'Youth Are India’s Demographic Dividend, Must Be Harnessed Properly': RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Saturday described India's youth as a demographic dividend and said the country could benefit enormously if their potential was harnessed properly. If not, he warned, the same young population could become a burden as it grows older over the next 30 years.

Addressing youngsters at an event organised by the Lokmat Media Group at Kasturchand Park in Nagpur, Bhagwat urged them to look beyond their personal interests and remain sensitive to the needs of future generations. His message placed the responsibility for India's future firmly on its youth, while stressing that national progress cannot be separated from individual aspirations.

Youth Can Shape India’s Future

"The youth are a demographic dividend. We will benefit greatly if they are handled properly. If we make proper use of it, then country will become a 'Vishwaguru'. If we fail to do so, it will become a heavy burden later because this young generation will become the older generation after 30 years," Bhagwat said.

He said young people would become the country's earning population and stressed that employment should not be understood as referring only to jobs. Those engaged in labour also contribute through their work and deserve respect, he said.

Bhagwat said India was entering the 80th year of its Independence, made possible by the sacrifices of those who fought to free the country. The younger generation, he said, must now think about the nation's future and work towards shaping its own destiny as well as that of the country.

He urged young people to remain courageous and face the future with confidence, saying concerns about their personal or family future should not weaken their resolve. The courage that some might consider recklessness could help the youth in their work, family responsibilities and service to the nation, he said.

"With that courage we must face the future ahead of us. We must meet it head-on. We will make our own destiny, and we will make our country's destiny," Bhagwat said.

Democracy Needs Debate And Dissent

Bhagwat also spoke about India's diversity and the importance of disagreement in a democracy. He said the country had differences of language, region, caste and thought, but these differences should not damage its unity.

"This is a democracy, so there is dialogue, there are debates, and there are supporting and opposing sides. There will be mutually opposing viewpoints as well," he said.

He stressed that opposition and movements were essential parts of democracy when issues concerning public benefit were raised.

"Opposition will have to happen. When beneficial issues are raised, they must be raised strongly. Work must be done on them; one must apply effort. Movements happen, all of that happens," he said.

At the same time, Bhagwat said differences should not undermine the Constitution or the country's unity. Referring to Dr BR Ambedkar's speeches on the Constitution, he said the principles laid down by its framers should continue to guide the country, PTI reports.

"We must move forward together. We must never split. There must be no internal dispute," he said.

Dharma Chakra Symbolises Restraint

Bhagwat, who hoisted a 200-foot-high national flag erected by the Lokmat Media Group at Kasturchand Park in collaboration with the municipal corporation, asked the youth to reflect on the meaning of the Dharma Chakra.

He said its spokes pointed in different directions but originated from the same centre, illustrating how different views could coexist without causing harm.

"The spokes go off in different directions with varying force, yet they originate from a single centre, and in doing so they must not cause harm," he said.

"The laws and the Constitution of the country must not be harmed. Our ancient and sacred culture must not be harmed. Our good virtues and upbringing must not be harmed. Our moral strength must not be harmed," Bhagwat said.

He said the circle surrounding the spokes represented restraint and ensured differences remained within certain boundaries.

"That is why it is the Dharma Chakra. Dharma does not mean rituals and worship; dharma means the rules that shape a society's conduct, and we must do everything living within those rules," he said.

Referring to the saffron, white and green colours of the national flag, Bhagwat said they represented values citizens should reflect in their lives. The message of the Dharma Chakra, he said, was that despite India's diversity, its people must move forward together.

"If we go together, the great dignity of our large country will be able to flutter freely in the high winds; it will be able to shine its light on the whole world. That is what we must do, and in that future lies my and my family's future. For that future I will work, so that both the country and my family will be all right," he said.

India Needs Its Own Development Model

Drawing a parallel with the effort required to hoist the giant tricolour, Bhagwat urged young people to consider what the national flag represented. He also cautioned against simply comparing India's development with that of other countries.

"We are not America, China, Australia or New Zealand. We are India," he said.

Bhagwat argued that India's development model should be based on its own population, geography, resources, needs and strengths rather than simply following approaches adopted elsewhere.

He said countries with smaller populations, larger geographical areas or vast resources could afford to focus primarily on employment.

"But a country like Bharat, with a huge population, has less geography than Canada, the US and China, and because of this, we need a completely separate thought process for our issues. For that, we must look at things from our own perspective," he said.

He also stressed entrepreneurship, saying young people would have to overcome hurdles with courage and work towards success.

‘India Must Show World The Way’

Bhagwat said much of the world focused primarily on material advancement, while India had traditionally taken a broader view of progress.

"The world is stumbling today because it thinks otherwise, because of a partial vision. It becomes India's duty, from our perspective, to steady that faltering world and show it the way forward," he said.

He reiterated that India's outlook was not limited to earning money.

"In Bharat, we do not only think about making money. People say even a chicken would not eat money. This is how we are," Bhagwat said.

He also linked the future of individuals and families with the fortunes of society and the nation, arguing that personal security and respect could not exist independently of national security and standing.

"Nor does a single family's fate. If we want security and respect in the world, we will not get them until our country and society are secure and respected," he said.

Speaking at the event, Lokmat Media Group editorial board chairman and former Rajya Sabha member Vijay Darda praised Bhagwat for his efforts to bring people with balanced views to his side.