The term ‘angry young man’ originated in the 1950s to denote working and middle-class British playwrights disillusioned with society. In India, it was given a new connotation by Bollywood to portray a nation miffed with corruption and government control. While the Indian youth is quite different from the 1970s’ version of itself or the 1950s’ version of British playwrights, there are many things to be angry about today as well. Some blame the present dispensation for it, others have accused the opposition of this festering anger. However, what usually riles me is that much of this anger gets split in articles presenting both points of view under the garb of intellect. Snigdha Poonam, thus, comes as a breath of fresh air. Instead of hiding her inclinations, she points to her Left-liberal ideology and doesn’t shy away from declaring her family’s roots as Congress supporters. Dreamers: How Young Indians are Changing the World, as one would imagine, is a story about India from the viewpoint of a Left-liberal. Poonam has pieced together stories from tier II and III cities to present a picture of a young, restless India that is vying for money, position and authority. The book covers multiple subjects in three parts, in seven aptly-titled chapters, to describe young India’s aspirations. In this running commentary, Poonam does not shy away from putting forth her point of view, which is distinctive. While she highlights her disappointment with new-India authors like Chetan Bhagat, who have veered from the path of representing this young India, and tries her best not to follow that style of writing, unfortunately, that seeps in.
A story of India can’t be complete without drama and emotions, and even Poonam’s account of India is not devoid of it. Although there is sincerity and brevity, one can’t fault it for being a Bollywood script, and that is not entirely the author’s fault. Dreams rarely mirror reality. However, Poonam does well in many instances to portray the reality behind dreams and connects it with the situation on the ground. There is a sense of anger and disappointment directed at the government for not creating enough opportunities for the upward mobility of youth. The point becomes a repetitive one in a few of the stories, and one would see the Left-liberal more often than one would want to. However, mostly, Poonam concentrates on the agony and dreams of India’s youth. She represents an India where everybody is a star and seldom would you see people wanting a normal lifestyle, which, she highlights, was not the case with her generation. The epilogue is carefully scripted with more concern towards the government’s position and policy, which many would not find perceptible.
Dreamers is more a collection of short stories than a book. You can pick it up and start reading from anywhere, and you would not be remiss of what the author had pointed to in earlier chapters. Although the author is perplexed by the new India that is emerging—flexible with morals and the line between right and wrong—it is not a feature that is central to India. There are enough examples from Europe, the Americas and Africa, where there is a blurring of lines, as countries are on the path of development and the youth is looking to find its place in society. More importantly, where the book falters is in its limited approach; it stays focused mostly on the northern part of the country. Given the demography, one would assume it is the right decision, but I would like to know more about the aspirations of people in the north-east and the south as well. I don’t entirely agree with the author’s view, but would certainly hope there are more accounts of young India in the coming years.
The author is a former journalist
