Westernization and Modernization

Taco-Bell opened in Bangalore. There is a this cool Italian restaurant and this awesome Chinese restaurant in Gopalan mall. Check out this rock music band. People need personal space, parents should not live with children. Of-course, booze is cool. Lets have a live-in relation. Casual sex. One should try weed before he/she graduates.

These are some of the new buzz phrases or in twitter language; the trending topics of the new age India or the "modern" India. We are no longer shut out from the Western world. We are no longer slaves to our tradition and our rotten culture. We are no longer THAT India described by Mark Twain : "India is, the cradle of the human race, the birthplace of human speech, the mother of history, the grandmother of legend, and the great grand mother of tradition. our most valuable and most instructive materials in the history of man are treasured up in India only."

In Economics, analysts often mistake that if two events A and B occur simultaneously, they are related. We see the same mistake propagating in Indian society today. There is this growing illusion and confusion amongst educated and new generation youth that westernization IS modernization since western world; for past 200 years or more has been the cradle of modernization [and funnily, our old generation thinks that west doesn't have a culture; which is other end of the spectrum].

We seem to have created a web of inferiority complex around anything that is Indian. Anyone who is proud of Indian culture is considered as either radical or fundamentalist; or in the very least; an uncivilized moron. We lack self-confidence and pride. If someone is abroad, he is considered modern; he is considered well-off. Lots of marriage proposals come with a condition that the guy should not relocate to India. On the other hand, if someone can't speak English, he is uneducated; he is uncivilized; in Indian society. Almost every-time I spoke and ordered in Kannada in posh restaurants in Bangalore; I was stared at by concerned hotel employees; not because they didn't understand the language but because I was probably not civilized enough for the restaurant [which motivated me to not speak in English more !!]. Should I be really surprised that we were indeed ruled for 10 centuries by foreigners ?

Yes, There are lots of good things about western culture and I would love to see it being imbibed in our culture [check one my old blogs : http://guftugu-e-hayaat.blogspot.com/2009/09/culture-in-dream-land.html]. But what pains me to no end is the blind worshiping of western culture. When I see my grade 9 cousin tells me that he spends his 'play-time' in front of facebook and/or tv, I know that its not the India I grew up in. Its not the India, I want it to become.

I am often told that I am not modern since I don't try western cuisines often by my other vegetarian friends. Lets see. Most often, what-ever cuisine I eat, ends up being a catastrophe(Yes, there are exceptions and I do eat them often) and they hardly have veggie options. And anything good we eat; we end up comparing them to Indian food - Veggie Burrito to rice-rajma, Veggie Gumbo to rice-rasam. Citing a personal example; one of my friends said a few days back : "Lets go to Ethiopian restaurant. What they serve is very similar to Dosa[South Indian food]". Why not try Dosa itself instead then ? Oh wait; its Indian. It ought to be bad; probably not modern enough; not cool enough [For the record, I did enjoy Ethiopian food for it was indeed very similar to Dosa]. I am not averse to Italian or Mexican food. I am averse to the fact that most Indians want to eat non-Indian food because it makes them sound cool; look modern. Well, look Western.

I was listening to a commentary by a western economist about China just about couple of hours ago. He says that one of the main reasons for china's growth is its "cultural integrity" and how they are proud about their culture. Why is it that we Indians are not proud of our culture ? Why are we eternally ready to drop our identity and become sycophants of other cultures ? And no, chinese culture is not superior to our Indian culture. In words of Hu Shih, former Ambassador of China to USA: "India conquered and dominated China culturally for 20 centuries without ever having to send a single soldier across her border."

It has equally become a fashion to dismiss anyone and everyone who stands for our culture as a radical and/or moron. It is similar to almost being a staunch Hinduism follower in India these days in the views of some politicians - you are a non-secular. It is a classic case of everyone is entitled for an opinion; until it is agreeable to the opinion the media holds or promotes. Beauty, they say, lies in the eyes of the beholder. How-ever, the beauty of India, lies in its tradition and its culture. And It looked equally beautiful to the eyes of Albert Einstein, Mark Twain, Max Mueller, Will Durant and to many other scholars from various countries. Now, we are on the verge of destroying it. Completely. All in the name of modernization; or illusion of modernization.

"When I read the Bhagavad-Gita and reflect about how God created this universe everything else seems so superfluous." - Albert Einstein

"India - The land of Vedas, the remarkable works contain not only religious ideas for a perfect life, but also facts which science has proved true. Electricity, radium, electronics, airship, all were known to the seers who founded the Vedas." - Wheeler Wilcox

Haage Summane..

I am posting my latest Kannada poem. Let me know if there are any corrections to be done. Give in a shout if you have any; your thoughts are definitely welcome :)

Nanna prati vondu haadigu nalle ninnade prerane..
Ee nalumeya lokadali ninna hrudayave nanage aramane..

Naa ninna neneyalu priye nee nayanadeduru barabaarade..
Nudiyalli nadeyalli nageyalli ellellu bari ninnade kalpane..

Ninna gungali silikiruve.. hora tandu ulisu nannanu..
Hagalirulu prati kshanavu chaluve; nanage ninnade yochane..

Prati usirali hesraagi, prati miditadali nudiyaagi besediruve..
Atmadellede bari tumbihudu; ninagaagi volumeya bhaavane..

Hrudaya tumbi premadali nanage jeeva toreyalu nee korabaarade..
Haatoreyutiruve aa ninna madilalli prana bidalu; haage summane..

Translation and Thought
This poem is basically about a guy trying to tell his lover how-much she means to him..

In the first two lines, he says that she is the inspiration behind all his songs and her heart is a palace for him in this world of love..

Line 3 and 4 : He wonders if she could come infront of his eyes every-time he thinks of her. He says that he remembers her in conversation, smile, stroll and basically everything..

Line 5 and 6 : He says that she is stuck in her thoughts and begs her to come and save him. He says that he worries only about her day and night; every second..

Line 7 and 8 : He says that her name is there in every breath; and she is the sound of every heart-beat.. He goes on to say that his entire soul is filled with feeling of love for her..

Line 9 and 10 : In the final two lines; the guy wonders if she could ask him with love to give his life for her.. He says that he is waiting desperately to die in her arms; just like that..