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NEW DELHI: In comments that come after protests and violence on some campuses over the Citizenship Amendment Act, PM Narendra Modi on Sunday lauded youth for appreciating the system and “courageously” questioning it when it does not respond properly even as he emphasised that young people did not favour anarchy of any sort.

“One can even say with certitude here, that the country’s youth detests anarchy of any sort. They despise any element of lack of governance and instability; abhorring any shades of nepotism, casteism, favouritism or gender discrimination,” said Modi during his ‘Mann Ki Baat’ programme.

His remarks came after protests in colleges and incidents of violence in states like UP and Bengal . The protests have led to commentators claiming there was a resistance led by the youth and the PM appeared to question this narrative, suggesting that protests could not be so broadly categorised.

Referring to youth, specifically those who were born in the 21st century, the PM said one thing that has captured their collective psyche is that this is the “social media generation” which is “extremely talented”, thriving on the dream to do something new.

Modi’s outreach and praise for the youth as having a stake in the system while also being a vanguard for change seems to also be part of an effort to connect with a section seen to have backed his leadership in successive elections.

“It (youth) has its own set of opinions. And the best part is; especially in the case of India; according to me, they appreciate the system. Not just that, they prefer to follow the system. And in the event of the system not responding properly, they get restless and even courageously question the system itself. I consider this attribute as a virtue,” said the PM.

Citing Swami Vivekananda, who had said that young people who are full of energy and dynamism, possess the power to usher in change, Modi said, “I am of the firm belief that for India, this decade will be, not only about development and progress of the youth; it will also prove to be about the country’s progress, harnessing their collective might. This generation will play a major role in modernising India; I feel it beyond any doubt.”

The PM exhorted the youth to give a thought to this responsibility and take on this resolve on Vivekananda’s birth anniversary on January 12.

He also cited cases when youth vociferously react whenever an incident of disorder takes place and make a video of it to make the culprit realise the consequence.

