An Arrogant Young Man

Now that Youth Day is here, once again the time comes to be told how great it is to be a youth (in the 15-25 age bracket) in India.

But this year, I thought I would do something radical. I will not tell you what you could or should be doing. Instead let me share with you what I, a middle-class, 23-year-old urban youth working with an international company in a major Indian city, think of myself.

There are plenty of ‘me’ in this country and considering the contribution by ‘my’ kind to the GDP, I think what I think is food for thought.

I was 13 when the new millennium began, and as I remember, we were heralded as the phoenix that would bring a new India out of it own ashes. Ten years later, I take a quick look at my own report card. All things considered, I think I get 66%.

I am arrogant, completely devoid of unnecessary obligations, free in my love, smug in my sense of how modern/liberal I am, strangely reluctant to let go of religion, confident in my abilities to reach any goal I choose, uncaring about anything that doesn’t affect me directly, still following politicians my grandfather’s age, easily roused to anger, don’t believe in government interference and have a good job in an air-conditioned office that is making me richer than my dad.

The list under “Things you have done to 'change the world'” is rather small. In fact, personally, managing to pay my postpaid cell phone bill before the due date can be classified as a major social achievement.

Let’s face the truth. The wings I soar upon were not made by me. My English-medium school, B.A Degree, Internet, 32-inch flat screen TV, microwave, washing machine, daily newspapers, jeans, pens, fruits and a million different material things, along with most of my outlook on life, were given to me by my parents.

I don’t think I have flown above the past; I think I was pulled onto the top of a high tower, strapped to glider and shoved off. Gliding higher up was more or less involuntary.

Among social and work-related circles, a disdain for the past has become rather fashionable. No one wants to know about the License Raj, about the struggles for freedom or even about the Emergency.

Talk about Mahatma Gandhi and I am generally met with scorn along the lines of " oh who him? It’s just a picture on a wall! He didn't do ALL that much you know". This comes from the same class of people who can't seem to stop anyone from even jaywalking.

But such is the way. The past is not so important to me. I prefer the unseen future which I will be making myself.

But there are other things of which I am proud. I am a somewhat moral and reasonably law-abiding citizen who speaks four languages, pays my taxes, has a steady job and am not quite as ready as my forefathers to urinate on every vertical surface I find. I am devoid of any ideals of not letting the evil capitalists win. What I really want to know is how I can steal their jobs faster and when that shopping mall will open, since I got my salary yesterday.

I am sure that my opinion counts and if anyone tells me that it doesn’t they better be ready to fight me. The world is a place that needs to be taken over and I believe I know how to do it.

And if anyone looks at me and sneers "Indian" you can be damn sure that I will sneer back with the words "and what miserable little shack to you come from? What’s that? 3% yearly growths...are you serious? Didn’t you lose your job to me last year? Unemployed are you? That’s right. Keep walking!"

As a young man, I may not have done much. I may not even be much to look at, maybe too many pizzas and Coca-Cola have made me ‘healthy’. But I know that I have done enough to ensure that I am on a path that will allow me to do anything.

I am not a ‘somebody’, but I could become ‘anybody’. I am confident about tomorrow knowing that.

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