we have changed only persons for governance but ‘Tantra’ (Systems and philosophy for governance) is not ‘swa’ (our own) but, it has come from ‘Par’ (foreigners).
To experience real freedom, we have to find our own system based on our philosophy and knowledge. For this we need young minds and brains with the education based on our knowledge, philosophy, experiences and aspirations. So, first step would be to change education, which requires education, its philosophy, structure, format, etc. should be top of our priority list.
If our education makes our youth only good machines or robots, an efficient and skilled labour force, then our need will be only to develop good maintenance of machines and human character will be absent from agenda. But as we are not machines, we will never be satisfied with such a system and it will always lead to unrest, conflicts and end in a human disaster. So our youth needs a humanist education which is full of our ancient and continuous quest for knowledge, our experiences, our inspiring traditions, values, the sacrifices and bravery of our forefathers to retain and enhance all their value systems and required freedom for this.
Such enlightened, patriots, capable and valorous youth will have great concern for nation and its people. This intense love for motherland and its people will inspire them for meaningful ‘Swa’ Tantra (Self solutions for problem). We need two things for Agenda for change- our own people who will rightly set agenda and inspired youth who will adopt it as their own agenda.
New Order
Poverty, corruption, indiscipline, mismanagement etc. a long list is possible for problems but basic question arises, how change is possible. We cannot beg for solutions or copy it from somebody who has forcefully thrown us into such problems.
Change in people will change society, followed by change in systems and ultimately nation will be transformed. Though it’s an ideal and sustainable way of change but situation doesn’t wait for it and other factors may create a miserable situation. So simultaneously urgent changes at political level followed by systemic changes or reforms supported with some strong legal system are always needed. Strong youth movements will only create pressures on system and make it comfortable for people till total change comes in action. So society has to allow and promote students and youth for such thinking process and practice such actions.
Youth with intense love for motherland will devote for pride of Bharat in his or her thinking and actions. They will dream for betterment, on one hand serve the needy and on other will fight against odds, simultaneously using the intellect for innovative plans for the cause. Youth has to work on a 3-tier programme to compliment the agenda for change. First at personal level to reset inner order of thinking, self discipline, behavior and relationship with others and nature. Second at society level where it’s for social reform and fight against all social evils. Third at public level mass awareness and movement to pressurise political and government authorities for proper governance and justice for all. Also they have to work for reforms and systemic changes.
Manifesto for Bharat Punarnirman (Reconstruction or renaissance)
Swami Vivekananda appealed to the youth to come forward and take up this auspicious task of ‘Nation Building’. Strong youth force is required to compel political system to take decisions in public interest. Though it’s corrupt in all sense, organised pressure from youth bodies will deliver many things even from present systems of public life, like police, administration, elections, judiciary etc. by bringing down the corruption level. Also to make them more people friendly with certain reforms. The use of modern technology will also help for better management and fairness. Youth groups must take up this challenge and lead the debate to fasten the reform process.
Of course only superficial reforms will not help fully, so universities research structure must be used by students to come forward with original new systems political or social, based on our knowledge systems and suitable for our society meaning ‘swatantra’ (Our way of living). But its not easy to change. Lot of parallel movements is required on difference issues and sectors. Youth has to take sole responsibility of public awareness ‘Maha abhiyan’ (Major campaign) to convince people and emerge with strong public opinion for desired change. So student or non students, urban or rural, part of any organisation or not, every youth has to become part of this process and adopt this responsibility in day -to-day life.
Youth has to become part of at least one mission like poverty eradication, education for all (teach at least one) save water, save environment, save electricity, fight against corruption, fight for rights and safety of women and children, fight against labour problem and so many or become a part of intellectual process for change or some other way.
But change is not possible only by mass movements and stringent laws or punishment. Government has a crucial role to play in the whole process but still it’s not everything. Government system needs public support to reach its target of public welfare and better administration. Youth has to take the initiative.
Modern day Bharat must win the battle with poverty and illiteracy. We have to discard in letters and spirit the words like upper and lower caste, untouchables, forward and backwards and also learn to respect physical labour and see any type of work with dignity. Respect for women in personal and public life, stand strongly for dignity of women, no one should go unpunished who insult or torture women in any form. No place for dowry, or child labour like bad practices in modern society. Hygiene, cleaniness and discipline of public places, should be the ‘mantra’ (thing to follow religiously) for this generation.
Cultural concepts will develop imagination for future society, for modern day Bharat which will ultimately influence the whole process. How youth imagine the future for developed Bharat- “most developed Nation”, ‘world super power’ etc. will make a whole difference.
The world has experienced so many powers, which ultimately have become disastrous—the destructive super powers, because of its forceful ways to make a uniform world. Bharat has to be a constructive super power as it was for thousands of years from ancient times. Youth of this generation must understand the secret behind this unique speciality and adopt it for future society. Knowledge of realization about oneness in universe is most important research made by our ‘Rishis’ (saints with high wisdom), it has set our relationship with others, which in turn set our behavioural pattern, social structure, tradition, ways of governance, etc.
This made us a prosperous, wealthy, powerful, intellectual society, simultaneously cultured, disciplined in personal and public life, care taking society, nature friendly society and helpful to other nations.
By using all the latest modern technologies we must become powerful, deterrent force, prosperous and wealthy but also add our experiences to our culture and make it more prosperous.
Good infrastructure and IT research is a must for our country. Also research needed on modern day family and society structure full of our values in the globalised market world. It’s necessary to protect and promote all related things which will enhance our culture and pride for Bharat. It may include our knowledge books like Vedas, Gita etc., our temples and historical war sites like Haldighati etc. our festivals like Deepawali or Kumbh melas etc. our Ayurveda or Yogashastra, our Sanskrit or other languages, our sacred Ganga or Himalayas, our glorious history or other symbols.
These all are a part of our identity and fight for their protection must be a part of youths commitment and it’s a expression of patriotism in present time. Our music, dance, traditions and other type of arts including specialties in different tribe, are also very much part of our identity. It must be clear that every civilization will always strive to be most powerful and wish to enjoy all modern luxuries created by human beings. But in absence of culture these civilizations will engulf each other and if proper culture flows, then civilisational harmony is possible.
So young sons and daughters of this land Bharat in modern times has to transform our society into the most modern civilization with the highest cultural values. Let us devote ourselves for this cause to make Bharat the world’s constructive super power—“The Great Nation”.
(The writer is national organising secretary of ABVP)
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