Prime Minister of India - Dr. Manmohan Singh

PM's address at Youth Convention for 150 Years of First War of Independence

"I am delighted to be in your midst and I see before me the youthful vitality, energy and commitment of our young people which is very inspiring site. you have come here from all over the country to think about celebrations to be organized to commemorate the 150th year of India's first war of Independence This is a historic event which does call for an innovative approach to organize various functions that could be included as part of the programme and I am very happy that this not a top down exercise. That you have sat together and you have yourselves drawn up an imaginative programme to celebrate this historic event. And I congratulate all of you who have participated in this.

I take this opportunity to greet the youth leaders and delegates from Panchayat Raj Institutions from all over the country, who are assembled here today. This is a seed which has grown into a mighty plant and I am sure Rajiveji, if he had been here, would have been mightily pleased with the progress that has taken place in strengthening the Panchayati Raj institutions by involving the common man and weaker section of society in process of grassroots governance. I sincerely hope that the young women and men here would prove energetic and vibrant partners in attaining our cherished goals to build a new India free from fear, war, want and exploitation.

I also congratulate the Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan, for organizing this event in collaboration with the Ministry of Panchayati Raj. And I particularly congratulate Shakeel Ahmed for his leadership and energy in revitalizing this great institution of Nehru Yuva Sangathan.

My Young Friends, India signifies a unique example of unity with an underlying diversity of culture, religion and beliefs. Youth constitute nearly 40 percent of the country's population and they are the most resourceful segment of the nation. Without their active involvement in the processes of nation building this nation may not march ahead. And I am very happy that Nehru Yuvak Kendra Sangathan is so actively involved in mobalising the energy, the resources and the youthful enthusiasm of our youth. Their commitment to community service, national integration and humanism provides the foundation of our national character.

I understand that during last 3 days you have made plans to commemorate the event at various places across the country. Though the upheaval of 1857 was limited to some parts of the country initially, it became an abiding inspiration for the next 90 years of our struggle for freedom, upto 1947. Much has been written by historians on the uprising of 1857, but the whole story is yet to be told and many gaps still remain to be filled. The two lakh youth clubs of the Sangathan must take up the task of collection and compilation of the many untold stories of sacrifice and martyrdom that still exist and constitute the folklore tradition at the local level.

I am sure this innovative programme that you have devised would cover every village and town of our country. Through this, we hope to cast a new light on the hidden pages of the history of our freedom struggle. At the same time, this will represent a new history that will inspire our present and future generations to understand the meaning and the value and content of our freedom struggle.

Since Meerut is the holy ground marking the first outbreak of the uprising of 1857, it would be appropriate if our youth take out Yatras from every village and town to converge at Meerut and then march further from Meerut to Lal Quila, here in Delhi, to participate in the main celebration on May 10 next year, which is the day of the 1857 uprising.

The striking feature of the revolt of 1857 was that both Hindu and Muslims assiduously organized the front against the foreign rule. Hindu-Muslim unity was visible among soldiers and people as well as among leaders.

While this sense of historic solidarity only underlines the great diversity that has made India what it is today, we must always be vigilant in safeguarding our unique and vibrant diversity. It is necessary to continuously ensure that the various communities that make up the mosaic of India live together in peace and harmony. The frustrated elements that seek to disturb the ethos of communal harmony must not to be given any scope for having their aims achieved. Therefore, I feel it is very essential that our youth should stand committed to the ideals enshrined in the Constitution of India.

The more I look at the functioning of our country, the more I marvel at the wisdom of the founding fathers of our Republic. They had the vision to recognize that India can prosper only as a secular society, as a country where there will be no discrimination against any citizen on the basis of caste, religion and creed. The importance of communal harmony, I think needs no reiteration. It is 'sine qua non' for our survival as a civilized polity.

Our late Prime Minister, Shri Rajivji said: "Secularism is the bedrock of our nationhood. It implies more than mere tolerance. It involves an active effort of harmony". This is the true essence of sadbhavana. No religion supports violence. Those who resort to violence in the name of religion are doing a disservice to their faith and to humanity and to our common civilizational and cultural heritage. Tolerance and respect for diversity are important lessons of all the great religions of the world.

Similarly our diversity is as much a source of India's greatness - and of our pride in their nation. We embrace so much diversity in religion, ethnicity, language and lifestyles, and yet remain a united nation. In fact this, this has been a way of life throughout India since times immemorial.

Unity and diversity are deeply rooted in our culture and civilizations.

I am sure by celebrating this event through a year long campaign " SANJHI VIRASAT and SANJHI SHAHADAT" youth would work for the Nation building activities in a more effective and committed manner. Our government has laid before our people an imaginative programme which seeks to use people's creative energies for process of nation building. Never before resources of amounts that we have now earmarked, resources which are now assigned for purposes of education, for purposes of rural health care, for purposes of building an effective and efficient rural infrastructure. These, if utilized wisely can carry forward process of nation building a great deal. We have therefore, an obligations to see these programmes truly become the people's programmes. For that active involvement of our youth is absolutely essential. I sincerely hope you will use this opportunity to familiarize yourself with some these programmes and how, with an watchful eye, these programmes can be made to serve the public good as it is their justification.

I wish to conclude by quoting the words from Swami Vivekananda in "The Future of India": "It is the same India which has withstood the shocks of centuries, of hundreds of foreign invasions, of hundreds of upheavals of manners and customs. It is the same land, which stands firmer than any rock in the world, with its undying vigour, indestructible life. Its life is of the same nature as the soul, without beginning and without end, immortal; and we are the children of such a country." The same words are summarized in another poem by Dr Mohammad Iqbal when he said

May these words inspire you to rededicate yourselves to the service of this ancient country, which we are all privileged to be citizens. As Panditji said on the historic night of the 14th of August "the service of India is the service of India's teeming millions" so long you cannot remove poverty, ignorance, disease from this ancient land of ours, our task will not be complete. A great deal has been done to soften the harsh edges of extreme poverty but a lot remains to be done an who will carry it forward but the youth of the country. So I invite you become active partners, active participants in theses processes of nation building which are now underway. May your path be blessed."