India
Back in the 1980's and previously India had grown up in the strict mould of the British stronghold. Hamilton Bridge was still Hamilton Bridge, Victoria Terminus was not Chatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Madras, Bombay, Calcutta, Quilon... You get the point. India has changed. India has embraced its own culture. Each state has decided to rename things to its respective language. India became more Indian as a result.
The overriding trend however has been this adoption of American culture, language and ethos. In rejecting western society in the form of England, Indians have embraced America completely. Some of this is indeed good, the rest is again degrading the culture and language. The English taught us the benefit of polished English, the Americans have taught us how to adulterise this language. "Realisation" has become "Realization", 28/2/2006 has become 2/28/2006. This was plainly evident in the recent Bombay train attacks which was instantly dubbed "7-11". What is this people? Why do we Indians need to affirm our own system through some foreign piece of crap? Why do we need to suck up to the Americans now?
The TV channel's in India are becoming so "wannabe" American, it's no longer the exception but the rule. Fashion is dictated by the Levi Jeans, even the use of "lakh" is slowly fading into obscurity. Why is it that every second movie that Bollywood pushes out have to be set in the USA? Is this some sort of effort to win over the Americans? Is it a realisation that our country is in the dumps? Is it some other psychokinetic related disease?
One could ask me, why are you concerned? I am concerned because firstly the culture is slowly being degraded in our cities and villages. Who practises Yoga in India? Very few. However, it is plainly obvious that the white's are taking our valuable knowledge and using it themselves, while Indians, especially the young crowd, find it neccesary to demean their own background. In today's India the young must wear Jeans, dress like they are western. Does one see people wearing salwars and sarees in the states? No. Of course, one could turn around and say to me that does one speak Hindi or Tamil or Kannada or Bengali in the US It's a case of using the west to get your job done, not for personal gratification and customer satisfaction.
If India becomes any more Americanised, no NOT Americanized, I see a case of personal identity loss. There could even be a "stolen generation" within India although there has been no ethnic cleansing. It's time. Time to revert. Time to stop dreaming things we are not. So let's all stop using Z the next time we write "organise". Next time you are going to put those pants on, consider the pyjama kurta. Next time you are about to about to say 7-11, think of the actual event, don't just refer to something so incredibly affecting with a reference to a date, and that too an Americanised reference to a date. It's just plain wrong.
India is going down the wrong path. The best India can be is Indian, not American or any other pseudoculturual crossover. India has a rich history and culture, let's not lose it to the west.
So with that, I wish you all a very happy Independence Day! Jai Hind!
This entry was posted by Blogpur, on
Tuesday, August 15, 2006.
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6:16 AM
Happy I-day to you too :)
4:26 AM
Nice Post and Belated Happy I-Day
8:17 AM
Thanks to both of you, wish you the same.