Protest by the Youths on the National Youth Day of India on January 12

Youths are the life line of the nation

The end of 2012 turned out to be of a great shock. Wait a minute! Why should I say ‘a shock’ rather it’s a series of shock waves which shook the Indians deeply. Almost a fortnight ago a 23 year old girl was brutally gang raped in Delhi, India. This is not the first case but very often it happens in each and every corner of India. Every time such incidents hurt the sensible and civilized Indians. Media shouts against the crimes but the general citizens of India did not express their grief in public but this time it is different altogether.

It seems there is no looking back from here. May be a huge change will not take place spontaneously but a strong message has been conveyed to the country that enough is enough. No more of playing with the lives of woman or females at large. A protest march started in Delhi but it spread like fire in the whole country. Every single person of the entire nation who has civilized head and heart both has made their voice of protest heard. Who began and made this possible? They are the youths of this country. The senior people are supporting the cause but it’s the youths who are first to awake. They wanted the country to hear their voice against the crime on women. So, I believe that youths are the life line of the entire nation.

Swami Vivekananda’s Appeal to Youths

We should not forget that long back Swami Vivekananda appealed to the youths of India during the British rule that: “What we want are some young men who will renounce everything and sacrifice their lives for their country’s sake.” He inspired the youths during that era and now again it’s the youths who have shown guts to protest the crime against the women taking place in the country. Every protest starts at a point when the tolerance limit is crossed. No agitation can start in a day but it begins when the pain becomes difficult to sustain. It is indeed a high time in India that whoever believes in true equality and safety are the basic rights of the women in this country must raise their voice against the injustice meted out to the females.

Today’s youths who lodged their protest have shown that what should be the true color of the proper civilized Indian. Here again, I would like to quote another very powerful message by Swami Vivekananda which he conveyed while addressing the national youths. He said: "What our country now needs are muscles of iron and nerves of steel, gigantic wills which nothing can resist, which can penetrate into the mysteries and the secrets of the universe, and will accomplish their purpose in any fashion, even if it means going down to the bottom of the ocean and meeting death face to face." We all who sincerely believe, that India should be free of all the prejudices against the Indian and foreign ladies, should extend their hand in support of these awakened youths. I literally salute these youths and want to point out that on January 12 which is Swami Vivekananda’s birth anniversary and is celebrated as the National Youth Day in India is going to be remarkable this year. These true Indian youths deserve to be applauded for the beginning of a struggle against crimes on women. In true sense the National Youth Day on January 12 will definitely prove to be a genuine tribute to a great soul of India, Swami Vivekananda.

Plight of the Females in India

Being an Indian I am feeling ashamed of what the Indian females are going through in this country. Even a minor is not spared by the people with nasty thinking. Here, a huge percentage of people believe in treating females as an object. It is a known fact that the mindset cannot be changed within a short period of time but at least some stringent and quick actions can be taken by the so called civilized people who are in the control of this nation. Actually, in the name of governance they are offering a deep well to the ladies or I can say offering girls and women as the fodder for the gender biased Indian men.

A Ray of Light

Hold on, the youths have responded strongly against this crisis. This is a ray of light for all those Indians who either suffered or are in constant fear that the next victim can be one of his/her blood. Now, with a large protest throughout the nation one thing is very clear that India is not divided on the state basis. Rather, all truly cultured and civilised Indians have a common issue to fight and make India a safe haven for the females. It is no less than a movement which took place 65 years ago for the freedom of our country. If today we do not act against the sex offenders then one day we will start leading a barbarian life. Did our freedom fighters imagine India to become a barbarian country? Definitely not then why some shameless Indians are busy in maligning the names of those brave hearts who gave their successors the free India.

A Form of Corruption

India is severely facing a corruption crisis and this crime against women is also a form of corruption. Ill treating a woman is not only the crisis against womanhood. Only the sex offenders are not the culprits but the people who shield them are equally corrupts. Their conscience is dead and expecting a bit of morality from corrupts is like asking for a hidden treasure. Here, I do not mean only the people from police department, judiciary or government but first of all the lawmakers who made the laws with a scope for the woman offenders to escape and if punished then it happens to be a very minor punishment. Other than this I condemn those families who knowingly shield the member/members of their family who are the sex offenders.

