Young India is rediscovering the nation in desi ishtyle

By Mandira Nayar

Mera joota hai Japani,
yeh patloon Englishtani,
Sar pe lal topi Roossi,
Phir bhi dil hai Hindustani
—Shree 420

India’s own tramp, Raj Kapoor, carrying his potli, would have never thought that more than four decades later, his song could mean something completely different—description of the global, fashion-conscious desi.

The topi, however, is no longer Roossi; it is probably American. And it would not be red; it would be a plush plum, the colour of the season. The shoes would not be Japani; they would be handcrafted Italian or a cheap Chinese imitation of whatever Ferragamo ones are in fashion.
The trousers may be English, but they would not be short or tattered, unless they are distressed jeans. Indians are not tramps, and certainly not Charlie Chaplin copies.

The only sentiment that has stood the test of time and become more magnified is: “dil hai Hindustani”. For years, the confidence that Kapoor exuded in the song—“nikal pade hain khuli sadak pe, par apna seena taane”—was restricted to him and the romanticism in celluloid.
Now, the stride he was famous for has become part of the aam admi strut, with or without designer labels. Instead of staring through the window at the First World dining at the high table, India is rocking the party now.

Young India now has the luxury of looking in the rear-view mirror. It is like Jawaharlal Nehru’s discovery of India moment: a beautiful, complex land, with a rich history, tremendous potential, surmountable obstacles and, of course, a sense of romance.

And going back to your roots is only natural. Whether it is the epics—they have gone beyond the B.R. Chopra moment to become part of the new generation which wants to explore, contextualise and own them—or it is food (Indians are now delving into diversity in dals), for desis today, it is about finally becoming comfortable in their own skins.

From clothes to colts, Young India wants to connect with its roots, and even show them off.
Fashion today is not just about trend-setting dresses—though urban Indians are taking to them with a vengeance. It is also about handlooms. The mushrooming of Fabindia outlets across the country, from Kochi to Kolkata, is just one indication.

And we have ace designers, the “revivalists”, such as Ritu Kumar, Sabyasachi Mukherjee and Rohit Bal promoting traditional Indian styles, offering beams of hope to weavers and artisans of rural India.
The roots have more to offer. Pachisi, gilli-danda and kabaddi are back with a bang, on the PlayStation. Traditional toys such as lacquer tops, whistles, marbles, cowrie shell games and board games based on themes from the Ramayana are slowly peeping out of the villages. Just wait till they catch the urban child’s eyes.

Step into Kavada Toy Hive, a project that aims to promote rural toys, in Bangalore, and one will realise how the desi top can give expensive Beyblades a run for its money.
No other horse breed can outrun the Marwari and Kathiawari horses that were once used by the Indian kings and warriors. The majestic horses, however, faded into oblivion, as the British, especially the memsahibs, found them too hot to handle.

But the Indigenous Horse Society of India, formed by a group of horse lovers in 1996, has been trying to preserve and popularise the exotic breeds. And today, the horses have made a name for themselves across the world.
What’s in a name? A lot, according to Young India, which wants to retain its ties to a more ancient past. For instance, a recent online survey reveals that names from the Vedas are the current rage among Indian parents.

Identity is not just about clinging on to a past. “I find that the food I like, the coffee I don’t like, the tea I drink, are all the rage. When I went to Sweden, I asked my friends if I needed to change my accent, so that I would be understood better. They looked at me and said Indian accents were cute,’’ says Sivasankar R., a techie who recently had a stint in Sweden.

The 24-year-old engineer, whose business card reads Shiv, hopes to start at least four companies, as he is a firm believer in start-ups because “Indians like to do things their way”.
Economic prosperity may be one factor. That India’s colonial master—the UK—came with its largest delegation post-1947 speaks volumes. But it is more than just about the money, though the green stuff boosts confidence in a way botox or silicone could never do. It is also about the mood, moment and finally growing up.

“Culture is no longer just about activists,’’ says Mahmood Farooqui, author, filmmaker and storyteller. “The middle-class has acquired comfort and they now want to acquire culture. That is why there are more readers, theatre audiences and listeners at concerts.”

A comfort level with the past reflects a certain maturity—even if it is looking at just the good stuffs as yet. It is not all about nostalgia, but the warm, fuzzy feeling of reminiscing does help the cause. “It is about replenishment,’’ says Rajeev Sethi of the Asian Heritage Foundation.
Back to the roots—replenished or just for a short visit—is not just a catch phrase, like breaking news. It is the way the wind is blowing. India is all set to discover herself. It may be GenNext’s version of the discovery at the moment—with sufi music on their i-Pod, running for their yoga class, drinking tulsi tea and chomping on an organic laddoo—but it is a beginning.

“Chhodo kal ki baatein, kal ki baat purani
Naye daur mein likhenge, mil kar nayi kahaani
Hum Hindustani, hum Hindustani...”
This was the song of the Nehruvian era. The kal for India today, doesn’t mean yesterday, but tomorrow. In a world that is changing so fast—that tomorrow’s technology is outdated today—the kal can only mean the aane wala kal.
And the future, like the party, has just come home.

A dose of tradition
Punjabi parents living abroad should no longer worry about their children losing touch with their heritage—a school near Mohali is dedicated to inculcating Punjabi values to NRI children. Mata Sahib Kaur Public School in Lakhnaur, affiliated to CBSE, teaches students classical music and the folklore of Punjab along with the history and tradition of Sikh gurus. On Baisakhi day, the students perform ?kirtan and recite gurbani in nearby villages.

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Our Youth - Conservative, Anxious, Optimistic

Commenting on the similarities between the young and the old, Peter Ronald deSouza, a faculty member of CSDS, said, “There does not seem to be a big generational gap between the older generation and today’s youth. We share similar views and anxieties.”

