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The
Youth, it is believed, are a vital force in any
country. And for a fast developing country like
India the vitality is further enhanced as it is
the youth in whose hands lies the success or failure
of all our welfare schemes, and also their setbacks.
Therefore, to ascertain success in our future
undertakings inculcation of patriotism and the
zeal to be at the top seems to be the most urgent
need of the hour.
But, unfortunately, the sorry plight of our bureaucratic
system, where corruption persists from the humblest
to the highest positions, has not spared our students
nor left our, youth unharmed. Even our political
leaders are using people as pawns for their personal
interests. The national spirit comes out of the
willingness to make some sacrifice- physical,
financial or personal to the cause of the nation.
But today, everybody around seems to be grabbing
from the motherland to further ones own interests.
And it is because of these reasons that today
the problems of indiscipline and affluence, among
youth, are rising. Corruption has affected the
psyche of all enthusiastic youth and the virtues
of morality, honesty, commitment and selfless
service is hard to find. And, thus, the sordid
trend of corruption is being perpetuated.
Is our education meant to dissolve in the existing
marks concoction of pelf, lust and lucre? Or is
it a weapon to fight against all existing evil
norms and march towards a utopic nation? Any vigilant
student can answer the morally correct option
but getting victimised by the present vicious
circle of money being the be all and end all,
constitutes perfect morality.
Franklin D. Roosevelt once said, "We cannot
always build the future for the youth, but we
can always build the youth for the future".
So, if today India is witnessing deterioration
in human values, religious intolerance and fanaticism,
it is only today's students who can be prepared
to face defeat, the 'feudal forces', masquerading
politicians and solicits. To achieve this asset.
the youth needs the drive and the ambition to
make things happen. We badly need youths with
ideas and commitment.
At such a critical stage when too many think that
we are on the edge of an abyss, the youth must
be very cautious to locate the sharp line of demarcation
between good and evil, for a purpose. The purpose
of fulfilling ourselves, and that kind of fulfillment
does not consist merely in the accumulation of
wealth, or name, or fame, or pos- session. It
consists of 'completing' ourselves and making
ourselves a symbol, an image of the Divine which
dwells in us. By asking to inculcate spiritualism
and shun base materialism, 1 don't mean to ask
the youth to bow in front of the image of the
Almighty many times a day, but by incorporating
in our lives the virtues of sincerity and ear-
nestness towards the well-being of our mother-land
which provides us food to eat and a place to live,
and not be carried away, or illusioned, by the
transient glamour of the west. Instead we should
be truly religious-'who interact in the society
with malice towards none and, charity for all".
A mere carrying of geographical boundaries, doesn't
make a nation. It's the will of the divisive elements,
which is of prime importance. A wise man told
me, "The moment the future of a country,
its younger generation, starts getting absorbed
in the corrupt practices of the system, preferring
temporal possessions to spiritual values, the
country loses all its right to exist," and
the great philosopher Russian once wrote "As
soon as public service ceases to be the chief
business of the citizens and they would rather
serve with their money than with their persons.
the state is not far from its fall". So,
why waste this life endeav- ouring for knowledge
to flow from man to man, and thus human life enrich!
Let us do our bit to improve this country. Let
us give it the gift of literacy and harmony. And,
most importantly. let us translate our resolutions
in action, so that the progress of the nation
may not be hampered in any way and that the sky
may be the limit for the progress of India.
ANOOP KUMAR TRIPATHI
XII A. 1994-1995
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