ORISSA UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE AND

TECHNOLOGY
THE COLLEGE OF FORESTRY, BHUBANESWAR

ASSIGNMENT: FNSS-111
YOUTH AS AN AGENT OF SOCIAL CHANGE

SUBMITTED TO: PROF. TANMAY LALITENDU MOHANTY

SUBMITTED BY: AUROPRSAD DAS
ADM. NO: 201710013
1st Year, 1st SEMESTER, B.SC. FORESTRY

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

It is with a sense of great pleasure, I am AUROPRASAD DAS bearing Adm. No.

201710013, a student of 1 st year1st Semester B.Sc. (Hons.) Forestry, College of
Forestry, OUAT, Bhubaneswar, presenting this assignment on FNSS-111.

I feel honored to offer my sincere gratitude to all those people who helped me in
completing this assignment.

I am extremely thankful to Prof. Tanmay Lalitendu Mohanty sir, Professor FNSS

department, OUAT for her cooperation and encouragement.

I am also thankful to my friends and parents for their help and cooperation.

Date: 09.7.2021 Name: Auroprasad Das

Place: Bhubaneswar Adm. No: 201710013

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 YOUTH AS AN AGENT OF SOCIAL CHANGE

We all are familiar with the phrase “Youths are the future of a nation, the builders of a nation”.
Indeed, they are!

Youth is the revolutionary age, possessing a great level of potential and motivation. It would not
be wrong to title the youth as the Powerhouse of infinite energy and the Pride of the nation.

If properly harnessed, this powerhouse can set the society on the path to change as it is the
driving force towards success. But why not the rest of society?

Well, the biggest reason that marks the difference and makes the youth more sturdy is their
ability to take the risk for a change and inability to accept anything wrong. Moreover, the
youngsters today are brimming with untapped potential that, if utilized, passably can bring
advancements in every sphere. Once they are assigned the roles in conjunction with their flair,
they will undeniably become the vigorous participants of the nation.

India is filled with the youth icons, who stimulate the upcoming youths making them passionate.

However, the indulgement of youth in anti-social activities can hamper the prosperity of the
nation and prove baleful. Restricting the youths to intrude the wrong path becomes the
responsibility of the society. Their exuberance must be utilized in the righteous direction.

The best way for the youth to manifest their ingenious ideas and implement their fresh policies
for the upliftment of the nation is politics. Youth must be given adequate opportunities to
showcase their skills and must be propelled to represent themselves in politics as leaders.

We all know elections are approaching and this provides the youth with a golden chance to use
their power of vote for the best without being affected by other’s decisions. Every single vote of
the youth is a step forward towards the change. For the development of the nation, the
contribution of youth is a must.
Case study of Africa(role of youth in eradication of poverty)
Roles of the youth as change agents: Yesterday
Evidence abounds that the youth in the SADC region carry the burden of the past, with the
region having the background of attaining independence through the liberation struggle and past

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injustices such as tribal wars, ethnic cleansing, and apartheid as well as new emerging issues
such as xenophobia, extremism, and religious fundamentalism (Yaliwe, Selebogo & Ojakorotu
2013). As much as a section of young people, not aware of what exactly happened in the past,
the trauma is being passed from generation to generation (Solomon, 2012). Noticeably, the
Southern African region is considered as the most stable region in Africa. However, this does
not
make the region immune to challenges of peace and security, armed conflicts, political crisis,
unemployment, corruption, climate change, recurring xenophobic attacks, formation of vigilante
groups, and governance deficits, which are some urgent issues contributing to state and human
insecurity, of which young people who constitute a larger percentage are the most affected
Historically, before formal education was introduced in Africa, traditional social
structures sufficiently catered to the needs of the youth and prepared them for adult life and
responsibilities. In Africa, evenings were especially an important time for families to sit outside
their homes and discuss how their day went (Mutuki, 2011). It was during these moments that
young people engaged in healthy conversations, storytelling, dancing, or performing other
traditional activities with their parents, family members and extended relatives. Such moments
not only served to nourish the cohesiveness of the unit, but also offered guidance to young
people and socialized them to be productive members of the society.
Taking part in social functions, such as rites of passage (naming, marriage, initiation
schools, funeral ceremonies) and community festivities like planting or harvesting seasons,
dance, and other celebrations ensured that young people had a chance to mingle with other
community adults and elders (Mutuki, 2011). According to Muchira (2002), during these
interactions, adults would learn youth feelings, and understand their thoughts, and moods,
thereby gaining insights into how to guide and mentor them. Although these practices still occur
in some African countries, for the most part, the colonization of African countries considerably
weakened the cultural ties that had sustained this system. Unfortunately, the group most
affected
by these changes was the youth.
Having stated the above brief historical event, Diraditsile (2020) notes that the current
youth problems and challenges in Africa as a whole can be traced from the colonial period, a
time during which traditional value systems that had previously served young people and their

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communities well were weakened. Since, the colonizers systematically embarked on destroying
the system in which youth not only had defined responsibilities and duties but one which
squarely placed the security of the community on their shoulders. Young people were the
warriors who defended their communities from being attacked and were also responsible for
cultivating the land thereby ensuring food security (Muchira, 2002). Noticeably, in the
contemporary days, this no longer exists. It can be argued that politics and democratic
dispensations seem to have severely marginalized the roles of the youth as agents of social
Roles of youth as agents of social change: Today
This chapter argues that the current economic world structures combined with Africa’s meagre
economies have only served to alienate young people further. Ntsabane & Ntau (2016), note
that
young people have the most potential, physical strength, energy, and they constitute the largest
proportion of the educated population in Southern Africa. Therefore, it is only appropriate that
the various development and socio-economic programmes throughout Africa be designed with
the youth in mind. However, many scholars (see, Solomon, 2012; Diraditsile & Maphula, 2020)
proclaim that currently, Africa is facing the challenge of how to empower the youth and channel
their efforts, intellect, and energy for constructive outcomes that will benefit both the individual
and the nation at large.
African Union’s Agenda of 2063, which is the long-term development framework,
promises a positive future (African Union, 2015). However, it is the contention of this paper that
this agenda cannot be guaranteed without young leaders taking full ownership of the framework.
Moreover, at a global level, the World Programme of Action for Youth recognizes that involving
youth is central to its successful implementation. It further pronounces the full and efficacious
participation of young people in society and decision making as one of its 10 priority areas for
action. Interestingly, there is a tendency not to recognize the roles of the youth as agents of
social
change when it comes to poverty eradication in most of Southern African countries. In this
regard, it is worth to highlight that, many government policies have either a direct or indirect
impact on the youth, yet many African governments are oblivious of how their decisions affect
the lives of young people and their future aspirations.
The Agenda alluded to above, and offers an integrated and transformative vision for a

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better world. Accordingly, it is worth to highlight that youth specific and youth related targets
have been secured in several of the SDGs. Moreover, youth development issues are cross-
cutting
and run through yet another agenda, namely; the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The
Agenda is a key platform to steer global action and promote new initiatives worldwide.
Noticeably, with over half of the world under the age of 30, young people are crucial for the
success of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (UN, 2015). They have played a key
part in shaping the agenda’s priorities and now as agents of change, they will be indispensable
to its achievement in the coming years. The scale and scope of the SDGs require particularly
strong partnerships at every level with young people (UN, 2015). On this note, the involvement
of young people in these efforts, both as beneficiaries and actors of public policies, should be at
the center of the discussions regarding poverty eradication.
Many scholars, practitioners and researchers (Checkoway, 2011; Ntsabane & Ntau, 2016)
argue that in the contemporary days, young people tend to be barely engaged in decision
making
processes. Diraditsile (2017) contends that, when policy initiatives are transmitted in a top-down
manner, they frequently take the form of directives rather than consultations, and this obviously
does not allow for youth participation in program formulation. They are, in fact, expected to
become involved in the implementation process, whether they agree with it or not. This is
perhaps the point at which the roles of the youth as agents of social change are ignored and/or
not taken into consideration.
Roles of youth as agents of social change: Tomorrow
Today’s youth are no longer the lost generation apathetic about the societies surrounding them
(Zeldin, Christens & Powers, 2012). This paper argues that in the contemporary days, the youth
are acutely conscious of their marginal structural position, and they no longer trust the state’s
willingness and ability to find solutions to their problems. In their shared marginalization, they
have developed a sense of common identity and a critical consciousness that leads them to
challenge the established order. For instance, in South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe, young
women and men engage in civil-society associations, popular culture, debates through cyber
social networks, as well as political demonstrations. Youth protests throughout the world have

