Youth and the Tasks Ahead - Karan Singh

Introduction

Karan Singh (born 9 March 1931) is an Indian politician and philosopher. He is the son of the last ruling Maharaja of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir, Sir Hari Singh. He was the prince regent of Jammu and Kashmir until 1952. From 1952 to 1965 he was the Sadr-i- Riyasat (President) of the state of Jammu and Kashmir in the Republic of India. He is the chairperson trustee of the Dharmarth Trust of Jammu and Kashmir which maintains 175 temples in north India and works in other areas such as historical preservation.

Singh was a member of India's Upper House of Parliament, the Rajya Sabha, representing the national capital territory of Delhi. He is a senior member of the Indian National Congress party who served successively as President (Sadr-e-Riyasat ) and Governor of the former state of Jammu and Kashmir. He was a life trustee and president of India International Center. He was elected chancellor of Banaras Hindu University for three terms, and served till 2018. He has been a prospective presidential candidate over the years

Youth and the Tasks Ahead

“Youth and the Tasks Ahead” is a speech given by Karan Singh. Giving a message to the youth of our country, a politician and author Dr. Karan Singh says that our freedom was won after a long struggle and sacrifice. More effort and strength is required to keep it intact. In his view, in any nation, the youths are the most vital part for they are energetic. If their strength is mobilized properly, they can prove to be a source of great power to the nation. They must train themselves to fulfill the future responsibilities towards the nation. Freedom should not be taken for granted.

The youth should maintain and strengthen freedom. The youth should serve the nation, accelerate the process of economic development, demolish poverty and strengthen the fabric of democracy. They should make India a secular and democratic nation based on the principles of justice, liberty, equality, and fraternity.

 

The first of them is physical, which is the first requirement to win any battle. A young generation with physical strength, iron muscles and steel nerves is needed to build a great democracy and protect it from external attacks. A proper training is also needed for them, so that they do not use their strength in the wrong direction. Some institutes like NCC and Physical Fitness Scheme are doing well in this area.

The second dimension is intellectual. Since we are living in a highly competitive era of science and technology, our youth need to be far more intellectually alert and capable than their predecessors. Young men and women pursuing higher education belong to the privileged elite. They should not lose even a single moment in education as they can serve India with great efficiency.

The third dimension is patriotism. It instills a deep desire for national unity and progress in our youth and only this can eradicate corruption and nepotism from our country. It can strengthen the whole process of economic development. The youth of a nation must fully realize that they are the source of its idealism and can give a new moral impetus to India. Here, the author quotes a high mortality from the thoughts of Sri Aurobindo Ghosh where Mr Ghosh urges the students to do anything only for the nation and to work so that it can prosper.

The fourth dimension is spiritual, is the main faculty that distinguishes man from myriad forms even in times of crisis. Here 'spirituality' does not mean only religious fervor, but unity, peace and harmony that binds the whole of humanity in one thread by cutting across all narrow barriers and distinctions. This alone can give us the courage to fight for our freedom and integrity with indomitable valor and the wisdom to do so without hatred.

Summarizing his views, Dr Singh says that physical, intellectual, patriotic and spiritual are the dimensions in which our young generation should properly prepare themselves for the service of the nation. It is a continuous process. However, the real need of our youth is a deep sense of participation in the great advent of nation building, as there is no dearth of opportunities for national service for every youth.

The important thing is the question of opportunity which we should provide to our youth to serve the nation at this critical juncture. There’s a lot to do. Hence, today's young generation is facing the same challenges which were faced by their ancestors. Our youth have to deal with the situation and the author is confident that Indian young generation will overcome all challenges.