Dear friends,
The youth of the past have continuously contributed to the world of today in many fields. Today the youth does not have to fear about the future. The flamed mind of the youth is the most powerful resource on earth. The topic I will talk to you today is “I am born with wings’.
Last year I went to a village to inaugurate a programme called ‘Sashtrayaan’ which means the propagation of Science’. It was to ensure the preparation of about 2000 students from different schools to be engineers, doctors, scientists, qualified managers and civil servants. This would, in turn, empower 2000 families of the village. My inaugural address to the audience of about 5000 people was on ‘Science Empowers the Nation’.
After my talk, hundreds of hands were raised for asking questions. Because of the lack of time, I chose 12 students at random from the last row to the first to ask questions. One question impressed me greatly and I want to share it with you.
The question was from a teenager who came from a remote village. He was nervous and a typical representative of the youth of India. He began like this, “Sir, I don’t know what I should ask. I am nervous. I have not asked any question in class. I need to have confidence, but I have not gained any confidence through my education all these years. I am afraid to talk to my teachers, and even to my friends. Whenever I talk I compare myself with other students and their elegant dress. I want to become a marine engineer. I want to travel in a ship. I want to be the captain of the ship. I want to build the engine of the ship. Shall I be able to do all this, Sir? How can I achieve this mission? What should I do?” The entire audience and the dignitaries on the dais, including the Chief Minister, looked at me wondering how I would answer this sincere question from a village boy.
I replied, “You have put the most difficult question I have received from millions and millions of students I have met. I know you are echoing the fear of many. Let me recite a beautiful ancient poem named ‘I will fly’.
I am born with potential.
I am born with goodness and trust
l am born with ideas and dreams.
I am born with greatness.
I am born with confidence.
I am born with wings. So,
I am not meant for crawling,
I have wings, I will fly
I will fly and fly.
Let me tell you how you can be unique. I have met some 15 million youth in a decade’s time. Every youth wants to be unique, that is YOU! But the world all around you is doing its best to make you just ‘everybody else’. In your home, you are asked by your parents to be like the neighbors’ children for scoring good marks. At school, your teacher asks you to be like the first 5 rankers in the class. Wherever you go people tell you to be somebody else or everybody else. But you should be unique – yourself.
The challenge is that you have to fight the hardest battle which any human being can ever imagine, and never stop fighting until you arrive at your destined place, that is a UNIQUE YOU.
