When It Ccomes To Indian Youth, The Government's Words And Actions Don't Match
· Free Press Journal
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has every reason to celebrate the achievements of India's young innovators. The successful launch of Vikram-1 by a Hyderabad-based start-up is a milestone not merely in the country's space journey but also in the evolution of its entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Conceived, engineered and launched by a team whose average age is just 28, the mission demonstrated that India's youth can dream big, plan meticulously and execute flawlessly. Appropriately named Aagaman (Arrival), the mission announced to the world that a new generation of Indian talent has truly arrived.
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Speaking on the opening day of the monsoon session of Parliament, the Prime Minister proudly highlighted the youthful profile of the team behind Vikram-1. His admiration was understandable. Every Indian shared that sense of pride.
A Stark Contradiction
Yet, on the very day those words were spoken, another image of India's youth was unfolding on the streets of New Delhi. At Jantar Mantar, thousands of students protesting against the government's inability to conduct public examinations in a credible manner were met not with dialogue but with police batons. It was a deeply disturbing spectacle.
The protesters had gathered peacefully to demand accountability and the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Instead, they were subjected to a lathi charge that left many injured, including students who had travelled from states as distant as Maharashtra and Gujarat.
Similar demonstrations were reported elsewhere, reflecting widespread frustration rather than isolated discontent. Earlier, the government had forcibly shifted Sonam Wangchuk, who was fasting, to a hospital.
The anger of the students is neither manufactured nor unreasonable. Months of uncertainty over examinations, repeated postponements, allegations of question-paper leaks and the erosion of confidence in the examination system have left countless young people anxious about their future.
Reports of students taking their own lives following the disruption of the NEET examination underline the human cost of these administrative failures. Even the CBSE examinations have not escaped criticism over alleged lapses.
Need For Accountability
Instead of addressing these concerns with empathy, the government has chosen to stand firmly behind the Education Minister. Modi's recent birthday greetings praising Dharmendra Pradhan's performance and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh's assertion that resignations are alien to the BJP only reinforce the impression that political solidarity is taking precedence over public accountability. A democracy cannot afford such contradictions.
The youth who launch rockets and the youth who march for educational justice are not two different Indias. They are the same generation, driven by ambition, aspiration and a belief that merit should prevail.
If one group deserves applause for taking India to space, the other deserves to be heard when it asks for fairness on earth. Praising the nation's youth is meaningful only when their voices are respected, their concerns addressed and their dignity protected.