Patna, April 11: Today's youth should be able to tell the difference between virtual reality and life, said Tushar Gandhi, Mahatma Gandhi's great-grandson, on Tuesday during the conclave on Bapu and his thoughts.

"The online world is an escapist world and the youth should understand that it is not reality but virtual reality," Tushar replied to The Telegraph, on being asked about the message and relevance of Mahatma Gandhi for the present day youth, whose life revolves around Internet and social networking sites. "They should learn to differentiate between virtual reality and real life otherwise they will not be able to come out of it."

Tushar is one among the many speakers at the conclave celebrating 100 years of the Champaran Satyagraha undertaken by Mahatma Gandhi in Champaran.

He pointed out that anything based on an imaginary world could not substitute real life, and asserted the need for the youth to make truth as the base and touchstone for everything.

"Imaginary and virtual worlds are more misused by communal forces to influence the minds of youths and achieve their vested interests. Such forces use online tools and technology to create such continuous confusion that people are unable to come out of it and start accepting it as reality," Tushar who runs the Mahatma Gandhi Foundation in Mumbai said.

Tushar - the grandson of Bapu's second son Manilal - is also the chairman of the Australian Indian Rural Development Foundation. He, along with other family members, have come to Patna to speak on Mahatma Gandhi, his thoughts and philosophies on issues such as social justice, women empowerment and non-violence.

Speaking at the session on Bapu's philosophy and message to youth,Tushar said they should study Gandhi and develop their life and career based on the Gandhian ideology of serving the deprived.

Gandhi believed in using the abundant energy of youth in constructive works, he added. "Gandhi used it in a positive way. He never told youth that tomorrow was theirs but asked them to take responsibility of the present to serve the nation and fellow people.

"Tomorrow never comes for the youth because politicians have such greed for power and position that they never quit. Time passes and the youth no longer remain young," Tushar said.

Pointing out that Bapu never used the power of youth for frivolous work, nor used them to shout slogans and bear the brunt of lathicharge or attacks like political parties do.

"Gandhi's philosophy was to give responsibility to the youth and channelise it in a positive way," Tushar said. "We see it clearly during the Champaran Satyagraha, in which majority of the participants were young men and women. We see it in the Salt Satyagraha in which barring Gandhi and a couple of others, the average age of the participants was around 20-22 years."