India
@ `25`
In the past twenty five years if one thing is to be marked out as a single biggest game changer, it has to be technology. For us, getting a landline telephone connection and owning a colour television set were nirvana. Today, our kids change their mobile phones within months and have hundreds of channels at their service. Technology has changed the way India lives, breathes, talks, feels and expresses. When we were at school, we were measured by IQ and today our children are measuring us with TQ.
In the past twenty five years if one thing is to be marked out as a single biggest game changer, it has to be technology. For us, getting a landline telephone connection and owning a colour television set were nirvana. Today, our kids change their mobile phones within months and have hundreds of channels at their service. Technology has changed the way India lives, breathes, talks, feels and expresses. When we were at school, we were measured by IQ and today our children are measuring us with TQ.
India is introspecting life after twenty five years of
liberalisation, one of the momentous post-independence events. I was
just 22 when PV Narasimha Rao and Dr Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister
and Finance Minister respectively, announced economic reforms. The
Congress-led government was forced to take the step due to the
balance of payments crisis. What it meant politically was a break
from the socialist stance and embracing capitalism. The Cold War had
ended with the US, with whom India thus far had shared an ambivalent
relationship, decisively winning it. Caplitalism had triumphed over
communism. The USSR had broken up and the US emerged as a massive
superpower.
What economic liberalisation meant for the lay man here was more television channels beyond the usual fare from Doordarshan, and international soft drinks and fashion brands enticing us with their flavours. My generation started to feel the change in the '80s itself as Disco music and Hollywood movies started to capture our imagination. There was a palpable cultural shift. Signs were clear that India was on the cusp of a change – a major change.
That major change was sealed in 1991, as India was forced to open itself up to foreign investments and thereby foreign competition. The comfort zone of being a closed, public-sector controlled economy was shaken at its roots. Nehruvian socialism was about to break its links with the past and a new kind of governance was thrust upon a reluctant country. The brands started to come in thick and fast.
Hindi movies started reflecting the change. They became grander. The nation was less angry and more anticipating now. The Rajesh Khannas and Amitabh Bachchans of Bollywood made a decisive way to the Madhuris and Shah Rukhs. No more of the lost and found, let's fight poverty and injustice types of plots. It was a bolder and more expressive India with Madhuri Dixit having the nation on its toes with her `revealing` ek, do, teen number in the film Tezaab. She symbolised an India that was prepared to shed its inhibitions big time.
Economic liberalisation changed the meaning and value of money. When Manoj Kumar raised a rant against inflation in the 1974 film Roti, Kapada aur Makaan, nobody could have visualised the rising inflation levels the country is living with since 1991. Be it the basic necessities of life, property prices or cost of entertainment, everything has been on a constant upswing. Yet, the middle class has seized upon the opportunity to live a life of its dreams – cars, homes, clothes, burgeoning income, etc.
As I push towards 47, besides the impact on the perception of money, I can see that the country has undergone a drastic cultural shift too. Economic liberalisation has not just transformed the value of money, it has altered cultural equations. It is redefining perspectives on traditional ideas of relationships, marriages and lifestyles.
What economic liberalisation meant for the lay man here was more television channels beyond the usual fare from Doordarshan, and international soft drinks and fashion brands enticing us with their flavours. My generation started to feel the change in the '80s itself as Disco music and Hollywood movies started to capture our imagination. There was a palpable cultural shift. Signs were clear that India was on the cusp of a change – a major change.
That major change was sealed in 1991, as India was forced to open itself up to foreign investments and thereby foreign competition. The comfort zone of being a closed, public-sector controlled economy was shaken at its roots. Nehruvian socialism was about to break its links with the past and a new kind of governance was thrust upon a reluctant country. The brands started to come in thick and fast.
Hindi movies started reflecting the change. They became grander. The nation was less angry and more anticipating now. The Rajesh Khannas and Amitabh Bachchans of Bollywood made a decisive way to the Madhuris and Shah Rukhs. No more of the lost and found, let's fight poverty and injustice types of plots. It was a bolder and more expressive India with Madhuri Dixit having the nation on its toes with her `revealing` ek, do, teen number in the film Tezaab. She symbolised an India that was prepared to shed its inhibitions big time.
Economic liberalisation changed the meaning and value of money. When Manoj Kumar raised a rant against inflation in the 1974 film Roti, Kapada aur Makaan, nobody could have visualised the rising inflation levels the country is living with since 1991. Be it the basic necessities of life, property prices or cost of entertainment, everything has been on a constant upswing. Yet, the middle class has seized upon the opportunity to live a life of its dreams – cars, homes, clothes, burgeoning income, etc.
As I push towards 47, besides the impact on the perception of money, I can see that the country has undergone a drastic cultural shift too. Economic liberalisation has not just transformed the value of money, it has altered cultural equations. It is redefining perspectives on traditional ideas of relationships, marriages and lifestyles.
