scpotpourri

I’m a late baby boomer. The India I grew up in was very, very different from the India I spend my senior years in.

My childhood and my adolescence were spent in a minimum bare, simplistic environment.  There wasn’t much to see or have in terms of luxury for the common man.

Cars were basic – the Hindustan Ambassador and later, the Premier Padmini. No AC, power windows, remote or keyless entry. No plush seats.

Snacks were few and simple – mom and pop shops selling potato chips, bakeries selling a few domestic pasteries. Coke was Coco cola in bottles. No canned drinks, not even tetra packs.

Restaurants were very few, peddling homegrown recipes. Clothes had to be tailored; so you were a designer too. Furniture was simple – a few designs, few choices in upholstery. Fruits and vegetables were usually the local fare. Meats and fish too.

Movies were screened in large single-screen theaters. New English movies were released here months after they were in the US. Most Indian movies told simple Indian stories and folklore. Few playback singers ruled the roost. Private non-filmi music albums were nearly non-existent. That was entertainment.

Schools and colleges were few. Convents were the pick of the studiously inclined. Most hospitals were run by the government.  Nursing homes (private hospitals) were a sprinkling.

Print media ruled. Libraries stocking them were many. Reading was a common pastime. Collecting books a popular hobby. The landline was the only telephone that existed. Long distance calls were placed with the help of the telephone exchange and were heavy on the wallet.

Employment opportunities were mostly with the government. Private enterprise wasn’t common.

You  saved up for so called luxuries and a rainy day. You bought what you could afford. Loans were rare and usually restricted to buying homes.
The buying capacity of the average Joe was limited.

All this made up for a simplistic, restricted landscape. More free time on one’s hand. You actually had free evenings. Socialising with neighbors and friends, relatives in person. You didn’t require an appointment to visit them.

People were simple, their needs were simple. They were conservative in their lifestyles.

Fast track 30-40 years later. Indian society has changed remarkably  – reflecting change across the global scene; change which the very same generation growing up in simpler times, brought about.

The GenZ in focus.

The world at their feet, they’re riotous in the life they lead. The baby boomers, the millennials made this happen for them.

India opened up to the world. Private enterprise thrived. Foreign domestic investment became a reality. Cable TV brought global lifestyles into the living room day-after-day.

Schools and colleges introduced new curricula. An educated populace with tremendous potential and opportunities here and abroad, burst on the scene. This is the single largest change I see in my senior years. All else follows from this.

The IQ of the child today far exceeds that of a child from my generation. He’s exposed to much more growing up today. The adolescent today, has seen so much in a happening world and its now second nature to him. He has no idea of the world of my childhood.

The standard of living has greatly improved. Owning stuff on credit has become the order of the day. From the clothes they wear and food they eat, to the causes they believe and take part in are truly global. The world scene is accessible at their fingertips literally and figuratively, thanks to the technological advancements of prior generations.

He thinks big and lives big. He’s very aware. He knows the choices he has now. He’s grabbed the bull by its horn and is riding a wave full of opportunity and promise.

Its very heartening to see the India of today and its people.

People may say this has come at a cost. He has everything readily available to him. He doesn’t know the worth of what went in to create what is made available to him. Does he really need to know?

As a senior citizen, I  rue the day this happened.  Because I cherished the world of my younger days. I bemoan the fact that it no longer exists.

But to a generation that hasn’t seen it, has bloomed in this boom, it doesn’t matter. He’s making the best of what he has and that’s pretty darn impressive.

The country today has so much going for it – its people its greatest pride. There’s a lot of muck too. Thats been there from time immemorial. They’re 2 sides of the same coin.

We’ve had a couple of decades to delve in this new age of India. Its a high like no other.

And now we stand on the threshold of another change  – though the crucible of that change is abroad, we are irrevocably drawn into it. The systemic transformation of the Indian fabric waiting to happen again. Cheers to an India of tomorrow!