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The elderly: the real ‘torch bearers’
View: They
have experience of life- They teach us values – they guide us to solve
problems.
Counterview:
Although I have the deepest respect for the elderly and cherish their loving
presence, I wouldn’t really describe them as ‘torch bearers’. No doubt, during
their time they have faced odds and carved pathways around obstacles. Yet, you
will have to agree that the present is not the past. Things change rapidly. The
elderly, however, are not very much in tune with the present. They are unable
to cope with the changing world. Besides, they are conservative, stubborn and
reluctant to try out new ideas. They are usefully insistent upon imposing their
own ideas upon others, which may be outdated. In this sense they, very often
obstruct progress.
In my
opinion, it is the youth who can be and, in fact, have to be the real ‘torch
bearers’ of the nation. They are the ones who are in the flow and stream of
affairs. They are the ones who are fully conversant with present difficulties
and the possible solutions. They are the ones who have invite and innovative
ideas. They have the vigour necessary to launch movements and pioneer new
pathways to progress. Hence, it naturally follows that they are the ones who
can and should lead the way and show the way to others. For all these reasons,
I can confidently assert that it is the youth and not the elder who are the
real ‘torch bearers’ of the nation.