Youth, Values, and Volunteerism: Building a Compassionate Society

Youth, Values, and Volunteerism: Building a Compassionate Society

A person is never remembered for his words, thoughts, aspirations, or even his life. One’s actions define him or her. The more consistent the effort, the more celebrated is the outcome. Sachin Tendulkar was hardly the first batsman, let alone the strongest one. But he was able to score runs, he was able to do it consistently, he was able to do it against an array of opponents and still never lost his cool! He was a unique combination of performance and values which inspired an entire generation to be passionate about cricket, health, and brought about national pride. Youth need such role models who act as watchtowers. Furthermore, just like an aspiring doctor or a lawyer who gets valuable insights about the challenges that lie ahead of them from their professional elders, the new generation needs hand-holding to inculcate the values that make a stronger generation.

A generation is considered to change every 25 to 30 years. In modern times, a scientific approach towards understanding the generations has been used, which has made it easier to categorize generations through the years and see the common denominators that represent them broadly. Every generation is faced with its own set of challenges as well as opportunities. In one of Prime Minister Modi’s speeches, I remember him saying that we do not have the good fortune of laying down our life for the cause of liberating our country from foreign rule, but we have been given the task to build and take our great nation to the great heights where it is meant to reach.

As the youth of the country take up new challenges, it is the strong value systems that will navigate them to reach their fullest potential. Values are the innate mindset to achieve, sustain, and carry forward success stories. Very often, we see a person or a foreign society in perpetual turmoil or policy paralysis to achieve anything of substance. Even more often, we see success being achieved but lost in a very short duration due to a lack of guidance or outlook for a long-term plan. Certain sets of values, ideals, or Sanskar are needed for prolonged sustenance. Indian culture is rich with such ideals. Let me take an opportunity to discuss a few of them that can help the youth to persevere in modern times –

Strong spiritual connect: In the age of limitless outward information, one has lost touch with looking inwards. It is essential to have a connection with the higher being or God. The human mind is fickle. It gets distracted easily and finds reasons to be distracted. Thus, it becomes essential to be spiritually connected to keep oneself grounded and on the greater path. Religious and spiritual recitals help in the darker phases of one’s life. Visiting places blessed with divinity has given me peace of mind that I have learnt to appreciate. Every generation needs this moral compass which has been passed to them by their forefathers as part of their legacy. For India, such a legacy knows no bounds.

Strong physical self: Swami Vivekananda quotes, “Strength is the sign of vigor, the sign of life, the sign of hope, the sign of health, and the sign of everything that is good. As long as the body lives, there must be strength in the body, strength in the mind, strength in the hand.” Samartha Ramdas was a great proponent of having a healthy physique, which he himself possessed. Lokmanya Tilak took an entire year of his life after education to build a healthy body, which helped him survive through the later ordeals in his life. Many more examples can be cited that emphasize having good health over everything else.

 A strong body cannot be a host for a weak mind. The body is a direct manifestation of one’s mental health. Youth is a peculiar phase where one is gifted with the peak of health, simultaneously susceptible to bad influences. Consistent exercise, a balanced diet and rejection of addictions are simple steps to maintain good health. A good lifestyle takes a person a very long way.

Education: Education is said to be the liberation of the mind. In modern times, education does not end with obtaining a degree or entering employment. It is a constant quest. It is a quest to learn and keep up with the changes happening in one’s surroundings. Certifications to be updated in employment, a basic technological know-how and upgrades, observing changing trends to ensure lack of dependency are essential. A constant lookout to update oneself helps in self-sustenance more than any other effort. It is education and the power of knowledge it brings that can bring about societal strength.

Life planning: A common phenomenon observed in and around us is the lack of traditional Indian values of family and inter-generational passing of the baton. To elaborate, in many research papers, it has been observed that youth, for a variety of reasons, have chosen to live in perpetual adolescence. Many reject the concept of marriage, and many, after entering into a marriage, choose not to procreate. A large number of educated youth with a steady or even strong source of income choose to dedicate their resources in terms of time and money to leisure and lifestyle. This is a dangerous trend as people most capable of creating and nurturing a healthy new generation are choosing to pass up such an opportunity.

While planning one’s life, one must take into account all milestones and strive to achieve them. It has to be a balanced life with both external and personal goals. It should also be remembered that employment or source of income is a means to an end, and there are more aspects in life. This needs to be taken into careful consideration. Traditional values are essential for the sustenance of a strong society and, more importantly, for enabling the next generation. One weak generation can completely disrupt a civilization.

Furthermore, values like integrity, deep understanding of one’s history, and respect for the nation are vital. These help in channelling youthful strength to achieve greater values.

Recently, a group in my vicinity took up an initiative to plan a trip to Girnar, Gujarat, during the annual parikrama or the annual festival that happens in November every year. I had the utmost pleasure of joining it. It was organized by a group that had previously gone there and wanted to share the incredible experience with more people. They planned the entire trip to the T and did a phenomenal job at it. What impressed me was the internal motivation they had in sharing their experience and the willingness to put in a tremendous effort to actualize it. And they enriched the lives of at least 20 people in the process.

Similarly, the blood donation camps organized in our locality in Pune (Pune being the capital of blood donation in India) have been completely planned, managed, and governed by a group of young people for years. They have been able to instill a sense of pride and giving back to society in our locality. CSR activities in companies, marathons or treks, spiritual enclaves, and Sanskar Vargas are nothing but a means to connect with the roots and give back to society. It is a means to establish a bond with the community for mutual growth. People who participate in these efforts are happier, energetic, and rarely alone as they are in the company of a higher being. Volunteering is the noble effort of going beyond what is asked or even expected for the purpose of a greater good without any tangible returns.

In this day and age of constant outrage over fickle matters and social media trends, where the youth are targeted for clickbaiting, a more balanced approach towards using one’s energy is advisable. Volunteering is not being in a constant outrage or finding new topics to be discontent. It is about bringing about a positive change in society. It needs to be about bringing something into being rather than disrupting something just because its existence does not fit one’s worldview. In India, where youth make up a major portion of the population, they have an inordinate power to bring about change. That change comes from individual thoughts and collective voluntary action. A combination of strong values and volunteering with an intent to give back to society will take our great nation to the place of compassion and love and make it a beacon of hope for the world!

The article "Youth, Values, and Volunteerism: Building a Compassionate Society" has been chosen among the top ten articles in The Trailblazers 2025, a national-level article writing competition organised by Youthisthan Foundation to celebrate National Youth Day on the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda.