Our Age

[stevensen]

The age and its youth

Each new generation is an unique dialectic in itself, for each new generation bears the stamp of the previous generation that gave birth to it and at the same time each new generation establishes some norms, some values, which are intrinsic to none save that particular generation itself. And if civilization is truly something that is always engaged in the perpetual quest for perfection, then the task of each new generation would be to pick up all that is best in the previous generation and rescind all that is dogma and superfluous. Will a generation be remembered by history? The answer to this question depends solely on the choices that the generation in question makes, more specifically on what it retains from the older generation and what it is brave enough to throw away ‘into the dustbins of history.’ In the end, for a generation to be remembered as a decisive one by history, it must possess above all things else, a degree of social conscience that has been absent before, however noble the previous generation might have been. Then and only then can a generation be labeled as a truly great one. For history does not judge epochs by personalities. That final verdict, that final sentence which will forever mark our legacy to this world will be a collective one, and one formed by history’s decision on how grand the social conscience of our generation has been.

Somehow in this age and in this nation, we of the younger generation feel almost always a little embarrassed about uttering these two words, social conscience. A year ago I happened to be watching a live debate on a television channel. One of the speakers there made a powerful point, ‘we in India have always been brought up to possess a regret for being rich’, quite emphatically he added, ‘this has to go, this stupid guilty conscience.’ How wrong he was! The youth of today has immense respect for money and the situation indeed is reverse, they feel guilty about being poor. This is the ultimate age of indoctrination. Not many of us are aware what a ‘free market’ economy is, but all are convinced that it is for the good. Not many are taught about liberalization and yet all swear by it. This is the chief illusion of this age, the illusion of being free when in reality what truly is happening is this: we are being steadily indoctrinated by a system without our realizing it. That system is nothing but the system of surplus capital where hoarding your capital determines your status in the society. No surprise then, that the social conscience that my friends were so earnestly talking about is so hard to decipher among today’s youth. And the broad philosophical base of the present system is this; if each man watches out for himself then everybody will be safe. No one ever remembers who first came up with this philosophical exposition, but this is a commonly heard and accepted one. It seems as though no propaganda exists but the great illusion is this in itself, that so much is the propaganda, the propaganda seems to be the truth itself and hence this illusion of living in a ‘free’ society.

An age that is based upon a system that is based upon the self can never really have social conscience as a respected virtue and hence this embarrassment among the youth of today while merely thinking about such a thing. And when the majority is indoctrinated not to think along such lines, for such a thought runs contrary to the prevailing system of affairs, an exalted social conscience can never truly be inculcated.

While walking along the brigade road, Bangalore, with a close friend of mine one cloudless evening, we saw a young gym toned guy wearing a T-Shirt bearing that famous image, of the unshorn locks and the defiant gaze. It still is as poignant as it was that fateful day, decades ago. It still has that same mystical, visionary quality. Defiant as it always has been, it still stares in rage at the state of affairs today. It still demands an answer.

[Edelweiss]

Published!