Life in the slow lane, “empty nesters†& self-confidence…
…or Changing India – Step V
It has been barely two weeks since I returned home from the 6-cities, 9-days trip. I am already beginning to experience withdrawal symptoms! Â I got a good taste of life on adrenaline over this visit, with 25+ meetings, numerous phone calls and a hoarse throat..but I came back refreshed, recharged – and above all, more hopeful than ever before.
Most of you must have seen some of the photographs and a video on facebook (as well as YouTube). I am expecting a few more videos over the coming weeks. Will upload them as I receive them.
In the meantime, here are some quick, high-level thoughts and observations…
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- I believe we will need to create an alternative “narrative” for the “Gen X” or “Gen Y” that is coming of age in India today
- This group is impatient, has little interest in the past, is more hopeful & positive about the future than perhaps any other demographic today and is eager to do something.
- I felt there is a very active demographic that we seem to be ignoring – these are the “empty-nesters“. This realisation dawned on me in Chandigarh, during the event in the evening.
- I need to think more about how we leverage their experience, resources and time
- We had a very interesting discussion in Bengaluru between members of FTI and “Friends of BJP” – thanks to Amit Malviya.
- Although it started awakwardly, it ended very positively with very frank exchange of views. I continue to feel the need for organisations and movements to come together to bring about political reform
- Hearteningly, there is a very strong sense of civic consciousness and the feeling that all is not well BUT it can be fixed.
- I think this fundamental, strong self-belief and self-confidence is one of the strongest levers we have in any effort to bring about systemic change and usher political reform.
A glimpse of life in the slow lane
I need to specifically thank a few individuals who made this visit so memorable and worthwhile...First of all, my FTI colleagues in Delhi, specifically Dipinder, Piyush, Mayank, Somnath & RK Atri; Raghav Garg and Sanjay Sharma who organised the meetings in Ghaziabad, Suneeta Dhariwal – who single-handedly managed the events and the press coverage in Chandigarh (at a very significant personal expense); Amit Malviya in Bengaluru, Devendra and Mridula Devasthale who helped organise and coordinate the meetings in Mumbai & Thane and Ranjit Shetty & Radhakrishnan Pillai in Mumbai.Thank you all – for the tremendous work. Comments welcome, as always. Jai Hind, Jai Bharat!
Also read: Changing India – Step VI
Good feedback.
Yes, it is true. Now everybody in India knows about the present. They are not interested in the past as it is corroborated. They are just worried about the future. Currently, in every nook and corner of India somebody is fighting against this governance system for better future. But, their efforts are being not picking up and dying with them. Thus we need to go to these people and align their efforts and provide a bigger platform.
Currently the youth is getting confused due to bi-polar activities. One hand they are asked to follow the western philosophies for growth and fortune and on the other they are asked to remain entwined with their cultural background.
Don’t we have an Indian way to deal with all these problems. Why we need to look for the solutions outside?
||namO Bhaartam, namO Sanskritam||
Huge challenge, many approaches. Here’s just one thought, as an example.
Idiom/concerns of Gen X: Before addressing Gen X (including my college going son and school going daughter), I have to acknowledge that I myself have had to undertake a tortuous journey from ancient Indian/Sanatan philosophy being irrational/unscientific etc etc to seeing some method in that ‘madness’ that has spanned a decade. For, like most of my well meaning, well intentioned secular, liberal friends I am a product of my schooling/history learnt and ‘rationalist’ temper. Having also done workshops with schoold kids, my two paisa question: How do we, say, make Bhagvad Gita relevant for ‘cool dudes’? How about a set of CDs/audio/video programmes/innovative workshops for school/college kids that address the question:
My girl friend/boy friend have ditched me! Or, I am too tense about career/exams! Well, here’s ‘Gita for cool dudes’. And, these — and such like questions — can, (and, I am serious) can be addressed by ‘attachment with a sense of detachment’. Can I get into this theme from such an angle, and, then take Gen X through Bhagvad Gita or for that matter Ashta Vakra Gita? Can I then, get into the whole debate about concept of oneness of life, interconnectedness, energy et all (also called, among other things, god)?
