Focussing on India’s future, its Youth: Youth Affairs & the new millennium

As Minister of Youth Affairs, Ananthkumar made the development of youth synonymous with development of the nation and initiated several measures to help harness this huge reservoir of Indian youth.
Between December 1999 and 12th January 2000, AnanthKumar spearheaded the Vande Mataram program to usher in the new millennium.
This program was launched in Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu on the eve of the birth anniversary of the fire brand poet Shri Subramanya Bharati & concluded with the birth anniversary of the architect of vibrant India – Swami Vivekananda.
This period also saw the youth of the nation taking up constructive voluntary work in 21 fields ranging from water, sanitation & environment. This was a novel way of ushering in the new millennium.
AnanthKumar gave a new perspective for ushering in the new year. Instead of the usual champagne & partying, which is commonly practiced, for partying, it was social service & constructive nation building which took precedence in the minds of youth. The month long celebrations encompassed jathas, rallies, seminars, essay competitions, cultural programs on national integration as themes among others. Other avenues included screening of patriotic films, singing patriotic songs in the university campuses & at district & village levels.
This was celebrated in 174 universities & in over 400 districts. In short the whole nation got a new kind of patriotic fervor.
The month long celebrations ended on Swami Vivekananda’s birthday, whom AnanthKumar revers as the idol of the youth of our country.
500 youth achievers were invited to parliament to create a new agenda for the new century in the year 2000.
A special film on the brave heroes of Indian armed forces in Kargil pushing back Pakistani forces was produced & was screened in all the universities. A unique programme on national integration, with Bharat Bala & A R Rehman was a superb success. All this was achieved in a short span of 90 days.