National Youth Day in India

12 January-National Youth Day in India.

What is behind the 12 January-the national youth day celebration in India? 

It is to commemorate the birth and life of Swami Vivekananda. In 1985, the government of India declared 12 January the birthday of the Indian philosopher and monk the National Youth Day of India.  

Born in Kolkata, West Bengal, Swami Vivekananda is best known as a Hindu spiritualist, practitioner of Yoga and Meditation and introduced "Indian philosophies of Vedanta and Yoga to the western world."    

What was his message to the youth? 

According to New 18, Swami Vivekanandan's message, "Man is born to conquer not to follow it," reverberates in the ears of every individual who wants to overcome any difficulty with their fearless attitude. His life and message encouraged millions across the world. 

Why should youths across the world need guidance and direction?

Values and perceptions are constantly changing. The age and time the youth pass through impacts them in ways they cannot fathom. Easy for them to get distracted and take detours through terrains unfamiliar and unfavourable. The more time advances, the landscapes get vast, indecipherable and shrouded with wrong perceptions and interpretations. 

Self-centred and money-minded people are gaining success in life is an accepted formula in the present time. The sense of right and wrong is losing credit from the list of social ethics. And individuality or communalism is a debate raging in public and private spheres.  

What are Indian values? 

India is an ancient nation, revered across the globe for the values established based on the original growth and development of the people who lived there. We can only imagine what day-to-day problems and existential issues intrigued them and how they solved them that got developed into Indian philosophy. Religions came long after that. 

When Swami Vivekanda gets celebrated as Youth Day, his speech delivered to the World's Parliament of Religion on 11 September needs special mention. 

"I am proud to a religion which has taught the world both tolerance and universal acceptance. We believe not only in universal toleration, but we accept all religions as true. I am proud to belong to a nation which has sheltered the persecuted and the refugees of all religions and all nations of the earth."