Why be conservative? Who said it's a nice thing?
One whole year in London has meant I just can't help comparing things here to those back home.
The so called clean roads, sophisticated buildings, hi tech transport and gadgetry apart, which I don't really see as something that differentiates life between here and India or anywhere else for that matter, I can see a potential solution to removing centuries old divisions in Indian society - And it's called a liberal youth.
The most lovable thing I find about young people in Europe is their close-to-complete abandon of any identity that's seemingly nationalistic or religious. Language is a difficult barrier to cross at times but it hardly is a self imposed barrier.
Religion and Nationalism are a strict no-no. And a majority of the people I know have any religious affiliation at all, and church's something they go to once a year and for some only when you are kids! And being homophobic is not a mass trait.
If I were to define conservative (more in a social, than economic sense) in an Indian context, I would look for the following:
1. A strong awareness of religion and its ideals, an unwillingness to do something that is unreligious but is lawful.
2. An awareness of caste, of what it entails and of what distinguishes from other castes.
3. A chauvinism for either language or region
It is this conservative attitude, that says it's a woman's fault that she was raped because she dressed provocatively or that she can be abused just because she chooses to drink or smoke.
It is the same attitude that says Biharis are not allowed in Mumbai and that says 'Madrasis' are not welcome in Delhi.
It's the same attitude that says eating beef is different from eating chicken, when it's just another animal being killed. To me, the following don't seem different - upper caste Hindus who eat meat but avoid beef and pork to distinguish themselves from the Dalits and the Brahmins who don't eat meat at all to distinguish themselves from the rest.
They are clinging onto an identity that they guard zealously. And so long as they guard it, the caste system will have strong roots. And worse, they rub it so well on their offspring that young people come out with the same mindset.
And we are so conveniently comfortable with the whole idea of it all that there seems to be no impetus to move in any other direction at all!
I am in favour of the young man/woman who simply doesn't care! - About religion, language, caste and ideas of nationalistic chauvinism.
It's a liberal Indian youth, that I see to be the key to weakening anything that divides. And only an education can impart that, it would seem but in this one case, some parents and grandparents might be best kept away!
The so called clean roads, sophisticated buildings, hi tech transport and gadgetry apart, which I don't really see as something that differentiates life between here and India or anywhere else for that matter, I can see a potential solution to removing centuries old divisions in Indian society - And it's called a liberal youth.
The most lovable thing I find about young people in Europe is their close-to-complete abandon of any identity that's seemingly nationalistic or religious. Language is a difficult barrier to cross at times but it hardly is a self imposed barrier.
Religion and Nationalism are a strict no-no. And a majority of the people I know have any religious affiliation at all, and church's something they go to once a year and for some only when you are kids! And being homophobic is not a mass trait.
If I were to define conservative (more in a social, than economic sense) in an Indian context, I would look for the following:
1. A strong awareness of religion and its ideals, an unwillingness to do something that is unreligious but is lawful.
2. An awareness of caste, of what it entails and of what distinguishes from other castes.
3. A chauvinism for either language or region
It is this conservative attitude, that says it's a woman's fault that she was raped because she dressed provocatively or that she can be abused just because she chooses to drink or smoke.
It is the same attitude that says Biharis are not allowed in Mumbai and that says 'Madrasis' are not welcome in Delhi.
It's the same attitude that says eating beef is different from eating chicken, when it's just another animal being killed. To me, the following don't seem different - upper caste Hindus who eat meat but avoid beef and pork to distinguish themselves from the Dalits and the Brahmins who don't eat meat at all to distinguish themselves from the rest.
They are clinging onto an identity that they guard zealously. And so long as they guard it, the caste system will have strong roots. And worse, they rub it so well on their offspring that young people come out with the same mindset.
And we are so conveniently comfortable with the whole idea of it all that there seems to be no impetus to move in any other direction at all!
I am in favour of the young man/woman who simply doesn't care! - About religion, language, caste and ideas of nationalistic chauvinism.
It's a liberal Indian youth, that I see to be the key to weakening anything that divides. And only an education can impart that, it would seem but in this one case, some parents and grandparents might be best kept away!
posted by Mohanakrishna C at 10:33 PM
2 Comments:
Education is surely the best way out, but not the type that happens in India.
Firstly, asking the religion and caste in a school application should be stopped.
Then there is the problem of reservations, which will surely not be removed for the fear of losing votes.
Actually more than the people,it is the politicians in India that seem to be more keen on encouraging divisions based on caste.
I think it has to be more inherent, removing it from school applications et al is just too superficial.
If I were to pinpoint the single biggest lifeline of the caste system - I would put the arranged marriage system on top of the list.
It sustains the caste system more than anything else.
I think if people were to find their own mates, you would have to be a little narrow minded to 'manage' to fall in love with someone from the same caste,subcaste etc.
And what's more, intercaste marriages generate people that have no identity of the sort at all.
So we wouldn't have to worry about politicians,schools or anything else that might be exogenous.
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