Thursday 6 October 2011

Adhar Maheshwari_Sanskriti_GenXpressionz

The Power of Young India

If power lies in numbers, then the youth of India represent a massive army that could deconstruct and reconstruct Rome in a day! If not that, then they could at least build a strong and stable future for India with certainty. With almost 50% of India’s population below 30 years of age, India’s greatest strength is the sheer number of people available to work, in business or government, in industry or service sectors. With an increasingly globalized, interconnected world, private sector jobs are moving to India, where the economy has withstood the assault of the financial meltdown. The large number also indicates an expanded voter base that is socially conscious, and wary of the bureaucratic lethargy and inefficiency of their parents’ generation which is still suffering from a socialist hangover. This generation has seen the massive opportunities that beckon it, the potential for development that the economic liberalization of the country has ushered in and they are hungry to be upwardly mobile, economically strong and socially progressive. Take for instance the example of thousands of graduates of Indian Schools who innovate their way to global, corporate and government leadership every year (say for examples, Indira Nooyi or Vikram Pandit), or even the thousands of young rural employees of rural BPO companies like Desicrew and B2R. From rural villages to urban cafes, the youth of the country, millions and millions of them are hungering for progress, and will, through their work and votes, usher in change that benefits them economically and socially, and strengthens India’s democratic institutions.

If power lies instead in potential, then India’s future looks even more robust. From M.S. Dhoni to Chetan Bhagat (both of whom were named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time Magazine in 2011), India’s got some of the world’s best talented youth that boast of Booker awardees and CEOs of multinationals and international sportspersons. India’s talent shows on television, her students that win International Olympiads and competitions and multitude others who, through their own hard work, persistence and self-belief overcome challenging circumstances to achieve personal greatness—all bear witness to the incredible potential that India as a country holds in every field of human endeavor. India has historically had a spirit of entrepreneurship; its legions of merchant traders have risen from small villages to form companies like TATA and Reliance. Its sportswomen like Mary Kom have broken social barriers and its academicians have taught the world everything from the invaluable mathematical concept of zero to the methods of international development. Indian youth have been bequeathed a legacy of great potential and they are proving themselves to be worthy bearers of the tradition of excellence of this country.

If power, above all, comes from a desire and ability to create social change, then India’s future is unstoppable! If one needs evidence to believe this rather grand proclamation, then how about the thousands of young, spirited men and women, with their candlelight marches and sincere slogan, displaying solidarity for Anna Hazare, in independent India’s biggest civil movement? Or how about the nearly 1000 fellows of Teach for India, dedicated to addressing India’s education crisis? Youth leaders like Rustam Sengupta and Anand Shah, among countless others are addressing social problems that for years had seemed intractable, and are developing ingenious, sustainable ways to tackle them. Those generations-old maladies of India—corruption, lack of education, failure of governance systems, all seem trivial in the face of resolute will of young idea to create social change through individual initiative and community efforts. I’m a youth in this country and even if I say this myself, I have seen, experienced, and been a part of the Power of the Youth of India and even though the challenge to create a truly free, fair and developed India is huge, we are ready!

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