Jawaani Diwaani

We all know the statistics. "Young India" is the current mantra. Over 55 per cent of the country is supposed to be under 35 years of age. If this is an exciting number, it is equally scary.
Between India and China, we have the world''s youth all wrapped up. While this is great news for advertisers in search of jawan consumers, the real concern ought to be this - what on earth are we going to do with all that energy and enthusiasm? Who is going to harness it?
Exploit it? Put it to good - no, to great use?
As of now, there are millions of twenty-somethings with nothing to do and nowhere to go.They drift around aimlessly, with hopes in their hearts and frustration in their eyes.
There are no jobs, and perhaps, no future for this great mass of demoralised people. You can see them everywhere - strolling through glittering malls, their listless body language saying much more about their state of mind, than anything they could articulate.
They are beyond boredom. They are actually brain dead. For any country, this is an ominous sign. There''s nothing more threatening than a vacant mind. Especially when it belongs to an alarmingly young person.
Nearly every day one comes across violent crimes committed by urban, middle-class young men (and the odd woman) who need the extra lolly to support their lifestyle.
Sons strangle mothers who refuse to provide money for the latest mobile, brothers kill sisters for not parting with their gold bangles, sons attack fathers for refusing to pick up gambling bills. Everybody wants to lead a designer life - the best of everything, at the craziest of prices.
One of the wackiest stories I heard recently revolved around the phenomenal success of one of the world''s priciest brands.
When this particular luggage, handbag and accessories maker opened its store in New Delhi, market-watchers scoffed, "Ha! Let the fun begin. Who the hell is going to buy fancy suitcases that cost lakhs? Not Indians. We count every penny we spend. Desis prefer sona (gold) over chamda (leather)."
Guess what? The entire stock ordered by the store for a six-month sale vanished in under two weeks. Apparently, no self-respecting Delhi dulhan goes to her sasural unless her trousseau is packed in classy, monogrammed cases - six perfectly crafted pieces in all!
The sales figures from this one store exceed the target set for all of Asia! Meanwhile, right outside the luxury hotel that hosts the swanky boutique, there are hundreds of ''lookhas'' (idlers), hanging around the car park, looking for tips.
And yet another generation waiting in the wings to join the homeless, jobless, everything-less.
Political parties are busy wooing India''s yuppies by enlisting successful young people and getting them on board as part of the latest image makeover. Not a bad plan, as plans go.
Some of them are already in Parliament. "We want to make a difference and serve the nation," these sleek, smart MPs declare on TV. Sounds great. Nobody specifies what difference. And how it''s going to be made.
In Maharashtra, the elections are round the corner. And total chaos prevails. The usual scramble for tickets is on, and the usual suspects are at it, trading favours, peddling influence.
Local papers, however, reflect the ground reality far more accurately. People have given up. They are too disgusted to feel any involvement in an election that does not hold out any hope for a better future.
There''s no ideology left, and no ideals either. As of now, there''s just one issue preoccupying all the political players - Veer Savarkar.
It''s as if they''re hoping and praying that by pushing Savarkar into the centre of the maidan, every other problem will automatically take care of itself.
My question: Assuming Mani Shanker Aiyar does come crawling with an abject apology and offers himself in place of his effigy, for a public flogging at Hutatma Chowk - will that create more jobs? Or save our bankrupt state?