Future of India

Hundreds of people are being killed nationwide. Thousands are being
terrorized in the name of religion. People are being burnt alive with
complete disregard to them being toddlers or octogenarians. The
slanderous innings of political parties is adding fuel to the raging
fire. Kar sewaks have found a new identity - they are to be called Ram
sewaks now. Chamanpura, Meghaninagar, Godhra, Naroda burn in secular
angst while the troops march in the streets of Ayodhya. A Tata Sumo
carrying eight people is surrounded by a mob and torched. The cries of
Graham Staines and his two sons find an echo in the pleas of that
family.

"Dad it's the 1st of the month and you still haven't given me my pocket
money!!"

Mulayam Singh Yadav is staking a claim to form a new government in
Uttar Pradesh. The BJP is hanging its head in resigned shame. Mayawati
is practicing the virtues of being silent. Saffronisation, Hindutva,
Dalit Sena, Mandal - these are the buzzwords of the political arena.
Collaborations and defections are the order of the day. Loyalties and
principles are being tested. The MLAs are a part of the number game.
Screeching sirens reverberate throughout the city streets. The UP
assembly awaits its verdict.

"Hey do you think that red dress Kareena wore in K3G will look good on
me?"

Yashwant Sinha squeezes the middle class in a lacklustre budget. The
salaried classes will pay higher taxes, get fewer subsidies and earn
even lesser on savings. Petrol and diesel prices have been reduced
marginally while LPG cylinders have become dearer. Cellular handsets
become cheaper. Soft drinks face a high tax rate of 32\%. Fashion
designers, cable TV operators, health club and fitness centres, event
managers and beauty parlours are roped into the service tax rigmarole.
Sensex crashes 144 points. Fiscal Budget 2002 largely
disappoints.

"I splashed a message to PYT (pretty young thing) in all newspapers but
she still won't talk to me. How do I propose to her?"

Daniel Pearl is kidnapped and later savagely murdered in Pakistan. The
US declares a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to the
capture of Pearl's killers. Bush calls for ceasefire in Angola. Maoist
rebels indulge in insurgency in Nepal. Sri Lanka's 18-year civil war
with LTTE rages on. Israeli troops launch a major assault on West Bank
refugee camps killing seven Palestinians and injuring an Israeli
soldier. Christian families in Bangladesh are attacked while Sheikh
Hasina is put under house arrest.

"Do you think I should have my birthday bash at Taj or do you want to
crash at home? We'll order from Domino's."

While a gamut of activity takes place in the larger scenario of life,
the youth today seem invariably untouched. The world might be going to
pieces, but who cares? As long as the colour of my nail paint matches
my outfit and my bike is in great shape, how am I concerned? We - the
present generation, the future of this country, the flag bearers of
tomorrow. We - the insensitive, irresponsible, myopic individuals. We -
the carefree, happy go lucky, scatterbrained generation X. We have
become so selfish. Nothing that does not drastically change our lives
is important to us. We might be achievers in our small little worlds.
We might be doing the "in" thing. We might be the best in college. But
let's face it. We are not the answer to this world's woes.

We don't care who forms the government as long as we keep getting our
monthly pocket expense. We are not bothered about the riots breaking
out in all parts of our motherland as long as Shawa Shawa is being
aired on MTV. We don't even know who's the present head of the SAARC
committee. And we don't care. We have put on our rose tainted glasses
and immersed ourselves in our routine schedules and parties so much so
that we are not even aware of our own identities. We see filth on our
roads. But we choose to look the other way. We know polythene is not
good for the environment. But we still refuse to use paper bags because
they are inconvenient. We flout traffic rules. And bribe the cop. We
demand everything be done for us. But we don't raise a finger to do
anything except for switching TV channels.

And we have an answer for everything. This is the only age we can enjoy
ourselves in. This is the time we can have fun without any hang-ups.
This is the phase we'll yearn for when we grow up. But when will we
grow up? Till when will we hide behind this teenybopper fa?ade? When
will we outgrow our halter neck sassy tops and body hugging
muscle-showing t-shirts? When will we realize and accept our
responsibilities? When will be called citizens of a country in real
terms? When will we begin to give and stop taking? When will we wake up
to build a new India? Ask yourselves.

And while you are at it let me congratulate Pundit Ravi Shankar. Do you
know he won his third Grammy?
"Yeah, whatever!!"