This post has been in draft mode for close to 2 years now. Posting it finally (spell/grammar check not done)....
Here we go!! I have been thinking a lot about the Indian culture lately. The idea to write this came before the satyamev jayte era, hence the idea is original but some thoughts might have been inspired!! All we ever hear about India is that we are culturally very rich and that every Indian must be proud of our culture. Really???Really???Really???Really???
REALLY???
Before you judge the guy who studied for an year in US and worked in Norway for an year, please read this out. The main problem with many of us is that we are happy FOLLOWING!! we dont think if its right or wrong, we dont care a damn if change is essential or not. Am not totally against the Indian culture and am proud to be called an Indian but am not the kind of guy who believes in blindly following things coz my great great grandfather did/said so. il come to this in a moment, let me start with things i like about the culture.
Yes there is no doubt that India is the most diverse nation in the world, here culture changes when you move from one district to another. the kind of history and stories we have is definitely interesting. the fact that we respect and care for our parents even after we are 18 is a testimony to the fact that we are brought up well. The festivals, the celebrations, the colors, the religions and prayers are definitely things to be proud of.
Then what is it that am not happy about?? I believe our culture is the root cause of many of our social issues. we dont think about it coz we live inside a blanket and probably dont hear about it that often. The magic word that I hate the most is 'society'. No matter what happens in India i bet society has a role to play in it. People respect are scared of society more than they are scared of the law. In India supreme court is helpless in front of 'The society'.
To start with...
1) Domestic violence. It creeps me out that nearly 70% of indian wives have suffered from the so called pati devo bhava syndrome.. 53% of the cases in medical centers are related to domestic violence..
2) Can you believe the culture we are proud of still believes in Honor killing? You might argue that it is only prominent in North India, but I disagree. This is something that exisits in almost every state, loud in some places and silent in some. More than 1000 people are killed in India in the name of honor. And if we are proud to be Indians we must also be ashamed of things that happen in India too.
A man in the show satyamev jayte said few inspiring words and i quote:
'Even stagnant water becomes foul in days. Culture and belief has to change with time. We have 1000s of temples with Krishna Radha idols. Were they husband-wife? They were mere lovers. You must first throw away these idols if you think your belief is right and justified.'
The Supreme Court of India has abolished honor killing and objections raised by Khap panchayats. The judgement states and I quote:
"
The Supreme Court on Tuesday held that inter-caste marriages are in “national interest” as a unifying factor in a nation where caste system is a “curse”. “The caste system is a curse on the nation and the sooner it is destroyed the better. In fact, it is dividing the nation at a time when we have to be united to face the challenges before the nation. Inter-caste marriages are, in fact, in national interest as they will result in destroying the caste system,” a Bench of Justices Markandeya Katju and Gyan Sudha Misra held in a judgment.
The court slammed caste system as a divisive factor which promotes families to murder their own children in the name of “honour killings”. The judgment, the court said, is to remind that this still is a democratic nation where a person who has reached the age of majority can marry “whosoever he/ she likes”. “There is nothing honourable in honour killing or other atrocities and, in fact, it is nothing but barbaric and shameful murder,” Justice Katju, who wrote the judgment, observed.
Comparing khap panchayats to “kangaroo courts” where instant justice is meted out without any regard to judicial process of the country, the court said young boys and girls who marry outside their castes fall victims to their institutionalised “atrocities”.
“We have in recent years heard of ‘khap panchayats’ which often decree or encourage honour killings or other atrocities in an institutionalised way on boys and girls of different castes and religion, who wish to get married or have been married, or interfere with the personal lives of people. We are of the opinion that this is wholly illegal and has to be ruthlessly stamped out,” the court said.
The judgment refers to the 2006 Supreme Court decision in Lata Singh vs State of UP which had held that inter-caste marriages are not banned under the Hindu Marriage Act or any other law. The maximum that relatives can do if they disagree with the inter-caste marriage of their children is to cut off all bonds with them. “But they cannot give threats or commit or instigate acts of violence and cannot harass the person who undergoes such inter-caste or inter-religious-marriage. This is a free and democratic country,” the court said.
Taking steps to enforce its judgment, the Bench directed the government to immediately suspend any District Magistrate or Collector and SSP/SPs as well as other officials concerned, chargesheet them and proceed against them departmentally if they failed to act against any instance of casteist violence despite knowing about it in advance or if they fail to “promptly” apprehend the culprits and institute criminal proceedings against them.
The court issued orders for the copies of the judgment to be sent to the state high courts and chief secretaries, home secretaries and director generals of police in all states and Union territories for circulation.
"
Do you think the orders are respected? Are you confident that the cops abide by this law? How many cases have we heard of honor killing with police support since 2006? As part of the Indian culture we are taught to respect. It is shameful that the guy who was on national tv just few months back (satyamev jayte-honor killing episode) was killed last week; and guess what just a day before the murder he had asked for protection and the police did nothing. Here we are facing millions of people who dont respect the orders of the highest authority in India but carry on their own dictatorship with no remorse. I feel the root cause is again the fact that we are resistant to change. "My father and grandfather did this, and i dont care if they were wrong, I will do so too because it is our 'culture'".
3) Arranged Marriage/Arranged Rape
Why do parents feel that its their obligation to get their kids married whether they are ready or not. Why are the parents always confident that the person we choose is definitely not the right one. why do they always talk about the sacrifice they did for us? how is it sacrifice if they are asking something in return? 'we did so much for u, cant u do even this for us?' Even this?? it is our life, 40-50 years you are talking about. It hurts when i see people around me bow down to the pressure/blackmail and kill their dreams. All parents want their kids to be happy, but they afraid to stand for them in front of the society. They are willing to sacrifice their kids happiness to appease society.
There are so many more that I want to discuss about, but these three are good for now. For eg the dowry system and the crimes associated with it, or marrying your uncles son/daughter (prohibited by law). I guess its time for people to change the way they think and the way people close to them think. slowly and eventually me might have a culture to be 100% proud of. How do I react? How do i plan to change? To begin with i will always show society a finger if my decision is valued on the impact it will have on society. Secondly I will see to it that these things dont happen around me. Be it my neighbor, my colony people or my friends.
Hope we see change someday soon!!!
