Apathetic youth

When you attend any Parsi function you will find that most of the people present are over 50 years of age. The youth seem to be happy to take a back seat and let senior citizens occupy center stage. This is true at all anjuman meets, debates and lectures on issues of importance for the community. Turn the pages of the USA based FEZANA Journal and it will be evident that the same is true over there as well. This mindset needs to be changed on a war footing if Parsis are to make a mark in the world.

What is the reason for this apathy? Don’t the youth realize that they are the backbone of tomorrow? And if their lack of interest, or of time as is so often cited, is the reason then let me state it’s a very lame excuse indeed! As it is we are a race of ‘youthful oldies.’ What we need today is an influx of youth on all forums and in all programs.

I am strongly in favor of a two-tier system in which a senior elected or nominated body remains advisory while a vibrant young elected body implements policies to ensure the progress and well- being of the entire community. I know there will be loud rumblings of protest against my theory with comments like "they (youth) don’t come even when specially invited, they have no interest in whatever happens to the community, java dévo, é lok né jaraabi aay kaam maa parvu nathi… (let things be, the youngsters have no interest in getting involved in such matters).” I call this inability to bring the youth to center stage a failure of the elders.

We need to provide motivation and perhaps even a forceful push to plunge the youth into community affairs. Only when this involvement materializes will we be able to shape our future. Otherwise, the same old rhetoric, the same old controversies and above all the same faces will remain!

RODA D. HAKIM

Baroda