Youth and Sedition

The recent incidents in the Jawaharlal Nehru University, where some anti India slogans and for breaking India were raised and some for praising terrorists and similar incidents in Press club of India and in Jadahavpur university, not to mention the protests in Srinagar valley have raised a doubt whether the youth of today does really know or understand the meaning of nationalism and whether they are made aware of these things in their life as a student. We only see and hear talk about Muslim, Jats, Dalits, backward classes and so on and so forth. I also read an article written by a foreigner who was on an extended visit to India to see and understand the places and people. He said that India has a vast culture, rich heritage but during his stay he did not meet any Indian except with the persons from Armed Forces. He further wrote that while traveling he met Bengali, Marathi, Punjabi, Bihari Tamil, Malayali, etc, or he met Sikh, Jain, Buddhist, Muslim, Christians, etc, but not an Indian, except when he met person from armed forces who were the only one to say that they are Indians.

 This whole incident puts us fellow Indians in a weak spot as to whether we identify with region or caste first or with our country first. You meet a British, American, German or even Nepali who is proud first to be identified with their country first and it is only after that subdivision come and that too only on asking. But in India the country comes always the last after religion and caste. I do not know where, when and how we have gone wrong but probably it has to do with the politics and the bending of constitution by the policy makers and implementer in order to serve the narrow political purpose. Reservation, which was meant to have been finished after 10 years, is still there and it is increasing every day. This results in bringing less competent persons into governance and policy making decisions. Since others see it as a easy way out and realize its benefit, hence it starts spreading like cancer in order to reach this present level, where the only option after this would be to either abolish it totally or the nation will die in the swamp of mediocrity and incompetence.

The students and young Indians who raise anti national slogans or give anti national speeches, organize bands and protests, show a lack of faith in the system of which they are part and judiciary or are part of the new rising fashion of demonizing the armed forces, who are the only truly Indian. Show a total lack of awareness as to what it entails to be an Indian nationalist. They display a total misunderstanding of the freedom of speech, nationalism and their sense of duty and responsibility and an absolute lack of discipline and the hardship faced by the armed forces in hostile territory and environment. Putting charges of sedition against them may be justified in a legal sense but it does put a stigma on their future life and employment. It is also sort of demonizes them, when in most of the case it is just a misunderstanding about nationalism, sense of duty properly and putting things in a right perspective. When they are charged  with an offense, the first defense which these as well as our politicians put forward is that they are being targeted because they are Muslim, Dalit, or backward classes, etc, never as an Indian and in the politicians case, it is always a conspiracy by the opposition. Probably by opposition they mean all those people who support them in this illegal act.

Instead of branding these students and misguided youth and putting them jail, a better option would be to hand them over to the Indian Army as a Sepoy for a period ranging from two to four years depending upon the seriousness of the act with a stipulation that after initial training they have to be posted to either in laddakh (Siachin) or on forward areas of Arunachal Pradesh for the minimum engagement period of two to four years. They will be paid the pay of a Sepoy and eat the same food and defend the country against hostile enemy and environment. It is then only they will learn the meaning of discipline, nationalism and will be above caste or religion and will start identifying them as Indian. Of course necessary amendments in legal terminology, act and judiciary will have to be made to allow this to happen.  These are the punishments awarded to the persons who abuse the freedom of speech and raise anti national slogans. A more prudent idea would be as was proposed in the draft of the Constitution of India of a mandatory two years service in the armed forces in order to bring a sense of discipline, sense of duty in the youth. In today’s scenario the service in armed forces can include service in Paramilitary forces also except in police, CISF but only confined to BSF, ITBP, SSB, or CRPF. This will not only bring a sense on nationalism, discipline, team work, fighting against odds in them but they will also learn to respect these forces, who are guarding the nation against external and internal threats at the expense of their personal lives, in today’s misguided youth. After the initial engagement of two years this training is to be repeated every year for a minimum duration of three to four weeks in these armed/paramilitary forces each year till retirement. Necessary leave and provisioning of pay and a guarantee of return to the old job has to guaranteed by the government for all such cases and the leave is to be given to them by every company, , semi government, corporations or even to self employed persons. Meaning there by it will apply to all Indian citizens. Indians working abroad may be allowed to accumulate these services for a maximum of three years and after three years they will have to serve for three months in these organizations. This will also help in building a reservist cadre among the civilian population of trained and qualified personnel, who can be called upon in terms of war or internal disturbance, to serve and augment the armed and paramilitary forces thus increasing their strength.