The so-called generation epithets bestowed in the West are, probably, not applicable to Indians. Also, there couldn't be a single characterization of the generations within India too considering the gulf in the cultural and social milieu in which different castes live. Here I venture out to characterize only the OBCs as I've lived their experiences.
I broadly classify them into two generations: Generation E and Generation F.
Generation E:
- E stands for Enlightened
- From 1900 to 1960
- Less religious to atheists: Many educated ones with direct experience with the caste system clearly saw how religion was used to suppress them with the priests at the top of the hierarchy. The advancements in medicine helped them to overcome the fear of diseases and helplessness with fertility or reproduction.
- They moved to diverse fields - from science to arts - and mostly lost their caste specific occupations
- Socialism/communism gave them a hope for a new identity
- Many educated ones were radical and rational in their outlook and had a voice in the communities
- Men were on an average more educated than women: Men ranged from illiterates to highly educated and women from illiterates to under-educated.
- Mostly poor to middle class
- Politically irrelevant
Generation F:
- F stands for Fucked-up
- From 1960 to 2020
- Religious nuts to Communal atheists: No longer experience overt caste discrimination. Muslim hatred is the hallmark of this generation which makes them blind to new Brahmanical indoctrination in the form of Hindutva. The new fears in the form of educational attainment and job security substituted the old fears of diseases and fertility and gods and priests again got their place back.
- Most of this generation entered professional fields and one can't find any diversity among them
- The economic failure of socialism/communism makes it no longer appealing and right-wing Hindutva fills the vacuum
- The dominant voices in the communities are from the people with extreme religiosity and bigotry
- Women are on an average more educated than men. Even the educated men can't scale up to the levels attained by the generation E, because of higher competition and narrowness of their opted fields
- Mostly middle class
- Politically relevant
I broadly classify them into two generations: Generation E and Generation F.
Generation E:
- E stands for Enlightened
- From 1900 to 1960
- Less religious to atheists: Many educated ones with direct experience with the caste system clearly saw how religion was used to suppress them with the priests at the top of the hierarchy. The advancements in medicine helped them to overcome the fear of diseases and helplessness with fertility or reproduction.
- They moved to diverse fields - from science to arts - and mostly lost their caste specific occupations
- Socialism/communism gave them a hope for a new identity
- Many educated ones were radical and rational in their outlook and had a voice in the communities
- Men were on an average more educated than women: Men ranged from illiterates to highly educated and women from illiterates to under-educated.
- Mostly poor to middle class
- Politically irrelevant
Generation F:
- F stands for Fucked-up
- From 1960 to 2020
- Religious nuts to Communal atheists: No longer experience overt caste discrimination. Muslim hatred is the hallmark of this generation which makes them blind to new Brahmanical indoctrination in the form of Hindutva. The new fears in the form of educational attainment and job security substituted the old fears of diseases and fertility and gods and priests again got their place back.
- Most of this generation entered professional fields and one can't find any diversity among them
- The economic failure of socialism/communism makes it no longer appealing and right-wing Hindutva fills the vacuum
- The dominant voices in the communities are from the people with extreme religiosity and bigotry
- Women are on an average more educated than men. Even the educated men can't scale up to the levels attained by the generation E, because of higher competition and narrowness of their opted fields
- Mostly middle class
- Politically relevant
