Modi: Gen Z, Gen Alpha To Lead India To Viksit Bharat

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that Gen Z and Gen Alpha would play a decisive role in leading India towards the goal of a Viksit Bharat.

Addressing the national programme marking Veer Baal Diwas at Bharat Mandapam, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “Gen Z, Gen Alpha… your generation will take India to the goal of a developed India,” adding that he sees their competence and confidence and therefore places great trust in them.

The Prime Minister lauded Gen Z, those born between 1997 and 2012, and Gen Alpha, born between 2010 and 2025, saying the younger generations would lead India towards the goal of a developed nation. He said that while Macaulay sought to suppress India’s linguistic diversity, the country is now shedding its colonial mindset and recognising that diversity as a source of strength.

The Prime Minister said he recognises the competence and confidence of the younger generations and therefore places strong trust in them. Quoting an adage, Modi said that wisdom deserves acceptance regardless of age, underscoring that greatness is measured by deeds and achievements, not years.

He said young people are capable of achieving feats that inspire others and noted that many have already proven this, but added that these accomplishments are only a beginning, with far greater goals still ahead.

Calling the present generation fortunate, Modi said the nation now stands firmly behind young talent, unlike earlier times when despair discouraged even dreaming. “Today, the country identifies talent, provides platforms, and aligns the strength of 140 crore citizens with their aspirations,” he said.

Modi said India has resolved to break free from the colonial mindset, asserting that the sacrifices and valour of its people will no longer be obscured and the nation’s heroes and heroines will no longer be sidelined.

He said this was why Veer Bal Diwas is being observed with full devotion and spirit, adding that the effort would continue as the nation moves towards 2035, marking 200 years since Macaulay’s conspiracy, when India aims to demonstrate complete freedom from the colonial mindset.

Modi said that once India sheds the colonial mindset, it will take greater pride in its indigenous traditions and move further towards self-reliance. He added that a glimpse of this shift was evident during the recent winter session of Parliament, where nearly 160 speeches were delivered in Indian languages other than Hindi and English.

He said around 50 speeches were delivered in Tamil, over 40 in Marathi, and about 25 in Bangla, adding that such linguistic diversity is rare in any parliament worldwide and a source of pride for the nation.

Modi said that while Macaulay sought to suppress India’s linguistic diversity, the country is now shedding the colonial mindset and recognising that diversity as a strength.

The Prime Minister said new policies are being framed with an emphasis on youth empowerment, placing young people at the heart of nation-building.

Modi said India is in an unprecedented phase as one of the world’s youngest nations, noting that the next 25 years will shape its future, with the country’s capabilities and aspirations converging with global expectations for the first time since Independence.

He said today’s youth are coming of age in a period of unprecedented opportunity, and that the government is committed to creating better avenues to harness their talent, confidence, and leadership.

The Prime Minister said the brave ‘Sahibzades’ were guided not by the difficulty of the path but by its righteousness, adding that the same spirit is required today.

Addressing a Veer Bal Diwas event commemorating the martyrdom of Sahibzades Baba Zorawar Singh and Baba Fateh Singh, Modi said the nation is remembering the brave sons who embody the pinnacle of India’s indomitable courage and valour.

“Those brave Sahibzades rose above age and circumstance, standing firm against the cruelty of the Mughal Sultanate and challenging religious fanaticism and terror. With such a glorious past and a young generation inspired by it, there is nothing the nation cannot achieve,” he said.

The Prime Minister said the Sahibzades were very young, but that did not soften the cruelty of Aurangzeb. He said Aurangzeb sought to instil fear and enforce religious conversion by first breaking the morale of Indians, which was why he targeted the Sahibzades. However, he added that Aurangzeb and his commanders failed to realise that the gurus were not ordinary individuals, but embodiments of penance and sacrifice in both spirit and action.

Modi said the courage and ideals of Mata Gujri Ji and Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji, along with the four Sahibzades, continue to inspire and strengthen every Indian. “Sahibzada Ajit Singh Ji, Sahibzada Jujhar Singh Ji, Sahibzada Zorawar Singh Ji and Sahibzada Fateh Singh Ji were compelled, at a very young age, to confront the greatest power of their time. This was not merely a struggle for power, but a clash between India’s core values and religious fanaticism, a battle of truth versus falsehood,” he said.