Steps to be taken to make India Respect Women

1. If we want our country to be really a worth living place for the ladies then we have to act very strongly from the level of grooming our children. Present day youths reacted so strongly that I admire their thought process and salute them and their family as well as schooling. Two basic schools for every child are their home and school. The moral education imparted by these two moulds the character of a child. I do not mean to say that all the people who mistreat a woman get a bad moral education from their family and school. Every individual has their own attitude and you cannot change everybody or inject with good values but certainly a major section of people can be preached. The teaching of moral values should start from childhood.

Mindset is the first and foremost thing to be changed. Will it change with people shouting against their mindset? No, not at all! Only one thing which is required at present is more and more stress on the true moral education of the countrymen. The crimes taking place on women are not only committed by uneducated person but educated, well established and financially secured persons are very much involved. Thus, if we want a nation where females get respect then it is a must that Indians from childhood receive a strong moral education and it must be practiced just like as meditation.

2. India has to undergo a drastic change in their outlook towards the women at large. This change will not only take place due to the moral education imparted at home and in school but a major role is to be played by the change in different provisions and institutions that function in our country. The various arrangements are based upon traditional viewpoints and age old customs.

a. As for example if India wants men to understand women better and respect the opposite gender then the first change must be done in the laws of educational institutions. No educational institutions must be without co-education provision and this should be done from the basic school level. If the children of different sex get education together in an institution then in this way they will spend some time together. This will help in understanding each other and a better communication between them will develop which will automatically grow respect for each other.

b. Even the institution of marriage needs to be quite flexible. Love marriages do not bother any age old practice but in arranged marriage it receives green signal after an evaluation of different factors. Especially regarding the bride’s eligibility such as age, dowry, divorcee, widow and so on and the attitude towards the lady worsens if she is a divorcee or widow with a child. A girl has to be judged by the merits and demerits of her as a person and not by what the fate imposed on her in the past.

3. Sex education and self defence training are two other important factors where a special step needs to be taken. These will give strength to the Indians from childhood to challenge at the time of crisis. Women will feel much stronger than usual with self defence skills. Men will no more remain very curious about the opposite gender and will start understanding the females better. For the males the women will no more remain as the object of sexual satisfaction.

Today when woman are so unsecured I vote for 'self defence' training for females from childhood but don't get surprised because it's long back when Swamiji too advocated the same need for the woman. Once he said: "Along with other things, our woman should acquire the spirit of valour and heroism.In the present day, it has become necessary for them also to learn self-defence. See, how grand was the Queen of Jhansi!"

Swami Vivekananda left behind his preaching to the mankind but we rarely follow his words and guidance. At this juncture when the youths have started a movement against the injustice done to woman I feel excited to mention Vivekananda's sayings about women. Once he said: "There is no chance for the welfare of the world unless the condition of women is improved. It is not possible for a bird to fly on only one wing." The tragedy is, there are many people in this society who do not understand the importance of women. Vivekananda expressed his view and wanted to awaken the society when most of the countrymen were uneducated but now when education has made a mark then also India is not away from barbaric incidents. The wrongdoers against woman had not learnt to respect woman and have not understood the importance of woman on earth. That's the reason the civilised Indians are shamed by the fellow Indians who commit crime against females. Thus, it destabilises the functioning of the society. Swamiji taught to respect woman so many years ago but it fell on deaf ears. The criminals are still very active against woman. He said:

Salute to the Youths on National Youth Day!

My dear fellow Indians, I know right now I am sounding like a preacher but believe me it is not my intention to lecture you. My intention is to boost the confidence of the true Indian youths and try to garner support for their outstanding step against various tortures on women. Once again I salute the youths for their revolt against the ongoing ill treatment with the women in India. I wish the true and strong youths of my country, India, A Happy National Youth Day on 12^th January!