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What's so special about 1984?

1984 - reminds one of very many things

- a book, famous though
- first Apple Macintosh goes for sale
- United States President Ronald Reagan, during a voice check for a radio broadcast remarks "My fellow Americans, I'm pleased to tell you today that I've signed legislation that will outlaw Russia forever. We begin bombing in five minutes".
- Discovery takes off on maiden voyage.....

so what is important about the year in India and/or to Indians

- biggest riots post independence happen
- Bhopal disaster

and now the story unfurls

- first Indian in space
- new age leadership (in Rajiv Gandhi)
- first signs of opening of economy (Modvat etc surfaced as a concept)

I am told by psychologists that more than 95% of intuitive learning happens by the age of 7. So, if I was born in 1984 (alas I am much much older), I would have reached close to saturated intuitive learning by 1991.

So it is about the turning point in Indian economy in 1991 that most if not all of us know. What we realise less is its impact on a new generation. I call it

A GREAT DIVIDE OF 1991

India before 1991 was submissive, scarce in consumptive resources, dependent, ridden with a complex of being "developing" from a "poor" status, anti America (just as U S of America would not like poor India anyways), hungry for greenbucks or any other colour of currency than Indian and so on and so forth.

India after 1991 is a story of growth, leapfrogging, ambitious, confident, independent.......

It is not only India that changed but INDIANS changed as well. A new experience that has not seen any of the dark side of pre 1991 (at least for a good chunk of population).

Consumption, debt, risk aversion, buoyant, materialism all came to the forefront of this new generation. This generation is coming into a very productive age now and the consumption is booming.

I remember my childhood preaching about sowing a mango tree:-

दादा बोये, पोता खाए

(Grandfather sows, grandson eats)

So the seeds of 1991 are blossoming into a tree that has started yielding fruits. Enjoy all this.....

More on the psychological impact on the weekend.
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