Selective Amnesia There was a point to this. But I forgot.

Whither Indian-ness?

(written by C Gopalakrishnan SENIOR- a part contribution from family blog)

Hypothesis
There is a differentiating edge of the love exhibited by people of my age towards our parents or our country and that shown by the modern youth to their parents, or to their country. The modern youth is moving towards a small circle of self and unitary family, and their interest in National affairs, or in the big family including parents and co-born are on the decline.

Past
As an youngster, (during 40s-50s) we were all made to believe that the quintessence or the core culture of an Indian was hospitality encompassing all the attitudes like Courtesy, civility, respecting the elders and social grace. We all have learned to live with poverty, and we also learned to enjoy poverty, as the public at large were generally poor, with a few having a little more than many. That is, the gap between the haves and have-nots was small. Or to be more specific, as the Material (wealth) available was small, the individual thought was less materialistic, and was driven more by compassion, love, personal sacrifice and national interest.

We had a daily dose of stories of Dhurva, Rama, Baghiratha, Harischandra, Viswamitra, Bheeshma, Ekalvya or Kamadhenu, and Ever Green God Krishna, and Greener in colour God Rama, whose ultimate was obedience to Father. We were tireless in hearing the escapedes of Bheem crushing Bagasura or Idumban or the exploits of his son Kadothgaja in the Gurukshetra war. Hence, making sacrifices for the Family, protecting the name and reputation of the country ( we used to justify the acts of Dhrona or Bheeshma as they held the interest of their kingdom paramount as compared to their own desires. Naturally, these stories made us to keep family as the utmost duty than harbouring ideas like “my personal desire- my wish list, or what I want to do”. Apart from these, the regular doses of community discourses on Ramayana and Mahabharata or devotional concerts by Pithukuli, were doled out for at least 50 days in a year with the jack-pot of hot sundal or Puliyodrai.

I was a proud Tamilian taking pride in Sangam Literature, Tholkappium, Thirukural and the greatness of Chera, Chola, Pandya kings, and an admirer of Pari, Ori, Adiyaman Kumanan, or Avvai, Pughaendhi, Ottakuthar, Thruvalluvar or Kuravanchi or Nedunalvadai. My role model hero was Vandhyadevan, while Sivakami, Nandhi-adigal could never leave my dream. Parthiban’s dreams were interpreted while I sailed on Kadalpura. I was breathing in and Breathing out Tamil. That was my life. But my dream was shattered as I was told that being a Brahmin I am an Aryan and that I can not claim being a Tamil.

Gone are those days, when all of us -cousins and nephew/nieces sitting together around Grandma deftly distributing palmful of curd rice ( degree of dilution was never noticed), with tender mango, or salted lime in our left hands. The best of the best international cuisine could match the taste, as what was served was not mere rice, but love emotion and care.

I was a proud NCC cadet and had a child hood dream of donning the Indian Green, and charging into enemy territory to save Indian Honour and Pride. The Motherland was supreme, and we all had the streaks of Thiruppur Kumaran or VOC.

After doing Physics, I harboured personal desire of joining BARC or TIFR as a Physicist.

However, all these roles- playing Vandhyadevan or Honouring the flag like Kumaran or doing Swadessi Business like VOC, or becoming a deputy to Homi Baba were all wilfully given up with one look at our family finance.
I ended up as a Salesman, as my family required my immediate employment. I enjoyed the bliss of sacrifice, that I was a dutiful son. My mother lived happily for 35 years under my care, while I could be proud of my father’s association for 20 years , on my assuming the family reins.

Transition
The economy grew, from 1960s to 2000, that is, if we had paid Rs.1 for one measure of rice, we are now capable of paying Rs.30/- for the same quantity. The purchasing power of an average Indian has increased multi fold. There are atleast 10 time more number of cars on the Indian Roads now, than the Past, while more number of people fly than the number of people who walk. These are the growing economic power of the Indian. But the biggest negative factor is the corresponding increase in the divide between the Rich and the common man.

Present- National affairs

The greatest achievement of the Parliamentary mechanism is to make the politicians, not the Industrialists and not the original IPR holders as the richest clan in the country. That is, earning money has become more important than the means of earning money. Corruption is more abhorred in verbal expressions as it has become the rule of the society. What is practiced by society is generally accepted as the rule of the land, and thus corruption in high places is not a subject matter to be discussed, hiding conveniently behind the edict, that unless proved everybody is innocent. So issues like fodder, political murder, phone tapping, Volker, article 365, KGB/CIA pay-offs, Bofors, Quodroci are of no concern but India must grow. One Ariyalur saw the exit of OV Alagesan, while no single politicians talk about 2005, year of Maximum Train accidents in free India. This was the country when King Purus , even in captivity did not want to lose his pride. Now, national pride is thrown to winds and we have become mercenaries in making money.

It is a vicious cycle. You can hold on to power only if you have wealth, while to make money you have to be in power. Thus making money, and ruling the country has become a perpetual push-pull engine. Interestingly most politicians wear whites, and this they believe will hide their black acts of corruption. It is a different matter that Colour media is now exposing both the Black-and-white aspects of the politicians. The left, guardians of Public enterprise and labour interests make their customary bark. However, reduced PF rate, Privatisation, and vote against Iran had been enacted with them holding on to their power firmly.

