Youth: The boiling brave hearts

We, the youth represent a substantial sector of society. The environment in which we are living is very different to that which was experienced by our ancestors. Today’s society is a blend of matter and material pleasure where many wrongs and social issues are prevailing. Therefore it is our immense responsibility to lead our society to a better and prospering future so that our future generations would not face these ill social vices. There are plenty of ways by which youngsters can make a difference in the society with their small and influential steps. We can take small action, by imparting what we have learnt in books practically in our life that would eventually make the dream of better society come true. Everyone among the youth can:
• Extend respect to teachers, elders, parents and family in consonance with our cultural norms and traditions.
• Commit themselves to create a discrimination and exploitation-free environment, and to devote their time and energy in nation-building activities.
• Uphold the unity and integrity of the Nation, maintain peace and harmony, observe Fundamental Duties & respect the Fundamental Rights and Freedoms guaranteed under the Constitution to all sections of the people.
• Respect others faiths and beliefs in the religious, cultural and social spheres and different schools of thought.
• Promote and practise appropriate standards of ethical conduct in individual and social life, to maintain honesty and integrity of character and be committed to fight against all forms of corruption, gender inequality and other social evils and practices
• Contribute to sectoral, family and self-development; and promote social and inter-generational understanding as well as gender equality.
• Preserve and protect the Environment
To attain the above motives we must imbibe some key traits in ourselves, leading to a better and cultured society that can be summed up as:
Character driven: Young people need to be morally strong, reflective individuals and dedicated which will help them to take correct actions.
Value of time: It is the responsibility of each and every one among the youth to understand the importance of time. Every moment is crucial for us to take action, so punctuality is a must.
Compassion: We must understand the sorrows and sufferings of others and do something about it. It involves allowing one to be moved by suffering and getting motivated enough to help alleviate and prevent it. We should have a positive influence on our fellow young people. We can provide a helping hand to the ones who are destroying their future due to drug addiction just by counselling and providing them emotional support because young people tend to listen to their fellow youths or we can help those who are under-privileged by educating them or donating our unwanted possessions like old books, unwanted clothing, jewellery etc. This way we are not only helping them but also making new friends, which seems interesting to us.
Zealous: youth has to be energized and full of vitality. We must have the courage to resolve the mournful contradiction that are plaguing the society and boldly take on great challenges without shunning the subsequent problems and difficulties that we will inevitably face, but we must remember to do it in a more legal and ethical way.
Goal-oriented: The youth need to be focused on their goals, that they want to accomplish .When the young generation is goal oriented, then their vision and mission become very clear, leading the society to a prosperous and promising future. There should be Perseverance in a course of action, belief or purpose, irrespective of multiple failures.
Speak out or join the cause: We should Speak-up about things that are bother-some. If we come to think of it, there are so many things people around us complain about; like corruption, gender-inequality, casteism, deteriorating environmental conditions etc. We can make an effort in that direction. We could create an event/campaign or get involved as volunteer if there is already one started, where we can discuss these common issues at large. Photography, arts and crafts, dance, theatre, sports, street art and so on, almost anything can be turned into a civic activism. We could take the assistance of the internet for that too.
Responsible: The young generation of this era is mostly blamed for being irresponsible. Responsibility is being reliable and authoritative. Young people taking up a task or duty should rightfully complete it and if something goes wrong, they should bear the responsibility and face the consequences without a second thought.
Inculcating these qualities in themselves, every young individual can act as a driving force to shape the society. All in all, I just want to say that making difference does not mean doing something that is going to change the whole world within no time. We should not weigh our efforts to find how big or small they are. However, we can make difference to ourselves, our family, friends and community and that’s what actually matters. At last addressing all the fellow young people out there , I want to quote some lines of Allama Iqbal(R.A)
Be aware of your own worth,
use all your power to achieve it.
Create an ocean from a dewdrop.
Do not beg for light from the moon, obtain it from the spark within you.
(Author is pursuing integrated degree in EVS at S.P college Cluster University Srinagar. Views are his own)
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