As the famous British historian Dr. Arnold Toynbee once said, “It is already becoming clearer that a chapter which has a Western beginning will have to have an Indian ending if it is not to end in the self-destruction of the human race… At this supremely dangerous moment in history, the only way of salvation for mankind is the Indian way.”
Little did he know back then how things will pan out in 2015. I’m writing this with extreme discomfort that we seem to have lost our way. All this talk of us ruling the 21st century is nothing but a farce to me. It isn’t just about the economy of ours or the military strength. It’s about soft power.
India is not, as people keep calling it, an underdeveloped country, but rather, in the context of its history and cultural heritage, a highly developed one in an advanced state of decay, Dr Shashi Tharoor said in his TEDx speech [Mysore 2009] & will ultimately leave you with the very basic notion.
One thing which deeply saddens me is how “we” constantly berate Biharis for overpopulation, traffic jams & what not. I seem to have found this new born respect for the people of Bihar. If I am able to sit down under this roof, it’s only because of them. These working class heroes generate the very basic idea that nothing comes off easy in this world.
It isn’t obligatory to stand while our national anthem is being played out in the background. It isn’t necessary to touch our elder’s feet which we call “Pranama.” However, these are the very things which stands us out from the rest. Of course, it’s a good sign that our GDP grew by 7.4% in second quarter, better than China.
While the Chinese seem to delve more & more in their heritage, we are seen running after the Western culture without any proper objective. With India being one of the oldest civilizations, we seem to be extremely naive & are taking everything for granted.
I want to launch this rallying cry out of utter frustation to my generation’s kids that – “Come on! Once & for all. Feel proud of your rich culture & pass it onto the next generation. Don’t let it fade away.”
You get to witness the deep hard hitting realities during the festive season. One could’ve easily figured that out during this Diwali. There was no hype whatsoever. It wasn’t that kids have started to become eco friendly & care about the environment. It’s that we were too busy texting & clicking pictures. Phones weren’t invented to click selfies. We’re actually clicking pictures rather than living that particular moment which is far important. It’s havoc out there.
The idea was to develop at a rapid rate without hurting the core values & we seem to be falling short. Extremely short!