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shown us that youth can be a force for social change when their energies are harnessed
through
conscious activism not necessarily just as a resource for violence. Furthermore, youth have
played a central role in sparking protest movements across the Middle East, Africa, Europe,
South and North America, optimizing the power of youth agency through mass organization and
peaceful protests.
We have learnt some lessons as earlier indicated in the paper, that young people are
seldom recognised as a resource in decision-making processes. Instead, they are
systematically
excluded from important arenas of decision-making and development processes (Diraditsile &
Maphula, 2020). As a result, their perspectives are often absent in poverty eradication
initiatives.
At the same time, many youth organisations remain drastically under-resourced and ill-equipped
to participate in development processes and efforts. This affects their participation in policy
making and processes relating to Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers. Development objectives
cannot be met if young people’s roles as agents of social change are not considered. UN (2015)
notes that, a youth perspective in poverty reduction is especially relevant given that 2/3 of the
population in low-income countries are under 25 years old.
Their inclusion in development processes should be built on the understanding that young
people are not merely a target group but also initiators, participants, decision-makers and
leaders.
Henceforth, including a youth perspective ensures that young people are recognized as a
resource
for change in the society, and the role of higher education institutions in reaching these
stakeholders is critically important. In addition, most of these young people have significantly
limited opportunities to exercise their Human Rights such as the freedom of expression and the
freedom of association. It is therefore the contention of this chapter that, upholding a youth
perspective is therefore an important means of protecting young people’s rights.
There is no doubt that developing countries such as Zimbabwe, Botswana and South
Africa should take the contribution of young people seriously, particularly with regards to efforts
on eradicating poverty and the empowerment of young people to be responsible citizens. This is
highly recommended, taking into consideration that the three counties are youthful nations.

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Given this reality, the critical questions that we must ask ourselves are: How can governments
make young people to meaningfully participate in poverty eradication efforts in large numbers?
Is the right for the youth to participate included in the constitutions of these three countries?
These are not easy questions to answer, however, in order to provide some answers to these
questions, a radical shift is required. Creative, vigorous and innovative measures are required in
order to change the existing state of affairs, especially regarding social and/or political issues. A
strengthened, coordinated and effective action is essential to achieve the overall goal of
progressive and substantive inclusion of young people in the development processes at all
levels.
It is the contention of this chapter that support is best assured if youth engagement is seen
as an obligation, rather than as a courtesy of respecting the youth. Best (2007) notes that, the
cultural change needed for making youth participation an obligation can be encouraged by
building alliances with youth networks and civil society organisations. This chapter argues that
before deciding on the best form of engaging the youth, authorities must do a thorough
groundwork. There is a need for the political and institutional support for youth inclusion to be
assessed and eventually formulated. Along the same lines, authorities must be explicit and
implicit on the purpose of including young people in the policy framework when decisions on
poverty eradication policies and programmes are formulated.
In light of the above, Diraditsile, Maphula & Setambule (2019) also note that, there is the
need for a broad consensus in terms of how youth participation should be effectively
considered.
All relevant stakeholders comprising; the government, international partners, political
organizations, private sector, community leaders, parents and the youth themselves should
participate in this process. To institutionalize the role of the youth as agents of social change, it
possibly requires internal changes in government bodies. Authorities need to pave a way to
institutionalize youth participation processes in the policy formulation discourse. To achieve
what is being proposed here, it is pertinent to consider the following areas for improvement; (i)
increased consultation, collaboration and partnership with registered youth organisations, (ii)
clear expectations on the purpose and responsibilities of the youth, (iii) providing training and
support for adult decision makers to help them engage with young people and listen to their
views, (iv) value the input of young people by taking their views seriously and giving clear

