Chandigarh: Speaking at a ‘Gen-H Yuva Udyami Chaupal’ at Gurgaon University on Friday, Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini told youngsters that his rise from an organisational worker to state CM was neither instant nor guaranteed. “Meri yatra mein koi lift nahi thi, main mehnat roopi seedhiyan chadhkar yahan tak pahuncha,” he said, describing setbacks, persistence and the decision to keep working even when there was no assurance of the next political opportunity.Saini gave the young audience a new identity too. “You call it Gen-H for Haryana; I would call it Gen-HB—Haryana-Bharat. Gen-HB is the heartbeat of India,” he said. The interaction, watched live across more than 4,000 institutions, ranged from politics and technology to startups, jobs, sports, drug abuse and the pressures of public life.His 2009 electoral defeat, Saini said, became a lesson rather than a label. He lost the election but returned to the people the very next day, determined to continue working without a post or guarantee of another ticket. Five years later, he won by a significant margin. “Failure should not define you; let your work be your identity,” was his message to the young audience.Technology, he said, had transformed opportunities for today’s youth. “Unlike my generation, which depended on books, institutions and personal contacts for information, youngsters today can reach investors, mentors, customers and global markets with a few clicks. Cloud technology, digital payments, social media and AI have sharply reduced the distance between an idea and its execution. But patience remains crucial in an age obsessed with instant success,” the CM said.On careers, Saini said he would stand with a youngster choosing an unconventional path over a govt job. Citing his own family, he said his son chose law despite his advice to pursue medicine. He urged parents to listen rather than impose their choices on children. Saini also highlighted Haryana’s startup ecosystem, saying the state now has 12,500 startups and 17 unicorns. He urged youngsters to become job creators, pointing to startup policies, incubation centres, research funding and easier access to credit.For aspiring sportspersons, he said the medal seen on a podium represents years of preparation in village akharas, school grounds and training centres. Thousands of sports nurseries and 550 new Sports Department posts, he said, are part of efforts to identify and nurture talent early.
