Change seems to be the most appealing 21st century idea in our societies. Though we have learnt and heard repeatedly that change is disliked by the majority and change always faces unbeatable resistance, facts around us seem to project the contrary. History presents change to us as a phenomenon associated with the passing of thousands of years, war, disaster or fall of regimes. But today change has taken a new and powerful form all together. A form that has been upheld by technological growth, media and most importantly youth. We have seen this very change electing to power the first African American President in the world's largest superpower which allowed Blacks to vote only less than 50 years before.
Barack Obama is serving his second term as Commander in Chief of the world's most powerful nation presiding over a nation that oppressed his forefathers less than a century ago. Today he is regarded as the world's most powerful man and the true American hero by one and all around the world. Looking back at his campaign to understand what brought about the historic election of a black President, we will clearly see it wasn't any revolutionary event, definitely not a war and as a matter of fact not an eventual happening over time. It was simply a brilliant change mantra he believed in, propogated, marketed and clung on right throughout. "Change we can believe in" and "Vote for change" became very popular brands being used on t-shirts, caps, wristbands, shoes, plates and almost everywhere. It was the perfect branding strategy. We do not know if they really understood what the change they sought was but the whole idea of showing solidarity to a mass movement that chanted "change" and showed rebellious commitment to its manifesto was alluring and exciting to the people especially the youth.
Talking about youth, India has been ranked as one of the youngest countries in the world with more than 50 percent of its population below the age of 30. It is said the 2014 elections registered upto 150 million first time voters. It is doubtless that most of these new voters would be eager to make difference and will quickly declare allegiance to the change movement. To understand the whole excitement and appeal of change we can almost compare it to the Communist movement especially in Kerala and Bengal. In the recent past we have seen plenty of change movements. The biggest one being the Anna Hazare led Lokpal movement which became popular among the women, working middle class, bureaucrats and students who were for a long time silent in the nation's political process. The so called Gandhian movement led by Team Anna for a corruption free India, saw colorful and eager participants in bike rallies, social media debates, PR campaigns and even strip tease courtesy Poonam Pandey.
The parliamentary elections being the ultimate report card of the change movement, we have the Aam Aadmi Party asking you to elect the broomstick that promises to cleanse the scam-struck national political scene on one hand having attracted support from movie stars and socialites probably to make everybody feel Aam enough.
Self proclaimed national savior Narendra Modi with extravagant marketing campaigns and promotions encourages the public to vote for change and believe that the NaMo chant is what the nation needs. Though his repeated promise of making India like Gujarat is slightly terrifying for those who remember the Godhra incidents and Gujarat riots, he has managed to create a well planned and marketed wave almost good enough to challenge the Obama campaign.
But India has much more change than one thinks. A change that overwhelms the conservationists, a change that relieves the transgenders, a change that ignores the tribals, a change that is irrelevant for the poor, a change that is exciting for the modern educated youth, a change that confuses the working middle class and a change that balances the spirits of our diversity.
Barack Obama is serving his second term as Commander in Chief of the world's most powerful nation presiding over a nation that oppressed his forefathers less than a century ago. Today he is regarded as the world's most powerful man and the true American hero by one and all around the world. Looking back at his campaign to understand what brought about the historic election of a black President, we will clearly see it wasn't any revolutionary event, definitely not a war and as a matter of fact not an eventual happening over time. It was simply a brilliant change mantra he believed in, propogated, marketed and clung on right throughout. "Change we can believe in" and "Vote for change" became very popular brands being used on t-shirts, caps, wristbands, shoes, plates and almost everywhere. It was the perfect branding strategy. We do not know if they really understood what the change they sought was but the whole idea of showing solidarity to a mass movement that chanted "change" and showed rebellious commitment to its manifesto was alluring and exciting to the people especially the youth.
Talking about youth, India has been ranked as one of the youngest countries in the world with more than 50 percent of its population below the age of 30. It is said the 2014 elections registered upto 150 million first time voters. It is doubtless that most of these new voters would be eager to make difference and will quickly declare allegiance to the change movement. To understand the whole excitement and appeal of change we can almost compare it to the Communist movement especially in Kerala and Bengal. In the recent past we have seen plenty of change movements. The biggest one being the Anna Hazare led Lokpal movement which became popular among the women, working middle class, bureaucrats and students who were for a long time silent in the nation's political process. The so called Gandhian movement led by Team Anna for a corruption free India, saw colorful and eager participants in bike rallies, social media debates, PR campaigns and even strip tease courtesy Poonam Pandey.
The parliamentary elections being the ultimate report card of the change movement, we have the Aam Aadmi Party asking you to elect the broomstick that promises to cleanse the scam-struck national political scene on one hand having attracted support from movie stars and socialites probably to make everybody feel Aam enough.
Self proclaimed national savior Narendra Modi with extravagant marketing campaigns and promotions encourages the public to vote for change and believe that the NaMo chant is what the nation needs. Though his repeated promise of making India like Gujarat is slightly terrifying for those who remember the Godhra incidents and Gujarat riots, he has managed to create a well planned and marketed wave almost good enough to challenge the Obama campaign.
But India has much more change than one thinks. A change that overwhelms the conservationists, a change that relieves the transgenders, a change that ignores the tribals, a change that is irrelevant for the poor, a change that is exciting for the modern educated youth, a change that confuses the working middle class and a change that balances the spirits of our diversity.
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