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feedback on the impact of their contribution, (v) managing the expectations of young people, by
ensuring clear and transparent communication about the limits of their involvement.
Gandhian view on youth as agents of social change
"What is my inheritance? To what am I an heir? To all that humanity has achieved during tens of
thousands of years, to all that is has felt and suffered and taken pleasure in, to its cries and
triumphs and its bitter agony of defeat, to that astonishing adventure of man which began so
long ago and yet continues and beckons to us.
To all this and more in common with all men. But there is a special heritage for those of us of
India, not an exclusive one, for none is exclusive and all are common to the race of man, one
more especially applicable to us, something that is in our flesh and blood and bones, that has
gone to make us what we are and what we are likely to be........an agent........an agent for social
transformation!
Today we are here to present our research on Gandhiji's views on youth as an agent for social
transformation. Even as we sit here in this gathering peacefully little do we know that there is a
war being waged. A war where the youth of nation will actively participate...a war of good vs.
evil, a war of virtues vs. vices, a war of knowledge of science vs. wisdom of soul, a war of
material prosperity vs. peace of mind, a war of education vs. character building, a war of
professional management vs. social commitment.
The lines for battle have been drawn and this battle will be fought on three fronts;
>The Environment front
>The Social front and
>The Individual front
This will indeed be a unique battle where everyone will emerge as a winner. What are the
weapons to be used in this war?
Right Conduct, Love, Co-operation, Justice, Equality, Patriotism, Non-Violence, Peace,
Excellence and last but not the least, the all-powerful weapon of Truth.
The able-bodied soldiers namely the youth of India are being lead by none else but our beloved
Mahatma as the Commander-in-chief.
Let us take a closer look at the various strategies that we shall be using in this war and how we
shall tackle the enemy on each front. One important factor to be remembered is that this battle
started nearly a hundred years ago when the Mahatma himself fought in the ranks of a soldier
and continues till date. It is important to know the history of this war before we decide what
tactics are to be adopted in the future. Hence we need to visit each of the warfronts to get a
better idea.
The Environmental Front
Let us deal with this battlefield in a Gandhian manner by incorporating the two vital issues of
Peace and Patriotism. Right from the beginning of human life, the entire humanity has been
craving for peace at different levels such as individual, social, communal, national and

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international levels. Gandhiji was of the view that peace is a feeling which is to be emotionally
experienced by everyone. It is experienced when emotional equilibrium and self-equalization is
achieved. It is this superpower, he felt, which if realized, leads to eternal happiness. Attainment
of peace should be the ultimate goal of any youthful human emotions and actions. Once their
minds are at rest they can concentrate their energies for spreading the message of peace.
Youth should know that social harmony is an index of peace. They should strive peacefully to
make their and other people's social lives happy and undisturbed which is the aim of any
society. Gandhiji also warned youngsters against misinterpreting religions. All the religions such
as Hinduism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Jainism, etc. have preached peace and harmony.
The advocacy of war was for the purpose of saving the religion, performing one's duty and
eliminating the evils so that society can enjoy a happy and peaceful life. Mahatma Gandhi
himself made skillful use of Satyagraha to achieve peace and harmony and thus proved his
point. He always believed that peace contains a negative and a positive sense; the absence of
configuration, elimination of wars, absence of conflicts between different classes, castes,
religions, and nations is a negative sense and love, rest, mental equilibrium, harmony, co-
operation, unity, happiness are the positive indices of peace.
In broader sense, peace would include social harmony which involves natural resources.
Gandhiji believed that natural resources are the primary sources for valuable and useful
commodities. They are mainly raw materials and energy resources present in the environment.
e.g. minerals, forest, animals, water, soil. Youth should ensure its proper utilization and
conservation. This would imply rational use of resources and their preservation from reckless
exploitation and destruction. Gandhiji's love for animals is known to all. He further advocated
effective control and management of resources in such a way that they will be useful to man for
longer time. He underlined young student's importance in ensuring uniform distribution of all
resources.
In the same context of environment another weapon that Gandhiji has provided us with is
Patriotism. The nation, he emphasised, is built on the foundation of selfless devotion by its
citizens. Young people are vibrant, energetic and enthusiastic. They should show the same
enthusiasm when the nation demands for sacrifice of their wealth, their lives, their families etc.
Gandhiji often recited a verse in Sanskrit stating that Mother and Motherland are superior to
Heaven. He went to the extent of coining his own definition of Patriotism wherein he described it
as a sense of loyalty and affection to the soil, the national symbols etc. This feeling, sentiment
or attitude of patriotism, he believed would make youth serve the nation selflessly.
Let us now consider the battle taking place on THE SOCIAL FRONT:
History has numerous instances of old and well-established civilizations fading away or being
ended suddenly, and vigorous new cultures taking their place. It is some vital energy, some
inner source of strength that gives life to civilization or people without which all efforts are
ineffective, like the vain attempt of an aged person to play the part of a youth? Such was the
vitality attached to young students by our beloved Father of the Nation!
So what is this social transformation that he was referring to using youth as a catalyst?
Society, as defined, is a group of individuals dwelling together who symbiotically carries out
various activities to bring happiness and stabilization. As it is a unique blend of diverse religions,
cultures, and races its structure keeps changing with respect to time. After all, nothing is
constant but "change"! Gandhiji had stressed upon youth participation in bringing out various

