Womanly Tales

For some people in my generation and certainly most of those in my Dad and GrandDad’s generations of Indians the question has always been – Mera number kab aayega? Roughly translated, this means – ‘When will my number come?’. This question, akin to a tattoo in our collective consciousness over the better part of the first fifty years of independence, reflected a sense that one was in a perpetual queue waiting to be given an opportunity that truly spoke to one’s potential. And this was perhaps when the going was good. When the going was not so good, it came with a certain desperation about this period of scarcity of opportunity that it would certainly outlive us and our next generation. Day in and out, those of us who could went about doing all the “right” things – Getting an education, Getting a job (any job) at the cost of a Masters or a PhD, Getting married by age 25, Starting a family by age 25, Taking care of our aging parents & grand-parents etc… We endured our karma quietly. We even improved our environments amidst all its limitations. We served up courage and stoicism to our family daily and if that didn’t work there was always guilt and shame. “Do you know what my pocket money was when I was your age?” or “What will people think (if they saw you behaving the way you are now…)?”.

January, 2011
We are travelling down a highway to Agra with family. On large billboards owned almost exclusively by large telecom companies, one phrase struck me as interesting because it was commonplace. “Mera Number Ab Hai”. This roughly translates to a ‘My time is now’.

This declaration is bold, raw and even a bit audacious. Regardless of who you are, it said, and regardless of where you come from, it is your time if you are an Indian. There is plentitude of space to apply yourself and see it take root and grow. With an economy that is growing at about 8 – 9% annually, for you and me that means an explosion of opportunities like one has never imagined.

We are certainly not prepared for this explosion. Some of this is reflected in the hourly shouting matches on News channels between journalist-turned-middle class activists and our politicians. The battle is sadly confined to discussions between the haves and the have-nots of middle class India – a growing to the point of bursting at the seams group of materialistic, morality spewing people who crave to be going places. Some of these individuals in my generation are equally desperate as before – but this time around it’s about availing each and every opportunity as means to compensate for many years of starvation. Seeing them engorge their lives is akin to watching a hungry man eat. These are the same individuals who complain the most about rising costs, while it would seem also enjoying the fact that they can afford a ‘good life’. These are the individuals who circumvent the globe as many times a year as possible simply because that’s what people going places do. These are the very same individuals pushing the boundaries of local industries by trying to recreate their new found status in plush bathrooms and italian kitches every other year.

Collectively Indian society is shifting places. The aspirations of young children are equally bold and fresh. There are certain pockets of industry that are booming and as a result bringing in large amounts of profits, the likes of which have not been seen before. As a result the world is in India trying to build a market share. Much of this consumer frenzy is governed by middle class sentiments. For example, the malls that sell ‘phoren maal’ are plentiful and full of people while a Dilli Haat that proudly but quietly showcases the best of local craft work across India is still about as busy as five or more years ago. Another example is this surge in Hindu art. Deepan and I spent half a morning exploring the art galleries in Hauz Khas village and it was incredible how fashionable Hinduism is now. It isn’t a reflection of our inherent spiritual roots but moreso an opulent sketch of Hindu Gods – reinforcing the pursuit of material things as one of life’s four goals. A few days later we were at the Delhi Art Summit – an event that was the ‘place to be’ and to ‘be seen’ bringing together more than 500 art galleries from all over the world to showcase the best of art for an audience waiting to be coaxed and cajoled to sharing their purse. And share they did, if the fast disappearing stocks in the Art Shop were an indication. Yours truly also managed to pick up a few gifts for my London home. The larger works of art however eluded us this trip – either because the market appeared much inflated with young artists of a few years’ ago now appearing as ‘very established’ artists – or because the market was still trying to find its feet as art work from all over the world competed for our attention.

One can’t but get swept in all of this new energy. Sitting in a car, amidst traffic jams, I sat with Deepan brainstorming about a couple of ideas that we could get involved in — such is the compelling pull of this economic whirlpool that feeds off anything and everything. Across industry, there is a large battle for talent. What can you offer me that ten other companies are not currently doing already? That’s the question proposed by freshers out of university with barely 1-2 months of expertise. Experienced folks are few and far inbetween. The ability to train in-house is still a low priority strategically and hence for those who can afford to (which is just about any company today) there is a lot of quick money to be made through ‘Rapid’and ‘Quick fix’programs.

Of course there are negatives to this new economy most of which arise out the fact that we are not prepared for it. But this post is not going to dwell on that. Instead I want to sit back against my sofa and simply re-charge. Like a good Ayurvedic massage, I’d like to think that as many of us as possible is benefitting from this sudden access to energy. Like standing in the warmth of a winter Sun in Delhi, we all have the opportunity to replenish our cells with energy in its purest form. And for now this is enough. Ab Mera Number Hai.