NATIONAL YOUTH DAY will be celebrated in India on 12th January 2025, the birthday of Swami Vivekananda.
I regret to say that I find nothing to celebrate.
The truth is that almost all Indian youth today are utterly selfish and unpatriotic. All they seem to want are comfortable, well-paying jobs after finishing their education—whether in the civil services, the corporate sector, as doctors or engineers, or by moving abroad to settle in a Western country (like most IIT graduates). And to hell with India.
Many may argue that this statement is too brutal and savage. But is it not truthful? I believe in speaking the truth, even if it offends people. A blunt knife draws no blood.
It is often said that the future of India lies in the hands of its youth and that they alone can lead the country toward prosperity. I disagree. Today’s Indian youth seem concerned only with their own prosperity and that of their families. They care little for the well-being of the Indian people.
This does not mean that youth cannot be patriotic.
In India, young revolutionaries like Bhagat Singh, Surya Sen, Chandrashekhar Azad, Ram Prasad Bismil, Ashfaqullah Khan, Sukhdev, Khudiram Bose, and others sacrificed their lives for India’s freedom without concern for their own comfort.
Similarly, during the American War of Independence (1775–1781), many American youth, initially unarmed, took on the mighty British Army in an armed struggle. They risked (and many lost) their lives to free their country from British rule. Did they think of their comfort?
When Chinese youth embarked on the historic Long March (1934–1935), walking 6,000 miles, climbing 18 mountains, and crossing 24 rivers while facing death from Chiang Kai-shek’s troops and natural calamities, did they think or care about their comfort?
I am sorry to say this, but I see no such spirit of patriotism in today’s Indian youth. Consequently, I have little hope from them.
However, I am confident that another breed of Indian youth will soon emerge—youth with the spirit of Bhagat Singh, Surya Sen, Ashfaqullah, and other great patriotic heroes of our past.
They will lead the mighty people’s struggle and revolution that is on the horizon, pulling our country out of its current terrible condition. They will transform India into a nation where its people enjoy a high standard of living and lead decent lives. 
Also Read: Why Are Indians Leaving India?
Markandey Katju
Justice Markandey Katju is former Judge, Supreme Court of India and former Chairman, Press Council of India.
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