When the twain shall meet

A bird’s eye view of India’s smorgasbord of chaos hides the whirlpool of changes at the individual, familial and societal level. In the not too distant past, opportunities for lower classes to share upper-class experiences were few and far between. The Indian Railways’ 3rd AC compartments were one such crossroad. Today it is part of the everyday, this meeting of Old and Newly monied.

Tourist towns like Goa are now prominent confluence spots — a melting pot, so to speak. Short-term foreign tourists; foreigners who have made Goa their home; young Indian tourists seeking adventure; kitty groups; small families taking a breather; large conglomerations of families, brought together by tour operators, on their first holiday; small-town Indian male professionals on a corporate junket; and all-male groups revelling in their new ability to hire transport to Goa, are part of the mix.

For the newly monied, these are incursions into uncharted territory and, therefore, can be a momentous challenge. They are driven by peer pressure and the desire to make the best of this opportunity. They are also victims of internal conflict between the need to fit in as well as the urge to stand out. Openly sipping alcohol, visiting discos, casinos and shacks, going on a river cruise mark them as regular holidayers.

However, their other actions and unconcern for established norms proclaim their newness. Men in drawers walk the beach or dive into a resort pool while their fully clothed women frolic in its shallows. Anywhere else these men would have thought twice before sauntering in chaddis and women would have been suitably aghast. However, now the envelope is pushed cathartically to do what they cannot do at home or were previously unable to. Horace’s aphorism — carpe diem — has been taken to heart.

It isn’t just herd mentality that drives such actions. Individuals draw strength from their posse to behave brazenly. The brute force of their numbers silences the adversely impacted, which entices others in the group to follow suit. 

Such actions can be stopped by bringing the inconveniencing behaviour to the individual’s attention. Resort guests have apologised for brushing their teeth in the open. Once, I watched a family eat chocolates to while away time at the airport. The mother disposed her wrapper on the floor. Noticing me watching her, she stamped the wrapper to hide it. However, she took the wrappers from the others and put it in her bag. But, they can become recalcitrant and resentful for being called out, which can then lead to sticky situations. 

Is this a new form of privilege and entitlement and has it been fathered by the capability to holiday? Or are people being themselves, irrespective of the environment and inconvenience caused? Is it then proof that the newly monied haven’t had the opportunity to develop social wherewithal that expands their concepts of personal and social responsibility? Does new money need such etiquette when many of those with old money inconvenience others with impunity?

This churn of the classes is new. For centuries, it was caste that gave power, wealth and dominion to a handful. Democracy and education have created opportunities where caste does not always have a stranglehold. It has given birth to ‘class’ — a distillate of caste, education and income. The class barrier can be cracked with money or corporate aspirational gifts such as junkets and fabulous bonuses in the forms of cars. The sudden increase in status can temporarily open up avenues for high-class experiences. 

Money was the prerogative of a few who used it to create private universes. Now, tables have turned with the effortless access to cash and, therefore, experience. Like water, money flows through paths of least resistance buying into what was once out of bounds and considered privilege and entitlement.

There are social costs to this rise. In Goa, some beaches are dirty and mostly populated by one kind of Indian tourists. Other beaches are clean where Indian and foreign women walk freely in bikinis. This suggests the creation of a divide where the zeal to make up for lost opportunities invades the space of other travellers. Does this make for a healthy democratic society?

With the so-called democratisation of class, the clash between old and new money is becoming frequent. As age-old barriers to, and of, privilege, are crumbling, a new-found confidence is emerging. Indians are unprepared and ill-equipped for this socio-political catharsis because of a paucity of role models and a weak social framework.

Can sensitisation to the need for respect, responsibility and accountability aid this transformation process? The answer can be found in the results of value education and behavioural-change communication. Despite repeated awareness campaigns on littering and traffic laws, there is very little change on the ground.

It’s a new divide — old money and nouveau riche — that has come with increased economic prosperity and has the potential to create chaos in society. 

Author has worked in development sector