Dr. Ketan Mohitkar

A Dussehra Reflection for Today’s Youth

Dussehra celebrates the victory of good over evil. But perhaps this year, we should ask ourselves a more uncomfortable question: What if the Ravana we need to defeat is not outside us, but within us?

Today, a significant section of young people appears increasingly eager to question the government, criticise institutions, join protests and express outrage on social media. Questioning authority is not wrong. Protesting against injustice is not wrong either. In a democracy, dissent is essential.

But when did expressing outrage become more important than acquiring competence? When did going viral become more attractive than creating value? And when did blaming the system become easier than preparing ourselves to improve it?

We see young people investing enormous energy in arguments, online campaigns and street protests. Yet, how often do we see the same intensity directed towards developing a skill, conducting an experiment, building a startup, discovering a solution to a local problem, mentoring someone in need or creating employment?

Where is the curiosity to discover something new? Where is the determination to build something meaningful? Where is the enthusiasm to contribute to society without expecting applause, recognition or a viral moment in return?

The problem is not activism. The problem is activism without responsibility, resistance without reasoning, and criticism without contribution.

Recent incidents of protests and confrontational behaviour also raise serious concerns about the language, conduct and judgment displayed by some young participants. Disagreement is a democratic right; intimidation, threats, vandalism and disrespect for others are not signs of courage. They can instead reveal a failure to understand the difference between exercising one’s rights and fulfilling one’s responsibilities.

Your opinions may be temporary, but your digital footprint can become permanent.

In an age where videos, comments and photographs can remain accessible for years, today’s impulsive actions may become tomorrow’s professional liabilities. Employers, clients, business partners and institutions increasingly care about more than academic qualifications. They also assess judgment, temperament, integrity, communication and the ability to work with people who disagree with us.

Imagine yourself as a business owner hiring a young professional. Two candidates have comparable qualifications. One demonstrates discipline, constructive disagreement, problem-solving and a willingness to learn. The other has a visible public record of threats, abusive conduct or destructive behaviour. Would you consider both candidates equally suitable for a position of trust?

The answer is worth reflecting upon.

This does not mean that every activist is unemployable, that every protest damages a career, or that employers should reject people simply for holding unpopular opinions. Many courageous reformers, researchers, entrepreneurs and public servants have challenged the establishment and transformed society. The difference lies in how they challenged it—with evidence, ideas, integrity and a commitment to solutions.

A nation does not progress merely because its citizens demand more. It progresses when its citizens also develop the capacity to deliver more.

If you believe the education system is failing, develop a better learning model. If unemployment concerns you, build skills, create opportunities or help someone become employable. If corruption angers you, support transparency and accountability through lawful, evidence-based action. If you believe society needs reform, begin by demonstrating the values you want society to adopt.

Do not merely demand a better nation. Become one of the people capable of building it.

This Dussehra, let us reflect on the Ravana within us—the ego that refuses to listen, the anger that overwhelms reason, the arrogance that mistakes aggression for courage, and the laziness that criticises others while avoiding personal responsibility.

Young people are not merely the future of this nation; they are already shaping its present. Their energy, creativity and questioning spirit are invaluable. But that energy must move beyond outrage towards innovation, beyond slogans towards solutions, and beyond the pursuit of online recognition towards meaningful contribution.

Fight injustice, but do not abandon integrity. Question authority, but strengthen your reasoning. Demand your rights, but honour your responsibilities. And before trying to change the world, invest seriously in becoming someone capable of changing it.

May this Dussehra inspire us not only to burn an effigy of Ravana, but also to defeat the weaknesses within ourselves that prevent us from becoming better professionals, responsible citizens and nation builders.