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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The youth forex

Karunika Kardak, a first-year student at St Xavier’s College, is biting her fingernails in anticipation. Once she gets her acceptance letter, she will begin packing for Madrid to study at the Comillas Pontifical University as an exchange student.

“It’s an experience of a lifetime. People I asked for advice told me that what I’ll learn in another country will be more than what I’ll get to learn at home,” she said.

However, several challenges are in store for her. “Since I’m a vegetarian, I’ll have to cook for myself. Also, I’ve never lived alone.” The 18-year-old plans to rent an apartment and is looking forward to experience a new culture on her own. “I want to visit the Prado museum in Madrid and also travel across Europe.”

Today, students are keener to venture far from home in the pursuit of knowledge, experience and novelty.

“Exchange programmes give a lot of exposure to students,” said Dr Kirti Narain, principal of Jai Hind College, which has tied up with University of Ontario, Nottingham Trent University in the UK and Frazer Valley, Vancouver. About 28 students have participated in the three exchange programmes with two Canadian students coming to study at Jai Hind.

Geomara Fernandez, 25, an exchange student from the Amsterdam Fashion Institute, has been in Mumbai since January for a four-month stint at the National Institute of Fashion Technology, Navi Mumbai. “I wanted to learn more about the fashion industry outside the Netherlands. Indian clothes and fashion are really interesting. Everything here is so colourful.”

Fernandez thinks it’s important to learn about different countries and to work with people of different mindsets. She has been learning Hindi, travelling in the local trains and acquiring a taste for Indian food, which she had at first found “very heavy, spicy and different.”

“Exchange programmes give students exposure to foreign education, infrastructure and way of teaching,” said Dr. Suhas Pednekar, principal of Ramnarain Ruia College, which has this year, tied up with the University of Ontario and the University of Valparaiso.

“It definitely makes you more independent,” said Poorva Karkare, 21, who went to Switzerland as an exchange student in Class 11. Not knowing German made things difficult. At the Kanton Schule Wetzikon, where Karkare studied, all subjects were taught in German, so she had to grow familiar with German terms in physics and chemistry. “The teaching was different from India. There were fewer students, so we got more personal attention. I had already studied many of the things they were learning. But they teach everything in a lot of depth.”

Apart from fluency in German, her biggest gain she said was the experience of living abroad. “You’d usually go to Switzerland as a tourist. But it was a different to live in a small village where everyone knew each other. People say that the Swiss are very cold, but everyone was friendly and I’m still in touch with them.”

http://www.hindustantimes.com/The-youth-forex/Article1-550982.aspx