I would not say generation gap but would say its generation
moving on different time of social
economic development say India in this case .Instead of giving example of
others rather I would prefer to write my
own experience of generations I am facing since independence as being a person
from independent India .
Since my childhood I was only listening lots of stories about
our elders who were either freedom fighters or grown with freedom movement
mostly in conservative atmosphere in early 30s or later .Since our family being
of undivided Bengal so I had my family rooted in that part of Bengal and it was
absolutely in conservative style of family and that value naturally imbibed on
me and my so many brothers of cousins and owns though I never stayed in that
part of Bengal but stories by my elders were fascinated to my child mind as how
was freedom movement how was our village how we were living together with other people of other religion
.It was horrible story some times in 30s about Bengal famine and how our family
suffered and so on other stories we used to listen from our Grand Pa and ma .
Then came the horrible partisan in 1947 and it was perhaps
massacre of human being never seen still today in Syria or Iraq refugee crisis
.This partisan of India completely changed the socio -ecomy to next generation
of our elders in independent India where they fought every moment for survival
for keeping their aged elders in comfortable zone and at the same time to float
find their future in search of jobs --business or any other avenues to keep
their family bonding in Joint Family system in those days .It was not easy but
full of struggle .Upto 1960 a next breed of gen x emerged just 6/7 years older
than us in 10/12 age a generations almost every youth on those days became
rebellious in front of less development of India in social political
economical -in front of less job
opportunities -less industrial and other progress and then came the political extremism
influenced by leftist so called successful
countries like Russia --China -- Latin America and other so many
Europian countries like East Germany --North Korea .Youth of Bengal directed in
leftist politics in the face of
struggling India in 60s -Jobs were so scarcely available in those days that
when became youths in end 60 s jobs became
illusion to us .Still remember my out of 10 friends 8 were jobless and
as a result brain drain of youths started to other states .
Youths desperately trying to find jobs left Bengal for other
states leaving behind their aged elderly people almost alone or some one
settled outside brought elders to live with them .As a result Jt family system
disturbed very much in early 70s and virtually broken to pieces and the value
of respecting elders slowly and steadily vanished from our system and gap
between older and younger narrowed as every one in a family started some kind
of avenues to earn something extra to keep their family bonding ,Remember
Indian economy was under control economy and till 1990 these huge brain drain
continued due to less opportunities in Bengal in terms of job -industries and
lack of housing and other infrastructure development .And then came the famous
1991 Economic Liberalization by the then PM P V Narsimha Rao and Dr Manmohan
Singh as FM .And this one change brought tremendous spurts in developmental
activities till today .What was once just 1 Billion dollar foreign exchange
reserve become now in 2016 at 386 billion dollar --what was steel consumption
of 22 million ton a year become now 120 million ton a year and development of
other core sectors as well .The massive housing --Infra -Roads -Railway lines
and others are all due to huge rising core sectors in India .Youths of 70s who
left Bengal for greener pastors in other states and even in foreign land became
prosperous in 90s developed India in various sectors like IT and other
manufacturing sectors .Jobs are no longer limited to Govt sectors alone but
diversified to other sectors more than Govt jobs .In IT sectors alone India is
now 160 Billion dollar revenue employing more than 5 million people.
As a result of prosperity to youths the Joint Family structures
now completely broken and people live on as nuclear family and elders of now
either looked after their son/daughter
or left out to Homes for living
alone .And in this digital age these generation gap of elders and youths are no
longer visible as most are engaged in some kind of jobs or small business .Let
us wait for next generations of 10-14 years age groups who are born with so
much affluence of having smart phone
-internet -face Book -Twitter we fear there would be no more generation gap
.Elders and Youngers will live together with same entity as human only and wish
value of respecting elders will remain though scarcely but at least a little
.World is now looks very very small -We are moving to next generation super
development of human being perhaps developed world of 80s has now reached to
India if not more .Present generations X are no longer confined to their family
after graduation and moving forward to their self development on their own and
I am sure these changes will bring big changes to family system in India living
with elders even friends days of youths of 60 s are no longer would be seen in
future .Today friends are available in Face Book and Twitter so generation X no
longer says their family of fathers and mothers are friends alone .This is
great changes of human psychology of 21 st century .This is the story of an
individual like me who grown up with India since 1947 in different time of
socio economical stage and now become elders but frankly speaking I dont
require youths of 21st century respect me or not I too feel like an young man of 60 at the moment and love to
be friends from 10 years age to 79 years with equal ease perhaps the word
generation gap word will no longer exist in next 22nd century I believe but generations after generations of human
being will move on and on
[ASIM BARAN BORAL]
Ahmedabad
Gujarat
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