Interested in politics

Unlike the rest of the world, where the interest of the youth in politics is found to be declining, a high population of India’s youths believe in the tenets of democracy and politics. While 13 per cent claimed to have “high interest” in politics, 24 per cent said they had “moderate interest”.
Besides their interest, the youth also exhibit high participation in politics and high trust in democracy. And while they trust the Army, they don’t really trust the police and political parties. About 48 per cent said they had strong faith in democratic values while 27 per cent were indifferent to these issues.

Urban-rural divide

Be it fashion, the available time for leisure or mixing with the opposite sex, those in urban areas have the upper hand over their rural counterparts. The study says that while 67 per cent of men in the metros have an extended circle of friends, the corresponding figure for rural men is just 54 per cent. Even when it comes to parental authority, rural youth (42 per cent) find it more important than urban youth (33 per cent).

High anxiety, high optimism

The study, conducted on people between the ages of 15 and 34 years, finds that the group shares similar anxieties and concerns as the old. However, there is also a high level of optimism. While half of them reported “very high” anxiety, two out of every 10 youths admitted “high” anxiety. Age, caste and education were found to influence the level of anxiety while the place of residence and religion did not appear to make a difference.

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Bihar boy's story of rags to radio star

The rollercoaster ride to success of an illiterate Bihar youth, who launched a radio station and promoted social messages on polio, AIDS and other issues but was arrested for illegally running it, has found place in school textbooks.

The story of Raghav, in his mid-20s, and his 'Raghav Radio' has been published by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) in its book Bharat Mein Samajik Parivartan Evam Vikas(Social change and development in India) for Class 12.

The book describes Raghav as a role model for development in society. It highlights his struggle and the difficulties he faced after starting 'Raghav Radio' in Mansoorpur village in Vaishali district.

Raghav, who currently works as the project head of a community radio station in Rajasthan's Ajmer district, told IANS over the phone that his "story in the NCERT book will inspire people, particularly the youths, to make a difference in society".

The book mentions Raghav as being born in a family of agricultural labourers who were too poor to provide him with education.

It was in 2004 that Raghav, who had an electronics repair shop at Gudri Bazar near Mansoorpur and loved to tinker with old equipment, stumbled upon the innovative idea of launching a radio station.

With the old tools and gadgets that he had stored over the years, he launched his radio station that very soon became a hit with the villagers.

The station operated like a community radio service in Muzaffarpur, Vaishali and Saran districts, providing local news and views in the local dialect.

Apart from Hindi songs and news, it provided information about crime in the area, programmes on AIDS awareness, polio eradication, literacy initiatives and news about missing people as well as on local functions and festivals. And all that free of cost.

The media highlighted his story and he became very popular. The union communications ministry took notice too -- but that was to be his undoing.

In 2006, the ministry sought a report on the legality of the private radio station. Raghav did not possess an operating licence as he was too poor to pay the licence fee and too naive to understand that it was illegal.

'Raghav Radio' closed down. The district authorities said it was closed for violating the Indian Telegraphs Act.

The government held him an offender and arrested him for a brief period but for people residing in and around Mansoorpur village, he was a hero.

Later, many NGOs came forward to help him and gave him vocational training.

Impressed by his talent and struggle, the Barefoot College at Tilonia in Rajasthan, run by Bunker Roy, appointed him the head of Barefoot Community Radio Station, the first of its kind in Rajasthan.

The radio service caters to the educational, development and socio-cultural needs of the local community in a radius of six to 10 kilometres through indigenously created broadcast programming.

From an ordinary illiterate youth to becoming someone who has the ability to inspire people through his simple deeds, Raghav has indeed come a long way. And the mission to inform and educate continues.

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Kashmiri Youth Shouldn't Be Stereotyped: Faesal

He may have topped this year's civil services exam but Shah Faesal feels his achievement will be realised only when stereotypes associated with Kashmiri youth are done away with and they are able to overcome their "identity crisis".

The 27-year-old, who became the first Kashmiri to top the civil services exam, said some kind of an "identity" is imposed on people from Kashmir and they are "pushed to the wall" due to misconceptions by people in the country and their dreams have been "curtailed" and "axed".

"One person topping the civil services is not an achievement. What about the seven lakh educated youth in the state? When will they be able to realise their dreams? When some kind of an identity is imposed on people from youth, he is pushed towards the wall," he said at a felicitation programme organised by the PHD Chamber of Commerce.

"My achievement will be realised only when those stereotypes and prejudices are done away with."

Faesal hails from the remote village of Lolab valley in Kupwara district and graduate in medicine from Sher- i-Kashmir Medical College.

He said millions of Kashmiri youth want a space in the mainstream to contribute to the development of the nation.

"Whenever a youth from Kashmir goes to any metro in the country, they brand him. They tell you are a Kashmiri, you are a Muslim, you are a separatist and then you are a terrorist. This should change," Faesal, whose father was killed by militants in 2002, said.

He also appealed to IT and BPO sector to come and invest in the Kashmir Valley as the climate is conducive for setting up such companies and also given the fluency in English the youths there have got.

"We have the required human resources and Kashmiri youths are well-versed in English language. But unfortunately, nothing has happened. How long do we wait? When will the circumstances improve? Politics and violence are there, but life has to go on," he said.

The medicine graduate, who will soon take up civil services training, said the misprision that "whoever goes to Kashmir will get killed" should change.

"I have been shuttling from Delhi to Kashmir for the past several years and no one killed me. And not that everyone in Kashmir is killed. Business people should come and invest in Kashmir," he said.

He also termed as "absolutely illogical" and "unjustified" if somebody asks a Kashmiri to to prove his loyalty to the nation.

"These things should go. Kashmiri youths want a space in the mainstream to contribute to the development of the nation," he said.

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