Diwali 2013
After many years our family celebrated Diwali together in our own home in MD. The past few years, either our daughter was unable to join us from college or we were not physically present at home or for other reasons. This year I decided to celebrate Diwali traditionally and to explain all the rituals and their significance to my daughters. Strangely enough, I got a great explanation of Laxmi puja from the official website of the government of Trinidad and Tobago! While we were engaged in the rituals I asked my older daughter whether she will follow the customs and celebrate Diwali with her own future family. I was very heartened to hear her reply that yes of course she will. Despite rapid Westernization it is wonderful to see the younger generation still interested in dressing up in the Indian style; sarees, ghagras, elaborate jewelry etc. Our culture and traditions are safe going forward.
I am afraid that also means that some negative aspects of our rich culture will also not change easily. Attitudes towards women are regressing in our society. What has changed between the time I was growing up and current times? Mind sets were the same even then, but people would be fearful of the consequences of their actions. That fear seems to have disappeared now. Predators and pedophiles existed even then but such frequent occurrence of gang rape in urban areas I think is a recent phenomenon. My belief is that there is a corruption of the mind that has set in in India. This cuts across all strata of society; it permeates all classes, genders and age groups. The current state of our country is merely a reflection of this reality.
Beautifully put...I too believe that our Indian traditions are safe with our children, They will be simplified to a certain degree, but will be respected and followed by them.
ReplyDeleteOn another note, strangely in spite of all the modernization in our country, the attitude to women is almost regressive. Many so called "educated" people also still think that the woman is at fault for wearing certain "western" clothes and leading a lifestyle that has until now been the prerogative of a man, alone. The wide spread corruption is now affecting everyone at an individual level to the extent that people's minds and heart are getting corrupt and they are losing the very basic values that define a human being. There is no fear of consequence as there is no accountability. Sadly, this is the message given by our politicians..
It is unconscionable, what's going on with women in India. Like the AAP movement, we need something revolutionary for women. What are mothers not telling their sons that the latter feel it's okay to molest and rape women? The shocking thing is that this disease is no less among the 'educated'. Tahiliani comes to mind.
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