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social reforms during his struggle for independence in the Sati Pratha, Polygamy, Child
marriage, Education of women, Widow remarriage, Untouchability, Caste system, Exploitation
and Religious misguidance. And the attributes that make youth swim through were Non-
violence, Co-operation, Justice, Equality and Love. Non-violence, Gandhiji advocated, has a
religious, social, spiritual and personal significance. Force or aggression leads to a total
destruction of society. Violent feelings provoke conflicts which grow in strength and threaten the
very society it was initially supposed to protect. As violence or force grows in size it takes a
negative and destructive path and affects society. The only force, Mahatma Gandhi proposed
was fasting which could be coercive but upright. The path proposed was of Non-co-operation,
boycott or Satyagraha. Let us not forget that satyagraha was the subtle force which he used to
shake the very foundation of the British Empire! He believed in the destruction of the false and
the wicked by non-violence which would eventually result in the ultimate triumph of good over all
evil.
Gandhiji described the term co-operation as all individuals coming together to achieve the
designed goals and all of them sharing the fruits of the achievements. Nobody is overburdened
nor over regarded. Youth should co-operate with elders and children. It should be looked upon
as a way of life. "Vina Sahakar Nahi Uddhar" (No prosperity without co-operation). He
underlined that co-operation is the basis for peace, love, equality and justice. Mahatma Gandhi
advocated joint families and village communities as the co-operation among different
individuals, classes, castes and groups in the society ensures growth in all walks of human life
from basic needs of food, clothing and shelter to more complex requirement of the people like
industries, transportation, recreation, finance, etc. Gandhiji also proposed the young
entrepreneur’s concept to achieve primary objectives of growth and equality. Gandhiji wanted
youth against the misuse of Co-operation like undue publicization, excessive government
intervention, exploitation, promotion of self-interest etc.
Love, as per the Mahatma, is a feeling or sentiment which originates in the soul. Love for young
people is a form of energy which would charge them every now and then. The entire structure of
society is built upon a sound foundation of love. He advocated love strongly as it develops co-
operation and a sense of understanding that makes the entire society happy. Equality, in youth,
is a noble, desirable and valuable principle. A comparison between two individuals, groups,
societies, natures etc. is against the natural Law, said Mahatma. After all everyone is equal in
the eyes of God. Is it logical, leave alone ethical to say that one person is superior to another?
Accordingly, Gandhiji appealed youngsters to strive towards nullifying the wide gap between
various sections of the society. He proposed elimination of all sorts of artificial discrimination,
exploitation and oppression to establish equality. Men and Women are equal. They complement
each other through the different functions they perform in a society. He once stated that "If we
do not efface untouchability, we shall all be effaced from the face of the Earth". Caste, he felt
does not connote superiority or inferiority. It simply recognizes differences in outlooks and
corresponding modes of life.
He proposed youth to provide equal protection and security to all. Economic inequality implying
concentration of wealth and income in few hands is the root cause of political instability and
social inequality. He further suggested abolition of exploitation, forced labor, sexual
discrimination so as to restore social harmony. Untouchability, according to him, was an
offence. It was one of those evils which plagued society, a crime against not only humanity but
against God. Unity and Equality are core values on which a nation rest.

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About justice, he said, that there exists a close relationship between equality and justice. Youth
must know that justice is done when equality is established and when equality exists justice is
done. Justice is natural or Godly ensuring the balance in the universe through young exercisers.
Justice is normative connotation depending upon the accepted morals of the society, the
predictions and customs instituted by the society for betterment of all. What is more important
for youth is spreading the light of justice and creating awareness.
We now move over to the INDIVIDUAL FRONT:
The third warfront where the war is being fought is individual level. i.e., the young mind itself!
Here Gandhiji advocated the principles of Right Conduct. Excellence and Truth as the effective
weapons with which to fight this war.
Gandhiji was himself a disciple of the "BHAGWAD GEETA" and exalted the younger generation
to follow it too. The Gita mentions three different qualities viz. Satva, Rajas and Tamas.
In case of Tamas the happening comes from violence and laziness. In case of Rajas it comes
from material gains. Gandhiji proposed that the youth follow the Satvik model where happiness
is inward development, i.e., it emphasizes the inclusion of basic human values. Right conduct
refers to a set of norms or code of conduct accepted by the society on the basis of thoughtful
behavior and is displayed when we discharge our duties and various actions such as
obedience, etiquettes, fulfillment of social obligations, co-operation, sympathy etc. The youth
should take into consideration various dimensions of their conduct such as the social, cultural,
religious and the political aspect. In young people, there is a constant flow of energy. They are
dynamic, vibrant and excessively energetic. Hence, it becomes all the more necessary for them
to discharge their energies in a positive manner to attain long-term happiness and goodwill in
society and to contribute to the progress of society. Gandhiji often reiterated the Hindu
philosophy of Moksha or Salvation. According to him a Sadachari—a person with right conduct
is ensured a place in heaven, while it is believed that a sinner will go to hell. He therefore
stressed on Truth, Humanity, Sacrifice and Non-avarices as the important elements of right
conduct. Right conduct, he believed, comes from the right education and education should not
only help to gain knowledge, but should also contribute towards character building. Gandhiji
often said that one should do his duty and remain unconcerned about the fruits.
Gandhiji also pointed out that each one of us should strive to attain Excellence at the personal
as well as the social level. He implored the youth to pursue this value without any reservations.
This would ensure not only holistic development of the individual, but also progress of the
society at large. Here Gandhiji makes a reference to our age-old scriptures where Dharma,
Artha, Kama and Moksha have been mentioned as the four Purusharthas, the pursuit of which
leads to perfection in all walks of human life. He strongly believe in the adage that if any job is
worth doing, it is worth doing well. Excellence in any field brings peace of mind and satisfaction.
According to him the age-old concept life being divided into four stages or ashrams, contributed
to an individual's attaining excellence.

