Friends,
Indians and Countrymen,
I stand
before you not to sympathize or criticize the situation our country is in. I am
here only to make you THINK.
I am a
symbol of the youth of this nation who has a dream for change and needs the
help of you all in turning that dream into reality.
We have
all seen the beginning and end of classroom sessions, semesters and holidays.
We all have had that ‘special someone’ who broke our heart in the end. But,
Life always gives a second chance and being optimist certainly pays off.
At 5 our
parents would've told that we would be an engineer or a doctor. At
10, we dreamed of becoming a cricketer or a film star. But as you move forward,
you leave those dreams behind and reality strikes. The right thing to do then
is ‘Be Yourself’. You should create your own ‘Youniverse’ in a society where
people want to be like someone else and make a difference.
India is
diverse nation – many cultures, religions, languages and societies of people
coexisting in one country. So, where do you stand? Do you follow the rules
created by this society and carry on with your mundane existence? Or should you
break the shackles and realize your dreams? Don’t you think that as the leader
of tomorrow you should have the liberty of thinking, realizing and acting on
your own principles?
For 50
years we have been a developing nation; it’s high time we became a developed
nation. What is it that developed nations have and we don’t – money, resources,
economy or brains? We have all of these – both in quality and quantity. Are we
not patriotic enough? Then, why do these politicians deposit billions of
dollars in foreign accounts and not spent even a quarter of it in the nation’s
welfare? India needs to stand up to the world – not only as a military
power, but also an economic power. We cannot leave everything in the hands of
the government; this is the right time to provoke the minds of the youth for an
upsurge that will create awareness and will be pivotal in making India a
superpower.
A nation
with endless variety, India has the best engineers, doctors, businessmen, and
scientists offering global expertise in almost all areas of development who are
the paramount reason behind the expectation of becoming a world leader by 2020.
But will we live up to this expectation or do we still want to remain a country
with intellectual brilliance alongside the superstition and ignorance of
people?
No nation
is perfect. With the active involvement of youth in issue specific causes and
movements, it is high time the society changes the way they perceive us.
We aren't the reasons behind the ills of the society, rather we are
the messengers of change who should be empowered and whose contributions should
be encouraged. We aren't only the future of the nation, but also its
present. We need an environment where our voices need to be heard and our
actions need to be impactful. We have to join hands in channelizing the energy
and enthusiasm in the correct direction for achieving the herculean task of
nation building.
Regards
Lokesh Chahar