Dear Shnatanu,
This “GenerationX” and “Generation Y” talks from an extremely myopic point of veiw. They are not aware of what is there in this creation. The creation is awesome, but his generation thinks of only extremely petty things and think that is the world.
I have travelled from “Wagah border” in the West to “Kaziranga” in the East and from “Somnath” in Gujarat to “Kanyakumari” in Tamilnadu. The only places I am yet to visit is Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland. This has been over a period of Thirty Five years. I have taken my Family along for all these trips.
I found only one thing throughout my journeys, “INDIANS ALL OVER THE PLACE” are the same. The same hospitality, the same friendliness and overall the same happiness.
I travelled with a group of tribals in 1987 and they shared their frugal Rotis and their Chutney made out of roots and ants with me. I stayed in a Jungle lodge with the Forest guards, and they shared their Frugal Dinner with me. I stayed in a Luxury Cottage in Nainital and the owners shared their Luxurious lunch with me. Their was no difference.
NO RELIGION, NO HATRED ONLY LOVE.
There is a great future for BHARAT, if only the “Generation’s” as you call them understand their world as in the “PRESENT”, not the “FUTURE” or the “PAST”.
The “Generation’s” are brought out on a diet of Web world and American “PIEISM”.
If they go out in the open world I am sure they will understand what a beutiful place this “Bharat” is and they will strive to see to get rid it off the “Quislings “, “Quatrochis”. Rajas and Kalmadis.
They will know how to approach life with beauty and strength and not bitterness and sadness.
Regards,
vck
>NO RELIGION, NO HATRED ONLY LOVE.
Of course, this is true of the people, by and large. But,not entirely. For, there are a few lost souls too who indulge in violence, worse still there some who justify violence as a means of enforcing their beliefs on the rest. Being aware of such tendencies is not contrary to love, but a necessary element of reinforcing the primacy to love.
> There is a great future for BHARAT, if only the “Generation’s†as you call them understand their world as in the “PRESENTâ€, not the “FUTURE†or the “PASTâ€.
Aren’t past, present, future connected?
> The “Generation’s†are brought out on a diet of Web world and American “PIEISMâ€.
But, they too well understand the need for harmony and love.
Hi Shantanu,
I have been following your blog for past 6 months or so but this happens to be my first comment. I would like to congratulate you(although its the same kind of support that you mention in “Reconstructing India – Challenging established paradigms, Part III” that says aap chalo jantar mantar main online support kar raha huun!) on walking the talk. I just want to share my experience with dealing with the youth of today(I worked for 6 months as a Communication Facilitator in an urban slum of south delhi). My discussions with them took the path of what’s wrong with India, why is it necessary to be more informed etc…and all said and done, most of them were interested in the discussions because as one of them put it, ‘kuchh kar toh sakte hain nahiin, bas kabhi kabhi aisi baatein karna achha lagta hai’. I know that’s grim but I guess I did not have a plan so as to how to go about negating their ‘practical day to day mundane and unchanging’ surroundings and lack of fruitful outcomes of their small efforts in changing things…Even with these visits and all, my humble would be to keep the link with the institutions to somehow make sure that their interest doesn’t die an unnatural death…
gam-e-rozaana ko mitaane ka mann to karta hai
bas badbada kar hi dil halka kar lete hain 😐
“Reconstructing India – Challenging established paradigms, Part III†something is not right with the video/audio synchronization. Loved the interactions with the students. Hope your youtube channel can be as exhaustive as this blog 🙂
Satyameva Jayate
I have been following your blog for a long time now. Everybody is concerned about good governance. It is no doubt important but it is equally important to be informedabout past.
Breaking India by Rajiv Malhotra is a must read for every Indian. I hope in your future meetings with people the subject of this book is brought about.
So not only very Indian needs to know historical truths about India but also about the rest of the world. One can see the pattern of conquests across space and time. Books such as Breaking India will open their eyes and mind to existence of all sorts of Instituions that promote the Establishment view.
Very encouraging.
We could try to have a FTI + local-classical-liberals meeting in Kolkata too, if you are interested.
Thanks.
Sure Harsh…We will take you up on this!
I will email you separately. Thanks.