According to the recent UN-sponsored World Happiness Report 2024, published on March 20, 2024, India ranked 126th out of 143 nations. Finland emerged as the happiest country in the world. India is ranked behind countries such as Libya, Iraq, Palestine, and Niger. The WHR is a partnership of Gallup, the Oxford Wellbeing Research Centre, the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, and the WHR's Editorial board.1 The World Happiness Report rates the lives of the citizens of a country from 0 to 10. It also considers six other parameters: social support (welfare and benefits), income, health, freedom, generosity, and low corruption. In this Report, it has also been mentioned that in India, youth is more stressed than the older people. That is more worrisome because India has more than 60 percent young population. If they are unhappy, the causes should be analyzed, and the remedial action be taken at the earliest. Thus, the unhappiness of youth should be treated as an important national issue. Some of the causes may be broadly discussed as such:

1. Unemployment Problem

This is, arguably, the most important Problem facing the youth in our country. Armed with degrees of various nature, youth roams around the potential sources of employment from one place to another. Further, he attempts to qualify for various exams for better jobs. While doing so, he has to meet necessary expenses for which he depends upon his parents or guardians. Since in most of the cases, they belong to the lower middle class and the middle classes, the funds are meagerly available. That causes much strain on the minds of the young aspirants. To make the matter worse, at many places, open demand for illegal money as bribes is made which every young man can't afford. This situation sometimes, almost breaks them mentally.

2. Plight of Salaried Youth

In India, the private sector appears to be the biggest employer. A large chunk of youth ultimately go for private jobs as the vacancies in the government are limited. In most of the private jobs, salary is low while working hours are long with minimum leaves. It takes a toll on their physical and mental health. It becomes a challenge to look after their families on such a petty amount. This is the general situation till any of them is promoted to the supervising cadre. In the case of gig or men-in-blue, the situation is more difficult. They are expected to run the daily errands within the stipulated short time. Be it cold waves or excessive rain or the scorching sunny day, they run on their motorbikes to serve the people at the receiving end. Therefore, the youth below the rank of supervisors or management staff are facing double punishment - one, low wages and second, poor working conditions. How can a young person be expected to live happily in this scenario?

3. The Problem of the 'Those Up in the Ladder'

The young men employed in the higher echelons of the organization whether in the government or private enterprises, the situation is a bit different. Here, the young entrant to the job starts looking up for quick promotions, particularly in the private sector. Gradually, he loses his focus, and ruins his career. While thinking of promotions, he starts hobnobbing with his seniors and compromises many of his ideals and good habits. In this rat race, some of his colleagues cross the barrier to the disadvantage of others. That results in much heartburn and affects his mental peace and tranquility at home. Sometimes, this situation remains for a longer time, making things more difficult for him.

Secondly, in the case of superior officers, the companies expect them to work for long hours and even after leaving the office. That means that they return home carrying baggage of unfinished work or something to do in the near future. It takes a toll on their family lives as they have literally no time for their children and wife. They feel stressed on both accounts and seek happiness in drinks and drugs. This blind race for seeking promotions and getting a fatter salary takes them away from the grip of happiness.

4. Issue of Corruption

The issue of corruption has engulfed all of us living in this country. It not only pinches but hurts when somebody asks for bribes or illegal gratification. For the youth, it hurts more as it directly attacks their ideological base. But when it becomes a part and parcel of their job profile, it really gives them pain. They are expected by the private organizations, in particular, to get their jobs done at a certain level, by hook or by crook, irrespective of the fact that they are willing or not. Its impact on their conscience is tremendous as it weakens their soul morally. Any expectation of happiness from these people is merely wishful thinking.

5. Health Problems

Modern life is full of stress and strain. Everybody is running to meet their avowed goals. No one has time to relax and look after their health or their family closely. Consequently, they are afflicted with what is known as ‘Life-style Diseases’ including diabetes, heart problems, high and low blood pressure, loss of appetite and many other diseases which almost break them, both physically and mentally. He starts meeting with the doctors more frequently, obtaining only timely relief. Eating fast foods and drinking excessively unhealthy beverages is another cause for poor health conditions. Young man in his thirties looks like an old man in his forties or a bit later. For them, happiness remains an illusory concept for their whole life.

6. The Fast-Vanishing Joint Family System

The joint family system in India has been the bedrock of society s8nce the time immemorial. The system sustained every individual in the family at the time of their need. While the elders gave sound advice, the younger provided the necessary mental support. There was an atmosphere of sharing facts and sentiments in the house. However, with the passage of time, the strong roots of the joint family system got eroded giving space to small and nuclear families having no sustenance base. This is one of the major causes of vanishing happiness from the houses of the youth, particularly. There is almost no sharing left of the sad and happy moments arriving in their daily lives.

7. Atmospheric Pollution

The present century is the harbinger of concrete jungles without the greenery and the birds etc. Forest areas are fast dwindling giving way to rapid urbanization. Young people, either going to the office or returning, find no green trees or birds chirping in the sky, to give them mental relaxation. On the other hand, the overarching concrete jungles only add to their existing tensions and an atmosphere of gloominess prevails everywhere. This is, indeed, the greatest tragedy of our times which has snatched happiness from our grip. Drifting far away from nature has taken its toll.

Conclusion

This is a proven fact that happiness cannot be bought from money or otherwise gained by adopting unethical means in pursuance of our routine duties. Further, going away from nature also leads to unhappiness. In the era of concrete jungles and artificial lives based on false premises, happiness is as illusory as the proverbial golden deer. The secret of happiness doesn't lie in amassing immense wealth or living a life totally cut off from nature or fellow people. On the contrary, it lies in the mutual sharing of happy and sad moments of each-other. Also, it requires intermingling of human beings and nature. Moreover, the important role of moral and ethical principles cannot be minimized at any cost. The glorious past traditions of India need to be replicated wholeheartedly to find real happiness which comes to us naturally by giving to others rather than expecting from others. So, the youth themselves have to think about the paucity of happiness content in their lives and seek solutions which are not difficult to find. After all, life is meant for enjoyment and not for crying throughout till the end. Only a beginning must be made in the right direction.

.    .    .

Reference: Frontline News Desk, Mar 27, 2024.