Dr. M. M. Goel* : The incredible and multifaceted challenges faced by the Indian youth today calls for motivational message of Swami Vivekananda more than the national youth day (NYD) as a ritual on Jan. 12.
To usher the spirit of Swami Vivekananda as a ray of light, we need to celebrate his birth anniversary as “Jagriti Divas” with the theme “Uttishthata Jagrata Praapya” of Katha Upanishad — the verse Vivekananda recited on the rocks of Kanyakumari in 1892..
Youth have a special role to play for the sustainable development of Indian economy. They are the harbingers of change. It is they who have to lay the foundations of a new and just social order. Their vast energies have to be tapped and channeled for the task of national building.
We need to follow the teachings of the great Indian personality for all times to come. There is a strong case for proper utilization of time by saying that an hour spent in worthwhile actions there can be a gain of 1000 times and a waste of one hour in useless actions there is a loss of 1000 times.
Do good and have good is the best policy for all of us not only on asocial;, moral and political grounds but economic considerations as it is the most rational behavior not only for the self but is altruistic in nature.
To cultivate patience as dynamic form among youth, we need to understand ‘haste makes waste’. The quickness and hurry leads to delay most of the time with the exception of getting up early in the morning which is necessary and sufficient to enhance working time for one self. Let us understand the realities of livelihood which is being made difficult fueled by so many things including inflation, unemployment and corruption.
There is strong case for enhancing defense expenditure in the forthcoming Union Budget 2013-14 which is justified to face the multifaceted challenges caused by internal threats and terrorism of various kinds including unemployment, suicides by farmers and above all crimes on women. The only practical solution of these problems is to make military services compulsory for five years for the youth which will bring discipline to Indian economy in one sense or the other. The domain of military activities will have to be increased to include agricultural industry, National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme which can ensure proper, productive and practical use of hands, head and heart of the unemployed youth of India ..
It is strongly believed by the writer that there is built-in corruption in most of the programmes for the youth. I am of the firm opinion that the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) can be increased by at least two percent by removing corruption and crimes only and without any additional resource allocation for the purpose. For enthusing sense of discipline in the working force , we need to provide them training in economics of ethics and code of conduct to deal with built in corruption in India .
For stopping conversion of demographic dividend in to demographic disaster, we need to learn walking before running in the rat race of competition ( healthy as well as unhealthy) where in survival of the fittest is the mantra but weak can also survive, exist and excel by becoming unique.
Let us create conducive environment for proper, productive and practical utilization of positive potential of youth who are called the demographic dividend by some if not many countries. Let them be really educated to use their hands, head and heart (3H) with a positive mindset. Let them understand sex as poise, sacred and secret allowed in a married life only.
Let us treat demographic dividend as an opportunity to become world leader in science of spirituality where soul is treated as immortal with zero death rate,
Let us follow the message of the Swami Ji in our lives to make the nation great with our behavior by changing our looks, actions and words (LAW) to make it the real law of the land. This will be the greatest tribute to the great man of his times.
*The writer is Professor of Economics & Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences, Kurukshetra University , Kurukshetra. He is President, Antarjyoti and Convener, Intellectual Cell, Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC).
