What is the role of youth in promoting communal harmony?

In the country (pluralistic) like India there are many problems the society has to face. Therefore, we have to maintain national unity, National integration and geographical totality. In this sense the contribution of the youth is very important. The today’s youth is very much familarised with the present day World. Whenever there are conflicts, communal, casteist, linguistic riots, the youth of India has always been the fore runner. This power of youth can shape the future of them and of their nation. They can create and follow their own ideals. They could abolish the things from their religion which doesn’t suit to the present conditions. They know the meaning of ‘Globalization’. They have got the quest for knowledge and this quest creativity is their power to promote national integration and communal harmony.

The youth can play their role in following way to promote communal harmony in the pluralistic Indian Society.

1. Study of All Religions by Youth

The youth are being future generation to administer the country must study the principal philosophy of all the religions in India. They should promote respect for all the religions including their own religion.

2. Promotion of Brotherhood and Friendliness

The youth of India could promote the feeling of brotherhood, sisterhood and friendliness among all the Indians. These youth are taking education together at the colleges and universities and study all the religions. They are more prone to decision making regarding the feeling of nationhood. Therefore, they can form their own groups and extend their co-operation to the riot affected areas and bring the situation to the harmony.

3. Emotional Exploitation and Role of Youth

Not to fall prey to the casteist feeling is also the role youth can play. This class of youth should not fall prey to any economic, religious, political, casteist, communalist, regionalist etc. emotional temptations and think of the right and wrong. Many times the separatist tendencies appeal the youth, with, ‘Garva Se Kaho Ham Hindu Hain’ or ‘Islam Khatare Mein Hain’ etc. like emotional and sentinental challenge. But it is the duty of the youth not to pay attention towards such activities and abstain from destruction. Instead, to protect the human being and humanity is our duty which the yuva shakti should behave.

4. Promote Inter-Caste, Inter-Religious and Inter-State Marriages

To promote the communal harmony among all the Indians, the yuvashakti can contribute towards the promotion of marriages among different castes, religions and also one state to another states. This concept will help the people of India unite and promote National Integration. When it would come to know that there are our relatives in other caste, religion and other states then the concept of rioting and destruction would be discarded and this class of youth would be diverted to promote the communal harmony. Even they would be knowing about each other’s religions, practices, traditions, customs and regional festivals.

5. Youth Organisations

There could be smaller groups, organisations and mandals among youths. The members would be from among all communities and their energy would be channelised for the constructive works. These ogranisations could awaken the people about the patriotism, unity, nationalism and thus bring about communal harmony among Indian citizens. These youth also can present street play, drammas, folk songs, folk dances with the theme to promote communal harmony and also encourage the tolerance for all cultures in India.

6. Exposure of Casteist and Communalist Tendencies

It is contribution youth of India can make that they have to expose the casteist and communalist leaders and their political parties, their separatist ideology and their selfish motives before the public. Actually, these casteist and communalist leaders and institutions exploits the energy of young men and women for their personal motives. These youth are imprisoned due to involvement in the riots and destruction and their future career always thrown in dark. Instead, these youth should expose these true culprits behind these activities and get them imprisoned and their organisations banned immediately. The development of the nation is our development and our’s is the nations’s, this feeling should be inculcated.

7. Natural Calamities

Many times, during natural calamities in India like Earthquake, Tsunami, floods in Mumbai Cyclones in Orissa and so on, youth have helped the people affected in their helplessness. The Muslim families during the floods in Mumbai on 26th July, 2005, sheltered Hindu families and it was reciprocated the same by Hindu families for the Muslims. This young generation rescued many people from the floods even did not bother of their own safety and life irrespective of any communal feelings. They can go to help for the affected people in the natural and national calamities and show the lesson to study that youth can do anything for the nation and maintain communal harmony.

8. Exchange of Ideas

The youth from various states can exchange the religious, cultural, scientific ideas and share each others experiences and get benefited by them. Here they can cultivate peace through rallies, meetings, discussions, etc. If there are certain misunderstandings or ill-feelings and contraversial issues, they would be sorted out by mutual understanding and by peaceful ways. They can have camps organised and instill the feelings of oneness,national development, harmonious relationship, respect for each other’s religions, languages, regions etc.

9. Orientation about Human Values

The youth can revise the cultivation of basic human values like co-operation, tolerance, patriotism, generosity, truth, Justice, excellence etc. and share their ideas with the society. The concept of secularism must be oriented and their all-pervading attitude to be developed. They should be convinced that ‘diversities’ are the integral part of Indian Society and one must adopt and used to be for it. The nationalistic and humanistic ideas to be exchanged among the youth from among
whole of India.

10. Role of Youth and Media

With the help of media youth groups can organise seminars, conferences, workshops on the theme of communal harmony. Media should not broadcast the news and views which are harmful to the communal harmony. Instead, various channels can telecast the programmes and functions of youths from multiple castes, communities, regions, languages, cultures, costumes, traditions. They would be sharing the ideas and experiences with each other. The media can telecast cultural programmes of youth which will promote communal harmony.

The above discussion on the youth and their role of bringing about communal harmony is very significant. Because if this section of population does not support communalism or like tendencies then no such tendency could be successful in any way instead it will promote peace, harmony, justice, equality, fraternity among the people of Indian Society.