Brahmacharyashram - Learning
Grihaprasthashram - Household responsibilities
Vanaprasthashram - Living in forest away from household life
Sanyasprashthashram - Complete freedom from material bondages and Devotion to God

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Truth was Gandhiji's favorite human value which inspired his autobiography "My Experiments with
Truth" Satya Meva Jayate was his slogan. Youth must differentiate between truth and blind belief.
Gandhiji wanted every individual and society to practice truth at any cost. He emphasised that all
religions, philosophies, societies have unambiguously advocated truth. According to him truth was God
and that truth must manifest itself in thought, word and deed. He did accept the path of truth will
always be full of hardships, difficulties, sufferings, and sacrifices. To tell the truth one must be
courageous. Youth must note that no society readily accepts any social transformation. Hence the
students who are acting as agents for reformation will have to face public censure and the wrath of
society. Self-determination, strong will power and profound belief in one's conviction will help the youth
to lead the society. Treading the path of truth is a continuous and unending process which has to be
followed by every generation.

Gandhiji advocated that education was the means to attain virtues. Basic education was every
person's right. Children should not only learn to read and write; they must also learn skills which
will make them independent and self-reliant. Basic education should be made compulsory for all
Children up to the age of fourteen. The medium for education should be in one's mother tongue,
so that they can easily grasp it. Education should not end with childhood and adult education
plays an equally vital role in the development of an individual.
CONCLUSION:
Thus, on all fronts Gandhiji believed in creating from youth a cadre of inspiring and competent
role models and change agents with the courage of conviction who in turn will trigger off the
process of building a healthy nation. The war started over 100 years ago and remains
incomplete as we fight it even today. Social transformation must be undertaken on a priority and
this is nothing less than a revolution. Long term fundamental changes and not merely outward
changes are required. Civil cleansing and mass action is the key to this change and the youth
are the catalysts who will bring about the change. The entire system needs revamping and the
young people will play an instrumental role. The challenge before us is to build a good society
out of bad individuals.
The weapons he gave were not just meant to overthrow the British but to be used at all times.
Today we require these weapons more than ever to build a better society. Even after 50 years
of freedom we are still struggling to gain independence in the true sense; to pull ourselves out of
the clutches of violence, crime and corruption which have rendered our entire society sick.
Although free from foreign rule, we are still enchained by foreign influences which are corrupting
our youth and driving them astray. The very agents of social transformation are engulfed by the
fatal diseases of poverty, illiteracy, over-population and unemployment. The time is ripe for an
uprising and we must all awaken and revolt; a nonviolent but effective war needs to be waged
keeping in mind all that the great Mahatma taught us years ago. As we progress into the next
millennium, we need to carry forward his ideologies with us.
What better tribute can we give the Father of the Nation, than pledging to build a nation of his
dreams? We shall end this presentation with a small verse in praise of a man so great that his
greatness is unfathomable!

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 His is the One Luminous, Creator of all, Mahatma
Always in the hearts of people enshrined,
Revealed through Love, Intuition and Thought
Whoever knows Him, Immortal becomes!!!
Bless us O Bapu, so that we may attain Success in all that we do!

THANK YOU

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