THE YOUTH ARE NOT FULFILLING THEIR RESPONSIBILITY AND

ARE HEADING TOWARDS MATERIALISTIC GOALS

(For the Motion)

Esteemed judges, respected teachers, and dear friends, if we cast a close look at

today’s youth, the truth of the motion strikes us as clearly as a mid day sun. The

million dollar question is – Are the youth least concerned about anything other

than their salary, status and pleasure? But before we go on making such

irresponsible comments about the youth of today, let’s be precise about what their

responsibility is. History tells us that a young Buddha renounced royal pleasures to

discover the truth of life, a young Sankaracharya had ventured to unite India with

his four pithas, a young Vivekananda sowed the seeds of Indian Renaissance.

Indian independence would not have been possible without the young Bhagat,

Khudiram, Rajguru, Nehru, Subhash and J.P. Friends, in 1947, they dismantled the

imperialistic superstructure but the new structure is yet to be build, and this is the

historic responsibility of the post-colonial youth. With the age old encumbrances

like undemocratic and retrogressive caste system, like the exploitation of women,

like the communalistic mindset, like poverty and illiteracy has to be revamped.

This precisely is the responsibility of the youth. With their higher education and

modern outlook, they alone can fulfill this responsibility.

But are they rising to the occasion? Once they enter the city, they forget their

villages, once they settle abroad, they tend to forget the nation. A posh job abroad

is their only summum bonum. With rare exception, the youth in the civil service

very soon discard their idealism and get drunk with the power, money and status.

The common man is the untouchable pariah for them. Most of them have joined

the new class of exploiters in collusion with the traditional elite class. A sad, very

sad commentary indeed!!

The young professionals in other sectors like management, the service sector

and even in the higher education have forgotten such old values like charity and

compassion. In the corridors of the malls, while relishing pizzas and burgers, they

forget that hunger still stalks the land in slums and hamlets. Their careerist

obsession and indulgence in the merry-go-round of pleasures are working as

blinkers. For social upliftment do we have to wait for Messiahs like Mother Teresa

from abroad?

Friends, for some other areas crying for action like environment, social

service after disaster like Tsunami and earthquakes, the exploited dalits and tribals,

human rights, the elimination of dowry etc we need hundreds of Medha Patkers

and Sandip Pandeys and not the nouveau riche youth of today. Thus I conclude

with full conviction that the youth are shirking their responsibility and are

preferring a tranquilized slumber.

THE YOUTH ARE NOT FULFILLING THEIR RESPONSIBILITY AND

ARE HEADING TOWARDS MATERIALISTIC GOALS

(Against the Motion)

Esteemed judges, teachers and friends! I take the floor against the motion and

strongly advocate that the youth are the engine that is propelling the nation to

greater and greater heights. India’s current spectacular progress can be largely

attributed to the scientific and technological manpower that consists of the

educated youth. In the IT sector, the management, in the medical sector, it is the

qualified youth that are breaking new grounds. On the basis of its dedicated youth

power, India is emerging as a developed nation. If we look at the Silicon valley in

USA, we find that the Indian youth have almost invaded that Western fortress.

Friends, in the socio-political arena, we find the youth as a liberating force.

They are ushering in a silent revolution by challenging the foundation of caste

system and the communalistic superstructure. Intercaste and inter-religion

friendships and marriages are now a way of life for the youth. Dowry falls by the

way side when the youth are opting for a union of souls and not a traditional horse-

riding. The youth are fulfilling another need of the hour by promoting the

empowerment of women. Look at the burgeoning number of young women as

DMs and CEOs and MDs and what not. The number of male chauvinists has

declined drastically only in the youth. They treat their wives as friends not as

bonded labourers. The enlightened youth are out to liberate the weaker sex from

the strangle hold of suppression and oppression. This is another silent revolution

that is the handiwork of the youth.

Lakhs and lakhs of young men have sacrificed their careers for fighting on

behalf of the exploited, landless rural folks and tribals as Maoists. We may not

approve of their mode of revolt but if we consider this joint exploitation of these

hapless men by landlords and bureaucrats, our hearts go out to these angry young

men. Their means may be wrong but their goals are noble. They are atleast not

after the materialistic indulgence in their jungle hide-outs.

My humble submission is that the modern youth prefers a blend of

spiritualism and materialism, a kind of golden mean. Just watch the number of

youth in the temples and among Swami Ramdev’s or Sri Sri Ravishankar’s

followers. Lifting oneself above the morass of poverty is not materialism. I would

like to conclude that the youth are in a transition as India is itself in a state of

transition.