National Youth Day: How young Indians can take initiatives and organize for nation-building

By Darshan Sankhala

National Youth Day is celebrated on January 12 every year to mark the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda. He was an exemplary youth leader and has inspired millions of youth worldwide with his ideals and teachings. Youth is the foundation of our country. They are a great asset to any nation as they are full of energy, enthusiasm and innovative ideas. If their energy is channeled in the right direction then they can drive the country on the path of progress. In this regard, National Youth Day is celebrated to honor one of the most distinguished youth leaders of India, Swami Vivekananda. He had many revolutionary ideas and tapped the potential of the youth and always encouraged them to work for the betterment of India. And the purpose behind celebrating it is to spread awareness amongst the youth about his vision, his ideals and ways in which they can contribute towards the development of our country.

Swami Vivekananda asked the youth of India to organize for nation-building and take various initiatives for India. First initiative they work on is Joyful Socializing. Because today we live in an era of social isolation where we spend more time on the internet and other digital platforms than with our friends and family. And not just this, but social distancing during the pandemic, and subsequently being locked up in homes have taken a toll on people’s mental health. Reports of the past year show that feelings of loneliness, depression and anxiety have only increased post Covid-19. But human beings are made in such a way that they need to socialize. Thus, youth should help people reconnect with each other, make friends, interact with each other and share their joys and sorrows. This way they can keep mental health issues at bay too.

Second important activity they conduct is Self-Up gradation. They say there is never an age to learn. Learning is a constant thing in life. They should organize various learning sessions to update their skills, knowledge and personality. These are basically life -enhancing and skill building activities which are unlike other communities where it is more about charity and promotion on social media. If we don’t upgrade ourselves with the changes happening in the world and around us then we become outdated. So our members teach many skills and lessons to improve one’s life and live happily.

The third important aspect is Nation-building. Because we genuinely believe that when we strengthen each individual, together we build the country and strengthen our nation on the whole. Under this sector, we organize many such social activities to spread awareness amongst the masses which will overall benefit the country’s growth and development. For instance we focus on small yet significant acts like  wearing a seatbelt when driving a car, wearing helmets, not giving bribes for any reason whatsoever, maintaining cleanliness, keeping our surroundings clean and so on.

ROL-BOL is one such community for the youth. It strives to empower the young generation socially and spiritually through its various life enhancing initiatives. If the youth are happy and energetic then ultimately it will benefit our society. It makes youth participate in its activities to celebrate their life and make a difference in others lives as well. 

(The author is Founder at ROL-BOL. Views expressed are personal and do not reflect the official position or policy of the Financial Express Online.)