Teenagers today, who were born in the `new` India,
inheriting parents from the `old` India, celebrate life far more than
people from my generation could have imagined. They have probably
already used up the `celebration quota` allotted to us at birth. Many
of them are uncluttered and live life to the fullest. The shift in
the way India lived pre-1991 and now can be seen by simply visiting
any academic institution today. The way we operated as students seems
like we belonged to an archaic generation.
In the past twenty five years if one thing is to be marked out as a single biggest game changer, it has to be technology. For us, getting a landline telephone connection (how funny that when it comes to phones today, you have to be specific) and owning a colour television set were nirvana. Today, our kids change their mobile phones within months and have hundreds of channels at their service. Technology has changed the way India lives, breathes, talks, feels and expresses. When we were at school, we were measured by IQ (Intelligence Quotient) and today our children are measuring us with TQ (Technology Quotient). Unfortunately, many from my generation, myself included, fell way short in IQ and are trying to improve their TQ score.
As India is now caught up between two generations with dramatically different paradigms, it is interesting how our lives are parallely panning out. We always chased, but our children have attracted. We inherited values, they have redefined choices. We stuck to relationships, they have no qualms to move on if need be. We saved money as we thought it was scarce; they spend it unabashedly as they are confident of creating more. We waited for the country to change, they are changing the country. We listened to our parents, they are questioning us. We laughed at ourselves, they are laughing at us – so in that sense we are aligned. We dreamt of going abroad, our children can now far more easily access different countries. We were fascinated by Hollywood – held it in awe - they are seeing `Hollywood in Bollywood` now.
We live in a society where technology is constantly redefining our relevance by the minute and challenging us to constantly add value. We created technology for our convenience, but now it is threatening our relevance. Robots, a fantasy for our generation, are now about to enter our homes and take over their functioning. These are very interesting times where ideas are getting realigned before they get debated. There is something happening all the time – whatsapp messages, construction, shopping, celebration, etc.
Twenty five years on, India has changed beyond recognition. The biggest change is that the party that ushered in liberalisation is struggling to reinvent itself. Population, which was a major liability pre-1991, is now an asset. India, because of its economic potential, is now the cynosure of the world's eyes. The Narendra Modi-led government was voted into power in 2014 on the back of huge expectations. It is trying to make India a major political and economic force. But socially, the divide between the rich and the poor has widened. It is creating its own complications, testing the democratic and secular fabric of the nation all the time.
In terms of daily life in India, my generation, conditioned by its pre-1991 upbringing, is trying to implement a parenting style dictated by the demands of the post-1991 generation. It is a tough balancing act. That in a nutshell is India @ 25.
In the past twenty five years if one thing is to be marked out as a single biggest game changer, it has to be technology. For us, getting a landline telephone connection (how funny that when it comes to phones today, you have to be specific) and owning a colour television set were nirvana. Today, our kids change their mobile phones within months and have hundreds of channels at their service. Technology has changed the way India lives, breathes, talks, feels and expresses. When we were at school, we were measured by IQ (Intelligence Quotient) and today our children are measuring us with TQ (Technology Quotient). Unfortunately, many from my generation, myself included, fell way short in IQ and are trying to improve their TQ score.
As India is now caught up between two generations with dramatically different paradigms, it is interesting how our lives are parallely panning out. We always chased, but our children have attracted. We inherited values, they have redefined choices. We stuck to relationships, they have no qualms to move on if need be. We saved money as we thought it was scarce; they spend it unabashedly as they are confident of creating more. We waited for the country to change, they are changing the country. We listened to our parents, they are questioning us. We laughed at ourselves, they are laughing at us – so in that sense we are aligned. We dreamt of going abroad, our children can now far more easily access different countries. We were fascinated by Hollywood – held it in awe - they are seeing `Hollywood in Bollywood` now.
We live in a society where technology is constantly redefining our relevance by the minute and challenging us to constantly add value. We created technology for our convenience, but now it is threatening our relevance. Robots, a fantasy for our generation, are now about to enter our homes and take over their functioning. These are very interesting times where ideas are getting realigned before they get debated. There is something happening all the time – whatsapp messages, construction, shopping, celebration, etc.
Twenty five years on, India has changed beyond recognition. The biggest change is that the party that ushered in liberalisation is struggling to reinvent itself. Population, which was a major liability pre-1991, is now an asset. India, because of its economic potential, is now the cynosure of the world's eyes. The Narendra Modi-led government was voted into power in 2014 on the back of huge expectations. It is trying to make India a major political and economic force. But socially, the divide between the rich and the poor has widened. It is creating its own complications, testing the democratic and secular fabric of the nation all the time.
In terms of daily life in India, my generation, conditioned by its pre-1991 upbringing, is trying to implement a parenting style dictated by the demands of the post-1991 generation. It is a tough balancing act. That in a nutshell is India @ 25.
Good thoughts Hari.
जवाब देंहटाएंCaptured the change in a nice way.
जवाब देंहटाएंJourney very well captured and put across precisely
जवाब देंहटाएंWell done Hari sir
Journey very well captured and put across precisely
जवाब देंहटाएंWell done Hari sir
Great articulation
जवाब देंहटाएं