Yes change is good and is needed. But what is this change we are hearing?. And who are the people who stand to gain?. We have to work on the premise that the society we live in is essentially selfish and are dealing with some very selfish and self preserving people. This has to be accepted, since this is what we are increasingly seeing around not only that it is celebrated through market. Selfishness here is carefully constructed as: I gain but in the process we all will gain. Since it is a construct on selfish premise the later part rarely happens, some innovative use term like trickle down. So the elite section has created some kind of alliance to be saviors for common people. It is a mutual agreement on sharing the spoils, they do conduct mock fights and heated arguments for the consumption of audience. But the spoil is always intact (note the lukewarm response to black money deposits…I am having a new found admiration for likes of Baba Ramdev).
The threat of people representing the majority of people in this country is what giving them sleepless nights. People “not like us”. This blogger is not under the assumption that rural leaders are not corrupt but then I don’t have any prejudices against anyone from rural who doesn’t speak English or who has an accent that could be fed to urban coach potatoes as forms of entertainment, that assurance that we are smart than them. People not like us are necessarily funny people. The market construct that accentuates prejudices.
It is in this very construct that urban
Largest population under-35 but how many between 18-35 is not very clear and how many who earn money, to decide their market choices?. Nevertheless it is a size that cannot be neglected. There is a campaign happening to awaken them. Excellent work but this blogger watches it with much trepidation.
Younger population is what market excited about. It is also not a coincidence this section is a major target consumer for market (youngisthan). It is clear from the selling pattern of billion dollar industries like coke/Pepsi or so called “international” fast food joints and many other products which most common people may not buy. It is also an audience that can be manipulated.
Idealism of m
ost Indian urban youth pupates in Mcfood surrounding sipping Coca Cola, this may look out of place for most us but their elder generations have mastered it in their own youth, it’s a kind hypocrisy that is traditional. Since the exploitative nature of these products and lifestyle doesn’t sync with the realities of not only this society but the nature and environment (as I said earlier nature is not into “live and let live” when you don’t know how to live. Period) but has put societies in serious threat- to their livelihood and natural resources. This market media is not interested since it threatens their selfish interests/ self preservation. Therefore they try to blur these. Amir Khan will come and talk of future of small children but the future of children is not confined to political choices we make but indeed to a larger extend to choices we make to preserve natural resources and health of younger generation. Ground water exploitation by exploitative products conglomerates doesn’t fall into his concern, since if it does then it will affect his self interest. Although Amir Khan seems like a concerned man the difference here is many people don’t work on self interest. Further carrying the same logic of self interest if some one is giving money to vote for him why shouldn’t I take money (being a voter is my strength-USP, so why shouldn’t I exploit it?), also it is not necessary to vote for him/her just because he has given money, it is not a deal (smart ye)!!
Communalism is not the only concern, in fact sometimes I think it is overdone by some market driven section to mask or divert the concerns which they could be complicit, it also helps them to build image. I read on the Net sometime back “The Health Minister of
Idealism necessarily goes with understanding, and understanding is not talk shows where people (camera friendly small timers) express their feelings but rigorous process of knowledge gathering apart from what makes one professionally 
competent (I need to add this here since these IT guys are considered knowledgeable but most are woefully mono dimensional ditto technologists under Hitler). How can you have understanding without knowledge?. Take any example of “idealist youths” throughout history right from Gandhi to Luther King to Bagath Singh to many people whom we admire they were into rigorous knowledge. It is not an easy option and by the very nature of market these options are not smart. The construct of smartness for youth is basically on the parameters of consumerism. So what we have is bunch of young and younger people who are dumb and dumber. But high on attitude clearly attitude doesn’t compensate idealism. In fact market friendly attitude are created- it’s about being bold and stupid. If more exploitative products are selling because of ads nothing can be more telling. If the decisions are based on so fickle then god save. Fast forward and you have a society that elects a man not once but twice as their leader who created havoc on the world. A society that overspends, over consumes…that is not only responsible for all the financial muck but also the impending environmental catastrophe. It is the same culture they are trying to spread through market driven change. Urban youth is going to be the foot soldier, but first create a construct that he is smart and is agent of change but the reality is most of these fools (not all but yes most) cannot even tell north pole from south pole. Yes very high on brand conscious. God save us from change.
With understanding comes empathy. But then empathy doesn’t go with capitalism the reason they have philanthropy. In
Also note Youth for change not only helps market in its very immediacy but also a clever ploy for promoting the elite section’s family and friends. So by crying wolf to common people they have helped themselves. This you will see in all fields…the young faces we see are all progenies promoted from the same elite, same coterie. Obviously young from non elite background cannot be in such positions (or able to tap these opportunities which they have opened in the name of youth). Another point here is that all the opportunities here are in field were competence is subjective (afterall anybody who has tongue can talk!!). Objective competences are for common people, they prepare for entrance exams and other recruitment procedures and so on. While the elite section take a break. This blogger took break from conventional career, without any backing or fall back option…believe me it was very tough, it nearly consume me, the insecurity (it’s like floating in a rudderless dingy on a deep rough sea!!. In the beginning when the enormity of the situation strikes it is terrifying then don’t think about it and concentrate on the immediate threats, then a stage comes when you get so used to it that can detach and contemplate!!).A survey by India today(its there in the net) says "97 per cent of young India does not have access to the Internet and 41 per cent never watch television. What’s more, the urban young population, has benefited the most from liberalisation’s..."
So again we are back to 1960s and 1970s. It’s about keeping the exclusiveness of class. Even the guitar holding (rocker!) “idealist young urban” singing for change is not really about empathy but a statement of exclusiveness. It’s about how much gap is created from common people. The tragedy here is the angst of the youth for the world the common people are not even able to understand, wherein the musicians in west used these to connect. The guitar for instance is part of the west narration that goes back to church carol. Clearly the “young urban Indian” is trying to connect to western sensibilities (referred to as modern) therefore easier for consumerism, so the market media is interested. Crass is in and is looking for room to change…
A disclaimer: obviously this is not against business (I do admire some of these businessmen, I am not an ideologue), also trade and transaction is an important element of any society. This is for a caution on exploitative products and attempts made to deconstruct our social reality for consumption.
Post script: actually it very easy to go with the crowd and gain, as most people are doing. (few hours back I was watching TV and the amount of jewelry ads in Malayalam channels is staggering. I pity these actors, surely it is their profession and they too need money). The market mantra “live and let live” seems to be lets all lick!!.
Next blog should be about “Needed: professional audience”…