What is more powerful than the claim of”secularism”, in holding on to power? Before the Mogul or The English invaders, it was Hindus who ruled India. Hence a study of Indian history, understanding Indian culture, its tradition or the legacy is Indian ness- whether the Indian is a Hindu or Muslim or a Christian ( should I also add Jain, Boudh or Sikh). No! according to our parliament. A study of Indian culture of pre-mogul invasion is Safronisation. And not secular. Wither Indian ness?

Present – the family issues
The exhibition of attitudes like “my personal desire- my wish list, or what I want to do”, are hallmarks of the modern youth, under the guise of personal space, personal freedom, generation gap, generation divide and so on.

Goodness, present day youngsters love their parents to the hilt. However, they also exhibit excellent attitude like Universal/ Global thinking ( Patriotism is restricting you to only one country ), boundary-less approach, focussed attention, determination to achieve their objectives (the actual meaning being core selfishness, personal greed and no value systems) etc.

The end results have become more important than the means of achieving the end results.

But their interpretation of love is different. Not that they don’t love, but the meaning and expressions of love are different. “Parents object to the modern dress of my wife, and hence to avoid any displeasure we are living separate’, could be an excuse of living independently ; the millenium school, Krishnamurthy foundation or the Chettinadu is far away for my 3 year old, hence we will have get togethers every week ends. Why not think, that I will sacrifice my personal space for a few years till they have peaceful end, and then I will have my total freedom. Or as a product of next door school, I have achieved so much, and can my 3 year old can get the attention and the stiories of valour, Bhakthi and Moral from the baby sitter. Can the personally fed food from the hands of Grandma can match the sterilised and filtered (mineral water) and untouched spoon feeding. The sppon is the main culprit of losing the personal touch.

How many Tamil movies have shown, Father driving a youngster to do something wortwhile, where in the hero is portrayed as an idealist waiting for achieving his dream job; while the family is suffering in abject poverty, the hero as a saviour picks up fist fights with the villain. We appreciate and write rave reviews and the movie is a box-office success. Why, it reflects the modern clamour for idealism at any cost- including the welfare of my own family. I as a father, would like to question the director, whether the Hero is not duty bound to provide food and shelter to his aged parents by accepting any job that pays him a minimal amount now, while waiting for the Lady Luck to knock his doors?. This is what I call sacrifice from an off-spring to their parents, to look after them, keep their interests above their personal desires.

Cause
I have been analysing, and the reality was shockingly pointing fingers at me, and people of my Generation, for the transition and for the General degradation of life principles and moving towards selfishness, or greediness. Expediency or the end-result has become more important than the means.

The first generation middle class of post Independence people like me (55 ~ 60 years old) had seen very high unemployment ratio; had seen the value of studying material sciences like Physics, Chemistry with IIT or U.S.A, as the ultimate in mind. May be reservation, and lack of opportunities for forward classes also made us to believe that escape from Tamilnadu, escape from India were the only way of prosperity of our Children. So opt for CBSE- (Escape from Tamilnadu, entry to IIT and Visa to USA), and then drive them relentlessly to the “winning edge of marks like 98.789 or 99.345”, and Alas 98.0 being a failure. Our concern was not Tamil ( as we were told), Not literature, not Indian History not mythology filled with Indian valour and Indian Grace.

We have failed to teach them what was the objectives of Dhurva or Bhagiratha, Bheeshma or that of Rama, Krishna or Arjun. Our children learnt more about Casablanca and not Rama. The valour of Indian kings like Bharatha or Dhushyanta or Dasarata were not known but Queen Victoria or Crusade or Genghis Khan. If Warran ,or Bhatias sell out their IPRs to US, don’t blame them as they are obliged to their “Alma maters.” That is what the current generation of Grand Parents desired.

The political scenario keep the academics and intellegentia of the country away from politics. Lack of knowledge in Indian culture, its rich past, and the value systems have made our youngsters to be apathetic to Indian ness. The schools becoming like factories churning out people with 98+ marks without NCC, Moral Studies, Civics or on mythology have made our youngsters as aliens in our country.

Failure of the first generation Post Independent parents (like me) to impart legends and stories like what we received from our parents and grand parents. And more importantly, the political divide on expressing who is a tamilian and who is not on the one hand, and who should study what and who should not study based on reservations all have caused havoc in our youth losing Indianness.

Future
The migrant Indians are re-discovering India. I have seen NRI Carnatic music exponents performing recitals during the Music Festival in Chennai, more number of Utsavams like Cleveland Aradhana in Us, number of Temples in USA, brisk business for Divinity than before, more number of Indian migrants like Kalavai Venkat and Dr Kalyanaraman fighting for Indian cause, and as the Infrastructure of India is improving many youngsters desiring to stay in India. However, it is a big question mark whether our modern youth would go to the extent of selfless sacrifice for the Nation or towards their Language or their families?.

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