On January 12, the birthday of Swami Vivekananda, India celebrates its youth in the form of National Youth Day. However, the current situation screams the opposite. The voice of the student is not only ignored but harshly suppressed.
Over the years, the youth which was taught to take pride in India’s cultural heterogeneity is now witnessing the very fabric of Indian secularism being torn apart. The youth raised their voice, they questioned the authority, but the reply didn’t come back in words, yet the youth persisted on.
From AMU to JNU, from Chandigarh to Bengaluru, the youth stands united in hope for answers. The answers are out there; in the writings of some great thinkers which we must read to choose a side. But why is it necessary for the youth to choose?
As Swami Vivekananda had said, “This is the time to decide your future – while you possess the energy of youth, not when you are worn out and jaded, but in the freshness and vigour of youth.“
As a responsible youth of the nation, I recommend the following three books for the youth:
1) India After Gandhi, Ramachandra Guha
This book by Ramachandra Guha is a must-read to understand the phases India underwent, which enabled it into becoming what it is today. This book will allow the reader to witness the dynamics and richness of history and politics in this country.
2) Good Economics For Hard Times, Abhijit Banerjee And Esther Duflo
This book by the recent Nobel Laureates will shed light on their attempt to understand the economics with relation to the current situation. Topics of immigration, inequality and the use of economics to exaggerate existing differences are all answered in this book.
3) On Non-Violence (Satyagraha), Gandhi
The reader will understand the thought and the strength required for satyagraha. It provides a close up of the revolutionary idea that changed India and could change India again.
It doesn’t matter if the youth goes left or right, what matters is that the youth equips itself with the right knowledge and facts.