subject: Lessons NOT learned from the West [print this page] Lessons NOT learned from the West Lessons NOT learned from the West
Couple of hours back, I was wondering about the drastic change that happened to the culture of India in past 20 years. It happened too fast and steady that now even when we look back, it is difficult to believe that we have changed. Wemimickedalmost everything from the West; both good and bad. When you attend some parties it is difficult to believe that we are in India itself .We see an entirely different population that drink and dance .We could see the guys in covered up in clothes and the girls in anextremelyopposite costume. We won'thear even a word in Hindi or any of the regional But the saddest part is that we adopted 10 per cent positives from the West and we made a mistake of swallowing another 90 per cent which do no good to us.
Our talent to adapt our life style to another is surely an appreciated one. We learned how to speak English without Indian slangs, we changed our clothes short clothes and low, we loved different music and movies, we changed/deleted our menu to give space for American foods, we even changed the benchmark for HIGH statusfamilyif the family talks in English.
But even after taking in so much into our lives, we failed to see the points that would have changed our culture for good. There are two key elements that we forgot to snatch into our lives; unwed mothers and high paid wives.
Though we fight for pride and sanctity, we never realized that all we have is one life and we have to live it and notkilling it. Suicide is not a medicine to anything. It won't cure anything, also it won't change anything. The supposedly "bad" name for you and your family is not going to change by suicide. It will do more harm than we think. The person who spoiled/cheated you willhave a good lifebecausethe society pampers him by saying"It is usual that guys of this age do these things, it is the girls who should safe guard themselves. Guys of this age are like this. Who told the girl to go out that time? Or who told the girl to trust that guy?"Isn't the guy equally guilty in this matter? But that is purposely forgotten matter in our Indian culture. If you kill yourself, the loss is for you, loss is for your family and to NOBODY else. The departed soul will not rest in peacewhen acriminal case is charged on it.
You have to fight and live a life with boldness. You should show the world who pulled you down that you lived a life, you should show the spoiled minds that not just him, but you can also have a life. After all, God gave life to us to live it not to end it.
It is sad that nobody gives protection to the unwed mothers and the rape victims but the protection and support are always given to the ones who created these unlucky mothers and wounded victims. The culture that we should bring from West is the way they take these things light. They have the law which protects them to have a life. Both the girl and guy know to live a life even after having such a tragedy in their lives. Look at the life ofOprahWinfrey. Today peoplefeel honored wheninvitedfor her Talk Show. But shegot rapedat the age of9 andgot pregnant at the age of 14and it was the courage and boldness that she showed changed her destiny. That gave a place for her in the both the history and world. It is a vain to crib that God is not kind enough to give a good life. The truth is that you killed the life given by Him and not living it.
IT sector gives you a lot of opportunities to talk with the people in West. One of my American friends told me that her husband is running a small business and she earns triple of what her husband earns. She got two daughters and they lead a happy life .But here in India, I know more 20 couples who fight just because the wife earns 1000 bucks more than the husband. Some of my senior friends were telling me that during the match making process, most of the guysen quireabout the salary and they always prefer somebody who is earning less than them. Another senior friend of mine ended her 3 years wedding 7 months back just because she started earning than her husband after getting a promotion. Why does this happen in such a highly boasted educated and rapid growing country like India? We see most of the highly acclaimed and talented Indian women are either divorced or still single. We live a life sharing the both the joys and sorrows. Yes, the relatives and friends do come as negative roles by teasing the guy about a -1000 in his earnings. But is that the way to make the married life horrible? Is that the way to deal with your wife? Or is that the way to show that typical Indian male chauvinism? What is it????Look at the famous director James Cameroon and hisex wifeKathryn Bigelow who won the Oscar for best Director this year. They appreciated each other during the function. If it was in India, the woman would have not turned up for the function or would have even dramatizedby turning down the award saying "he deserves it" and then the media tagging her "the best wife".
The life at West is simple. They know how to move on withtheirlives and they know howdoheights in their lives.
I think instead having bulges and showing flesh by adopting the food and clothes from the West, we should try to bring in matters that will change our lives for the good. One of my Americancolleaguestold me that they adopt things from India that will do only good to them like stability of marriages, Ayurveda, recipes etc. See that's how we shouldadopt another culture.
