Demographic dividend and crime

The unspeakable violence in Mangalore, besides many other things – the emasculation of the Indian male for eg. Were 20 people really much more than the pub waiters, bouncers and denizens could handle? –heralds a disturbing trend.

Most of the attackers were young: some even looked to be below 25. And many of them seemed to be people who would rather be sitting in the pub with a dame by their side, if they only had the money.

The trend is the rise of crime among the youth. Rapes, robberies, and now this. Of course, economically disaffected youth has always been the favorite hunting ground of all right-wing fundamentals. Hence, the point is the disaffection here.

This is the underbelly of the demographic dividend that we talk about. Most of our population is now below 25 and this is only going to increase over the next decade. Economists gush about the potential of India turning to be the factory for the world in the coming years with its unlimited human resource capital, but there is a catch.

If we do not build on this advantage fast enough, what we will end up with is this – a majority of the population with huge pent-up energy, denied of skill and opportunity, on the rampage.

Since, we all know we will never build anything up, I think it’s time we start thinking about getting a party card from some Hindu right-wing party (there are as many of them these days as the gods), own a gun, keep our daughters behind the parda and, if you’re a minority, stick to the ghettos with lots and lots of firearms.