India may have more than 50 per cent of its population under the age of 25 and over 65 per cent under the age of 35. But the average age of our leaders is over 70 years. And the disturbing trend is that not only are they refusing to leave, those who have retired are also brought back to ensure that nothing really changes.

Old is gold

Government and PSU employees have pre-set retirement age. And most professions have some acceptable norms on when to hang up the boots. In sports such as cricket, one can say that 35 years maybe an acceptable age for retirement. Unfortunately, veteran (polite speak for old) cricketers have records to chase and their quitting is not something you must bet on.

In business, most founders and senior executives remain in charge till the very end – theirs or the company’s. Of late, some of them such as Ratan Tata have retired. But, others such as Narayana Murthy, if they do retire, end up coming back for a second innings. This leadership vacuum, to borrow an American slang, totally sucks.

In tinsel town, heroes never aged and were forever young enough to fight, dance and chase the heroine. Agreed that heroism is beyond time and age, but still, can we be told, why are we being sold 60-plus-year-olds playing college students?

Senior Leaders

Since politicians have to top everyone, they have done with age being a bar to being in power. After all, if one does not require character, skill, training or even showing-up for work in this profession, why should one fuss about age?

We have a comic situation in our state, where a 60-year-old is the head of a party's ‘youth wing’. The irony is that, this is actually logical, as the high command is made of those who are 90 plus. All this gives a new meaning to the term ‘senior’ leader of the party.

One may explain away this as ‘popular support’ and maybe even come to terms with our 80-year young prime minister. But what do you say when an 85-year-old leader throws a tantrum when someone young is elected to a party post? It is one thing to be 'second to none' in a position, but what we see is 'I shall second none' for a position.

Age of change

Age, one may say, is a state of mind. Seriously though, we would be out of our mind if we kid ourselves that the old blood is full of fresh ideas that could bring about a change. Not that it is always the case that young is great, but our reverence for veterans is seriously skewing our balance to the detriment of ‘change’.

Why are we not tired of being ruled by those born before independence? With complete reverence to the septua, octo and nona generians – why don’t you kindly pass on the baton with a smile please?