There is a great deal of talk of India’s ‘generation now’ – not just in blogs like mine, but also by the media at large. As young Indians, they are alluded to as much by media- and market-watchers as retired chief justices in random press/online articles. Even Shobhaa De mentions them prominently in her recently-launched book ‘Superstar India’, unveiled by Amitabh Bachchan.
This brings a smile to my lips. Although everyone believes that the new India belongs to the 21-year-old youth, oldies like Shobhaa De, Amitabh Bachchan and I, all seem to want a piece of their fame and energy. That is, as long as we can enjoy it. After all, oldies like us have helped bring in the ‘generation now’ to where they are at the moment. So, what’s wrong in taking a little credit for it?
This thought makes me wonder if we – the media, the marketing men, and the social scientists – have got the ‘generation now’ definition written down correctly. While we are on the lookout for the 21-year-old mobilephone- and iPod-wired urban youth glued to his/her music, it is really a much older group of people who are responsible for India’s massive social, cultural and economic change.
For instance, wouldn’t someone closer to 30 years of age be a better representative of the new face of India? Wouldn’t 30-year-old urban Indians be the real ‘generation now’ of India? The ones who are aware of their past, who live hand-in-hand with all the technological changes and economic reforms overwhelming the country at present, and who never lose focus of the future because that’s where India is going to be?
08 May 2008
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2 comments:
good point, bish.
it's 'oldies' like narayan murthy who changed India, and not his 21-year old wired geeks, who, when not answering calls at call centers, are busy blowing big bucks at bang pubs and bonking co workers in the blue glass buildings' parking lots (ok, am generalising).
not sure about dear shoba, though. she's just a wrinkling wannabe.
anil t
@ anil t
Thanks for visiting my blog and commenting on it. I agree, the older generation is not given its due. N R Narayana Murthy, the Ambanis, Ratan Tata et al are the ones who’ve built India in the last 21 years. And continues to do so even now. However, Shobhaa De has great social/entertainment value.
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