The Dictionary defines culture as “the total of the inherited knowledge, beliefs, values and ideas, which constitute the shared bases of social action of a particular civilization”.Culture is the idea, value and beliefs of a particular civilization at a particular period. It is more than anything else, ‘A State of Mind’.It is the way we behave, react to certain things, the way we perceive and interpret our values and beliefs.To define culture and limit it to these words would be an understatement. Its like trying to control tornado and limit it to a corner. It’s a system of emancipation which continues to absorb within itself and pass on the society, all that is activated by different races and religions, who come in close proximity with each other, giving it a new flavour and colouring it in a spectrum of new colours, over period of time The Indian Culture as we know it today is an assimilation of several social behaviours.
My country has been a huge melting pot of various beliefs and behaviours which make up the different cultures that came to India. It is a composite culture due to the multiple influences which have contributed to the creation of values and ethics. The projection of our culture has definitely taken a nosedive but something which has lasted, grown and emancipated over centuries cannot easily be wiped out or disintegrated. It grows may be differently with time. It takes generations to give a definite shape and keeps on adding to itself. Its always dynamic, something vibrating and acceptable to changes ,Civilisation relating to India goes back to several millenniums and the earliest one on record is the Indus Valley Civilisation, Hinduism owes it origins to Vedas and the Hindu Culture laid reverence for these holy scriptures scripted in the sacred language of Sanskrit. It basically had some salient points which were a belief in God in some form, emphasis on rituals, which were believed to unite them in spiritual kinship, belief in the Guru-Shishya tradition of learning, a demarcated caste system based on the work allotted.
Besides the Hindu religion we have the Jains who have claimed their religion to be most ancient of all, even to Aryan Hinduism and presented scholarly support to the existence of Jainism in the Indus Valley.
Buddhism, is another religion in our country which is based on the teachings of Gautam Buddha. It is also one of the great religions of the world. Scholars have avoided the world religion for Buddhism and prefer to call it a system of morality or ethics.
Islam was brought to India by the invaders and even as they set up their rule in the country, they indulged in propagation and forceful conversion. It is today a religion with one of the largest followings in the world.
The social fabric of our country has been made strong over the centuries through our varied cultures. It is our religious and culture which is attracting persons of all religious and nationality to the country.
Millions of Indians have left for foreign shores and their second generations are growing up there. These young ones are more susceptible to change and assimilation. They are the ones growing up in an environment alien to us but quiet natural to them. The surprising part is that even after all the exposure to this foreign culture, they continue to retain the basics of the culture their parents had imbibed in them by behaving normally at home. The roots are so deep that it is quiet difficult to strip them off.
Just by singing or strumming rock, Lazzard Pop music does not annihilate our culture. Wearing Western dresses or speaking in a different accent does not mean that our culture is at the point of disintegration. Beauty pageants, which are being violently opposed by a section of our society, are not powerful enough to change or influence our culture. The younger generation has still its umbilical cord connected to their ethnic culture securely even as they become progressively modern. There are millions of youngsters in the metros dancing at discotheques who go back to retain their tradition and culture where it really matters. It is definitely the strength of our culture that it cannot be so easily traded off. It is not the physical being, ‘It is a State of Mind’.
The West has borrowed our Yoga, transcended meditation, Hare Rama Hare Krishna and Ayurveda seems none the worse for it. In fact it grows more strong even like us with our young ones living it up in style. The world is after all heading for a Global Village so let us get the taste of it and continue to emancipate. Our culture can only gain by adding to it. What matters really is our identity and our ethics.
Our Indian Culture teaches us to respect elders and to treat the Guru or Teacher at a rank equal to ones’ parents. This is something which is unheard of in the developed nations. Our culture is slowly being eroded and the day it is considered immaterial, we shall no more have a nation. The beliefs, development of human powers, mental and spiritual training in the background of our religious traditions, all make a concerted move for our culture to be vibrant and a living entity.
Culture unity means a wholesome cohesive undercurrent flowing into the beliefs of people which jointly compose our nation. These perennial beliefs, social traditions and spiritual practices make up our cultural fabric. Cultural unity means ‘Unity in Diversity’ but this has remained a fake rhetoric only. These are the discriminating factors which are slowly growing at the roots of our culture. Our Culture will be wiped out because of this ambiguity. Let us awake and be equal to all transgressions on our cultural unity.