Justice Markandey Katju on Indian Youth and the Crisis of National Commitment
- Self-Interest or Social Responsibility? A Hard Question for India’s Youth
- The Indian Youth and the Decline of Idealism
- Why Justice Katju Calls Indian Youth ‘Selfish and Unpatriotic’
- Career, Comfort and Country: The Moral Debate Around Indian Youth
- From Bhagat Singh to Brain Drain: Justice Katju’s Critique of Indian Youth
- The Crisis of Patriotism Among India’s Young Generation
Justice Markandey Katju examines whether Indian youth have become overly career-driven and disconnected from patriotism, social responsibility, and public welfare.
The Indian Youth
By Justice Markandey Katju
Some time back, I posted the below statement on Twitter:
''It is said that the Cockroach Janta Party represents the youth of India, who fear unemployment.
While I sympathise with Indian youth, I have a poor opinion of them.
Most of them are utterly selfish and unpatriotic, only wanting a cushy job after they complete their education in a University, or an engineering/medical college. Most aspire to join the IAS, IFS, IRS, IPS, PCS, or some other government job. Others try to join a multinational corporation with a hefty salary, by which they can enjoy a comfortable life. IIT graduates try to go to America or some other Western country, where they settle down, enjoy a high standard of living, and hardly any wish to return.
And to hell with India!''
In response, someone tweeted :
''What is wrong in our youth seeking a job which gives them comfort? Is this not a rational and sane way ?''
So I need to explain.
No doubt most people want to be comfortable. But should one not also do anything for the country and his fellow human beings?
Rationalism is fine. But should there not also be some patriotism ?
The great French political philosopher Rousseau ( 1712-78 ) wrote in one of his works that ''reason is the suppression of sensibility, and that'' the progress in science and art has corrupted the morals of human beings''.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discourse_on_the_Arts_and_Sciences
In his Second Discourse on the Origin of Inequality, Rousseau writes that no doubt self-interest is an important motivation for human actions. But he says that there is also another motivation, which is '' an innate repugnance to see his fellow humans suffer ''.
In contrast to the other thinkers of the Enlightenment ( Voltaire, Diderot, Helvetius, etc ) who emphasised only on reason, Rousseau also emphasised emotion and compassion as attributes of human nature. He said that too much rationalism makes a human being a cold, calculating person, who only thinks of his own and his family's comfort and well-being, and is totally indifferent and insensible to the sufferings of others.
Cincinnatus was a Roman statesman and military leader who retired to his farm after serving as Consul ( the highest military post in the Roman Republic ). But later he was summoned by the Roman Senate when a powerful enemy of Rome attacked it, and was given command of the Roman army. Having defeated the enemy, he voluntarily surrendered his command and returned to the plough on his farm and to a simple life.
George Washington and Thomas Jefferson were rich farmers in America, having large landholdings. But when the call for duty came to them in 1775 to serve the cause of the American fight for Independence from British rule, they did not flinch, and plunged headlong into this struggle, regardless of the fact that if caught by the Britishers, they could have been hanged. Their self-interest must have told them to keep away from the war, not take any risks, and enjoy comfortable lives with their families in the confines of their homes and farms. But their patriotic duty called them elsewhere, and the latter motivation prevailed over the former.
Bhagat Singh, Surya Sen ( Masterda ), Bismil, Chandrashekhar Azad, Ashfaqulla and other great Indian revolutionaries could have lived peaceful and comfortable lives. But they gave their lives fighting for Indian independence from British rule
I am not saying that Indian youth should not care for their self-interest and career advancement, or that they should become revolutionaries. But should they never think and work for the welfare of their fellow Indians?
But what do we actually see? Almost all our youth only think for their own self-interest, but care two hoots for other Indians. How will India solves its massive socio-economic problems if our youth, who are expected to be more idealistic than older people, think and act like this?
So was I wrong in calling most Indian youth totally selfish and unpatriotic?
(Justice Katju is a retired Judge of the Supreme Court of India and a former Chairman of the Press Council of India. These are his personal views.)
