The Rising of the New Indian Youth
Prelude
10th May 1857: Hindustan took up arms as one in the first nationwide uprising to overthrow the British rule. Sparked off by the young sepoys, it was christened as the First War of Indian Independence. The revolt of 1857 saw a series of armed rebel in different parts of the country which created a cascading effect- evolving the revolt into an uprising. The uprising which brought about the end of the British East India Company’s rule and led to direct rule by the British Government.
10th May 2007: 150 years have passed after that day, which marked the revolt of the Indians for what is right & just. It was the day that they all came together for a common cause. Fast forward to today. India is at the pink of her health- driven by an economy going at a good pace, an evolving middle class & a new age of entrepreneurs. But on the other side is an India which still doesn’t have water to drink or food to eat- An India which is in the higher rankings of the most corrupt nations- an India, where educated people like you and I live, but still suffers because of our social apathy.
How good a citizen are we? One often hears of grumbling and complaints about the state of affairs in the country and about how the
Government needs to pull up its socks. How many of us take just that one step further and take an initiative to replace empty words by actions? Is bad governance the cause or the result of our apathy towards social initiatives? This research aims at getting a perspective on whether the youth of today has the “Passion for the nation?”
Introducing the Indian Youth
How good a citizen are we? One often hears of grumbling and complaints about the state of affairs in the country and about how the
Government needs to pull up its socks. How many of us take just that one step further and take an initiative to replace empty words by actions? Is bad governance the cause or the result of our apathy towards social initiatives? This research aims at getting a perspective on whether the youth of today has the “Passion for the nation?”Introducing the Indian Youth
The youth of today is a rather interesting breed, far different from the way it is portrayed to be. It is not a just a horde of “socially unaware”, careless bunch of young citizens… but a rather aware lot- be it about political issues, social concerns, their rights and duties. Says Akhil Mistry, a BMS student, “Today, the youth is fully aware of various activities going around that directly or indirectly affects them, and most importantly, they have a perspective to it.” Attribute this to the exposure to various media- television at home, Radio while travelling and internet while in college… or the mere intent to know more and discuss in forums and in blogs. Says Rajeev Mantri, an a
dvertising executive, “The youth of today is far more independent, and is to large extent socially aware. He might not do something for the society when all’s passive, but if there is a need for resurgence, he will contribute. The anti-reservation protest is a great example.”
dvertising executive, “The youth of today is far more independent, and is to large extent socially aware. He might not do something for the society when all’s passive, but if there is a need for resurgence, he will contribute. The anti-reservation protest is a great example.”The Other side
The flip side to it is a rather upsetting finding- this high level of awareness does not translate into participation, or intent to participate. Youngsters today do not want to associate themselves with developmental causes; even if they do… they don’t intend that to be a consistent effort. Community service is restricted to donating money & cloth for the tsunami victims. They do not actively participate in the election process, but they expect the government to perform their
duties well. “We let the government to be decided by voters who are sadly easily manipulated by the candidates, and then we sit and crib about how the government is not doing a great job. We need to pick ourselves up and go to the polling booth, exercise our right or rather follow our civic duty, rather than sit back & enjoy another holiday.” says Nisha Nair, a journalist working with a leading newspaper.
The flip side to it is a rather upsetting finding- this high level of awareness does not translate into participation, or intent to participate. Youngsters today do not want to associate themselves with developmental causes; even if they do… they don’t intend that to be a consistent effort. Community service is restricted to donating money & cloth for the tsunami victims. They do not actively participate in the election process, but they expect the government to perform their
duties well. “We let the government to be decided by voters who are sadly easily manipulated by the candidates, and then we sit and crib about how the government is not doing a great job. We need to pick ourselves up and go to the polling booth, exercise our right or rather follow our civic duty, rather than sit back & enjoy another holiday.” says Nisha Nair, a journalist working with a leading newspaper.Conclusion
The youth of today is a highly aware, independent and self driven individual, but with a confidence in themselves. Somewhere there is need for such like-minded youngsters to come together and attain critical mass to try and achieve what they intend to. Forming youth groups or joining established youth movement like the Rotaract, they can start by contributing to the immediate society if not at large. Social entrepreneurship as a format is quite a viable option as it helps enhance the society, keeping the objective of business in mind.
The youth of today is a highly aware, independent and self driven individual, but with a confidence in themselves. Somewhere there is need for such like-minded youngsters to come together and attain critical mass to try and achieve what they intend to. Forming youth groups or joining established youth movement like the Rotaract, they can start by contributing to the immediate society if not at large. Social entrepreneurship as a format is quite a viable option as it helps enhance the society, keeping the objective of business in mind.
By Harikrishnan Pillai & Rashmi Subramaniam
The Research Methodology
The research was conducted amongst youth in the age group of 18 to 30 years residing in various parts of Mumbai, with a sample size of 100 representing SEC A1, A2 & B1. The subjects were expected to fill a close ended questionnaire. Then an unstructured interview was conducted (20 subjects), which provided insights on what drove the opinion.
The research was conducted amongst youth in the age group of 18 to 30 years residing in various parts of Mumbai, with a sample size of 100 representing SEC A1, A2 & B1. The subjects were expected to fill a close ended questionnaire. Then an unstructured interview was conducted (20 subjects), which provided insights on what drove the opinion.
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