Recently, the ruling government in India inducted some fresh faces into the cabinet of which there were some celebrated more on account of their youth. Being young and being in power signified and heralded a change in the way the government thought and in the way the country may function in the future – so it has been led to believe. But interviews conducted with the “young” politicians, conveyed quite a different story.
Reeling under their new responsibility, affected with the ways of their senior colleagues, many of the young sounded older than the oldest. Lacking entirely in enthusiasm – an alleged trait of the young, dull and heavy in speech, speaking words linked together but devoid of an inner understanding, these celebrated few were a far cry from a breath of fresh air.
But despite these apparent concerns, the media, ill equipped and without journalists of the old school (read: discerning), continued to fly the banner and blow the trumpets. This is why this nation has a long way to go. For, it does not rely so much on self-thinking any more as it does on what is being spoon fed and projected 24/7.
Our point is not that the new young politicians will fail to deliver – let us hope for the sake of the country that they do. However, it is the glorification of “youth” and the immense misconception and perception that hangs around the very concept of age. No doubt when one is young, there is an abundance of energy and enthusiasm and the driving will to achieve. But there is no such magic line which when crossed will automatically shut off the mains – to be young is a state of mind and those who fulfill it are the fittest and most capable for running the country. Let us not disillusion ourselves with a numerical figure into believing that the country has a future.
The future can only shine if the reins are held by those who possess the energy to keep the pace moving ever forward; who possess an inherent sense of innovation which throws up newer and fresher ideas to make that march possible; who possess the enthusiasm that literally injects itself into the life and blood of the people of the nation; who possess the qualities of leadership that unite the country as a whole. If such persons exist, it is of little importance how old or young they are – for in the scheme of things and in the eyes of posterity, these are the people who will make history. And these are whom we want, need, must have.
