It gives me great pleasure to place in your hands this special issue of the journal. With this issue I have completed one year as the editor of this prestigious publication. Over the past few years, as a part of its Founding Day celebrations, the Society releases a special issue which, apart from the regular features, contains contributions from authors on a specific topic.
As an editor, I felt that it would be appropriate to explain the thought process behind selection of the topic for this special issue. India has just witnessed an election and a consequent change in the government. The people of this country believe that with new government in the saddle, their dreams will be fulfilled. There is a virtually universal acceptance of the fact that the youth have been the greatest contributors to installing the new government in power.
While everyone accepts that the youth are responsible for the change, are they being given their due? In the media, whether it be print or electronic, one finds that wise men with grey hair (I belong to that community) are expounding their ideas on how the country should be run and what actions one needs to take. Speakers and authors never forget to mention that all that they have suggested is necessary to make this country to be a better place to live in for its youth. The question is do the goals of those in power, the drivers of the government and the economy match with those of the young citizens of this country? Is there a goal synchronisation? I felt that rather than preaching to the next generation as to what was appropriate for them, it would be wiser to hear their aspirations and read about their dreams.
Apart from this factor, I think it is time that we seriously lend our ears to what the new generation has to say. This generation is born in the era of globalisation. They do not carry the ‘burden of a glorious past.’ I am saying this because one often finds at various fora, speakers reminding the audience of what we have achieved in the past. What is lost sight of is, while no one denies the history, the youth are living in the present and their eyes are filled with dreams for the future. It is important that we understand their expectations and also how they believe these can be met. Whenever one talks of finding solutions to the problems that face the country, one tends to look at what actions have been taken in the past and rely on precedent. I think that there needs to be a major shift in approach. The world is no longer linear and the past track record is of limited value to what the future holds in store. As Stephen Covey, a management guru, has said, “One cannot walk into the future looking over ones shoulder. If one does so one is sure to stumble.”The Society has been, in the past year, led by an enthusiastic President, Naushad Panjwani. One of his endeavours was to encourage participation of younger professionals in the affairs of the Society. We felt that this special issue contributed by young professionals would be a fitting finale to his term.
If this country is to change for the better, the drivers will be India’s youth. We professionals have a great role to play. We should be playing the role of catalysts of change. We, therefore, requested professionals to contribute to the special issue and to express their thoughts on how they felt what India would be a decade from now, how they looked at their own profession, and what they felt that needed to change in this country. In keeping with the traditions of the journal, we merely indicated our intent and gave a total free hand to these under 35 professionals to speak their mind. Two chartered accountants, Mahesh Nayak and Pranav Vaidya; two advocates, Ms. Nazneen Ichhaporia and Mr. Sameer Pandit; a doctor, Dr. Parth Mehta, and an architect, Ms. Priya Vakil, have contributed to this issue. I am grateful to all of them for having spared their valuable time.
I hope the readers will find the issue interesting.
