RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat urges youth to drive India’s future, embrace entrepreneurship

Demographic dividend

Bhagwat also said that India’s large young population presents a major opportunity. “If the country successfully utilises its demographic dividend, India can emerge as a ‘Vishwaguru’ – a guiding force for the world.” He urged the youth to think not only about their own future but also about the generations that will follow them.

“Employment does not mean only having a job,” Bhagwat said, and stressed the need to give dignity to manual work and entrepreneurship. He said young people must have the courage to take risks and turn those risks into success.

He described youthful courage as both a strength and a responsibility, saying, “Young people may lack the experience gained through life’s hardships but possess the ability to take bold decisions and devote themselves completely to a cause.”

Broader vision

“The world is struggling because it has adopted an incomplete vision focused largely on material progress,” he said. India, he argued, should pursue material development while also giving importance to values, social responsibility, peace, non-violence, environmental protection and purity of mind.

“India has a responsibility to help restore balance to a world that is ‘stumbling’ because of this limited vision and to show it a path forward,” the RSS chief stated.

Bhagwat recalled an episode involving Nobel laureate and poet Rabindranath Tagore during his visit to Japan. According to Bhagwat, students at a Japanese university stayed away from Tagore’s lecture because they questioned how a great intellectual from India could represent a country that was still under British rule.

Bhagwat used the anecdote to underline that individual achievement and national prestige are closely connected with the strength, freedom and prosperity of the country.

“India’s global standing would rise when the country itself became prosperous, secure and respected,” he opined.

National flag as symbol of values and unity

The RSS chief also spoke at length about the symbolism of the Indian national flag.

He associated the saffron colour with sacrifice, hard work, knowledge and courage; white with peace, non-violence and purity; and green with prosperity and development while maintaining environmental balance.

Referring to the Ashoka Chakra, he said its spokes point in different directions but originate from the same centre. He compared this with India’s diversity of languages, regions, castes, communities and viewpoints. The differences, he said, should not become a source of harm to the Constitution, the country’s laws, its culture or its social values.

Democracy requires dialogue

Bhagwat stressed that democracy naturally involves different and even opposing viewpoints. “Opposition, protests and public movements are legitimate, but they must be conducted while keeping the larger interests of the country in mind,” he said.

Reflecting on the thoughts of B R Ambedkar and Vinoba Bhave, he said democracy does not require everyone to think identically.

“People may have different opinions and interpretations, but they must retain a shared commitment to the nation,” he added.

Quoting the spirit of the Rig Veda’s call for collective action, Bhagwat said India’s diversity should not prevent people from moving forward together.

Shaping destiny

Bhagwat urged the youth to retain their courage and not allow concerns about family, career or the future to diminish their determination.

“We will shape our own destiny. We will shape the destiny of our country,” he said, while cautioning that individual prosperity and family welfare cannot be separated from the security and prestige of society and the nation.

He concluded by calling for collective efforts to build an India strong and prosperous enough for its national flag to “fly proudly” and illuminate the world, saying that the country’s future is ultimately linked to the future of every individual and family.