Youth shall take charge now!

Often speakers and teachers say to the children and the youth, “you are the future”. With this slogan every initiative for innovation from the part of the youth is suppressed. They are discouraged to ask questions. Parents and teachers often admonish the teenagers, “It is not time for you to think like this and ask such questions. You better concentrate in your studies”. With this kind of attitude the children and the youth are made irresponsible to the society. They grow up alienated from the realities and serious issues facing the country because they are only the future. Parents also hide their problems from the children. In fact the children and the youth should be taught that they are not only the future of the nation but also the present. They should take charge of the NOW. They should not wait for the future to be responsible.

The children and the youth who are full of energy, enthusiasm and intelligence do not know what to do with their surplus time and energy after completing their routine home work and class room lessons. A vast majority of the teenagers and the youth waste much of their time and energy with internet, Facebook, TV and other futile things which are not productive. They indulge in non-essential things which only distract them. Neither teachers nor parents know to provide any other alternatives which will help the children and the youth to utilize their energy and talents for productive purpose.

Parents and teachers should make maximum effort to make the children and the youth feel responsible for the society from the very early years of their life. For this they should be helped to use their surplus time and energy for reading newspapers and books. They should develop various hobbies according to their aptitude. Merely concentrating on their routine subjects for examination will frustrate them. On the contrary they should be encouraged to acquire general knowledge about other subjects related to the country and the world in general.

Apart from dreaming about the routine career for a living they should be helped to formulate a vision for life which includes the welfare of the whole humanity. They should feel responsible not only for their country but for the whole of humanity. They can become global leaders provided they take charge now. They should refuse to be conditioned to wait for the future to take responsibility. Then we will have a better India and a better world!

From the very early years every child should be taught that nothing is impossible. The more the problems, the greater should be our determination; the more the darkness, the greater the need for us to be the light; the more the insensitivity, the greater should be our sensitivity.

Youth cannot wait for tomorrow! They should take charge of their time, talents, freedom and focus on their vision. They should shed their small dreams. APJ Abdul Kalam has rightly said, “Dreaming small is a crime”.