Nashik: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday described India’s present-day youth as the most fortunate generation of the 21st century, poised to take the country to greater heights during ‘Amrit Kaal’, and urged them to participate in the electoral process to “reduce” the influence of dynastic politics.
Addressing a gathering after inaugurating the 27th National Youth Festival at Tapovan ground here, Modi said dynastic politics has caused immense harm to the country and appealed to the youth to get themselves enrolled as voters as soon as possible. He also asked young people to stay away from drugs.
In the beginning, Modi offered floral tributes to the busts of Swami Vivekananda and Rajmata Jijabai, mother of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, on the occasion of their birth anniversaries.
“India is the mother of democracy. If youth express their political views by casting their votes, the future of the country will be good. Better participation of youth in the democratic process will ensure a better future for the country,” he said.
First-time voters can bring new energy and power to India’s democracy, he said.
“If you participate in active politics (and electoral process), you will be able to reduce the influence of dynastic politics. You know that dynastic politics has harmed the country,” he said.
The 25-year period of ‘Amrit Kaal’, described by the government as the quarter century leading to the centenary of India’s independence, is ‘kartavya kaal’ for the youth when they prioritise their responsibilities to ensure the progress of society and country, Modi said.
“In this Amrit Kaal…give a new direction and take the country to new heights. Do such work that future generations in the next century will remember you,” he said.
He urged young people to promote local products and appealed to them to “stay away from drugs and stop using abusive words in the name of mothers and sisters”.
Invoking Sri Aurobindo and Swami Vivekananda, he said the youth have the calibre to create history in Amrit Kaal because of their commitment and intellect. The National Youth Festival is organised every year from January 12 (Swami Vivekananda’s birth anniversary) to January 16.
Modi described Swami Vivekananda as a leader who infused new energy among Indians at a time when the country was in slavery.
“India is among the top five global economies. It figures in the list of top three start-up ecosystems because of the commitment and calibre of the youth,” he said.
Cheapest mobile data in India amazes the people of the world, said the prime minister during his address. “We have to become the world’s third largest economy. We have to make India a manufacturing hub like the service and IT sector,” he said, adding that the world today looks at India as a country with a skilled workforce.
Modi appealed to citizens to perform ‘shramadaan’ by undertaking cleanliness campaigns in temples and pilgrimage centres across the country ahead of the consecration ceremony of the Ram temple in Ayodhya.
The prime minister said he was fortunate to pay tributes to Rajmata Jijabai and Swami Vivekananda on their ‘jayantis’. “Mi tyana koti koti vandan karto,” he said in Marathi.
It’s not just a coincidence that several great personalities like Ahilyabai Holkar, Ramabai Ambedkar, Lokmanya Tilak, V D Savarkar, and freedom fighters Anant Kanhere and Chapekar belong to Maharashtra, he said.
The PM said that if Vishveshwarya, Major Dhyan Chand, Batukeshwar Dutt, Chandrashekhar Azad, Mahatma Phule and Savitribai Phule are inspirations to the present generation, the present-day youth have an opportunity in the Amrit Kaal to create history.
“I consider the youth of the 21st century as the most fortunate generation to take India to higher strides. You have the opportunity to create history, grab it,” Modi said.
India’s mood and temperament is young and the country is leading from the front in various spheres at present, Modi said, seeking to highlight his government’s schemes for the youth in the last ten years.
Modi said there are new employment opportunities in the country, new start-ups are coming up, the emerging skill sector is booming and new IITs and NITs are being opened.
“The drone sector, animation, gaming, atomic, big highways, modern airports and Vande Bharat Express trains are all for you… Now, the country is also leading in various sectors and the world is astonished by our progress – be it Chandrayaan, Aditya-L1 missions or the UPI payment scheme,” Modi added.
He urged the youth to focus on the development and preservation of the country’s legacy.
“Ayurveda and yoga had been forgotten after independence. Millet was linked with poverty. We have to stop focussing only on finding solutions to present-day problems and challenges and fix new challenges for ourselves. We need to expand our horizons and dreams,” he said.
He also said that India’s youth is becoming brand ambassadors of yoga and Ayurveda.
Talking about Lord Ram’s connection with Nashik, he said, “Lord Ram spent a lot of time in Panchavati here. I appeal to people to conduct cleanliness drives in all temples and pilgrimage centres by January 22 before the consecration ceremony of the Ram temple in Ayodhya,” the PM said, adding that he got an opportunity to visit the famous Kalaram temple here and clean its premises earlier in the day.
A march-past by teams from various states and a cultural programme were the highlights of the event. The theme of this year’s National Youth Festival is “Viksit Bharat@ 2047: Yuva ke liye, yuva ke dwara”.
PTI