I was witnessing March Past during the Annual School Sports Day of my son. I noticed that my little one and many other students could not walk in a line, irrespective of practice for more than a month.

I witnessed something with the Senior Students March Past, as well. Student grew tired quickly. Many of them could not stand straight, they could not filial their arms in accordance with the others, they could not stand in attention, they could not adjust themselves to the other students in a line and getting many to look at the Chief Guest during Ice Right was equally difficult.

I remembered the days when we marched, as young ones. We were quick to adapt to the instructions, comfortable with the March Past and we fell in line rather marked along with the file. How were we able to do it? We were also given a month’s practice just like it is happening today, then why are today’s generations not able to pick it up.

One fine day, I stumbled upon the answer while a reading a book by Nathaniel Branden – Six Pillars of Self- Esteem. The answer just popped up.

We belonged to a generation where the emphasis on implicit obedience was expected right from the school to the workplace. We were trained for the same. We were expected to carry out instructions given by the higher authority. We were to understand (and we did) that the Boss in any organisation is the ultimate. He had to think, we were not expected to. Education emphasized, rather hammered the idea into our heads. We did it – implicitly obeyed any instructions. Anyone with a mind of his own was not welcome – at home, at school, at the workplace and in the society.  March Past was an extension. We obeyed, so we fell in line.

The iGeneration, on the other hand, have a mind of their own. We live in an era where we expect the student or our children to stand out from the rest. Organizations – like Google, Microsoft – prefer employees who think out of the box. Creativity and Innovation are the new age mantras. Hence, implicit obedience is a little too difficult and that reflects in the March Past. Why should we fall in line? – is the question we find on the students face when we expect them to be obedient. The iGeneration March Past is different.