01-01-2004, 03:39 AM
I have always wanted to ask this question to some one capable of answering it. Now that I have found a forum that has lots of people who can answer me, I have decided to ask.
First off , I am newbie , so please forgive my errors in logic, method or etiquette.
I want India to become a major power.
For India to become a major power , it is an un-controversial opinion that we have to become a major economic power. The most effective way to achieve this by selling our services to other countries (Software etc.) , by opening up our markets to entities with money ( Corporations etc.). I will call these entities as Wealth sources. Both have happened at a remarkable level in the past 12 to 15 years and the results are self evident. There is a third way of selling extremely high technology "Products" ( read missiles , Airplanes, Radars etc.) . Realistically it will take atleast an other 20-30 yrs for us to do that in a large scale.
In the past 12 to 15 years I have also seen a marked change in the way people behave , conduct themselves and interact with others. Even though the majority of the Indian populace has not changed , the majority of the Indian populace has not had a slice of the pie yet. It is mostly folks in Delhi , bombay, Culcutta, Madras , Hydrebad etc. who have seen the most economic growth , and also have had the opportunity to interact with these wealth sources.
Even the guys from rural areas and villages who did B.Thech and M.Tech with me have become more westernized after coming into contact with these wealth sources.
I have infered that economic growth leads to westernization.
I would like to make it clear that I have no problems with becoming wealthy or becoming more sphisticated(what ever that means).
The problem I have is the emergence of "pseudo-culture". A Bombayite or a Madrasi dressing up , walking , talking , eating and conducting him/her self like a westerner to some extent or an other not necessarily because of "how it feels" but more because of "wht it represents" . Even though it is true that these people are a small minority, it is also true that this small minority is the group that has come in contact with wealth sources.
I have no problems with seeing a half naked woman on TV( as a matter of fact I like that kind of thing <!--emo&
--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo--> ) , but I want that woman to be naked in an Indian way.
If you take the question of getting dressed up , it is always GUCCI or LACOSTE or RALPH LAUREN. Are there no sophisticated indian ways of dressing up ?
If you take fine eating , many people prefer PIZZA over other equally costly , indeginous food.
If you look at movies 90 % of them are shot abroad!!!!. You see these actors wrapping themselves around the american flag and dancing in LA or SF.
In case of automobiles , altleast one can say that BMW is better than Ambassador. A Sony better than MTNL phone.But things like clothing , perfume , attire , food , are are a matter of taste.
Why do most nouveau riche prefer foreign culture over Indian culture to show their success to their societey.
The reason behind my elaboration is to ask one simple yet frightening question.
As economic progress comes to India there will be more and more people touched by the wealth sources. Does this mean that there will be a gradual erosion of what our core culture and values are ?
Do we have to be less and less Indian if we have to have more and more full stomachs in our country?
Is there any way to market the "Indian way of Good living". Why dont we see huge truck loads of "tender coconut water" being shipped all over india instead of pepsi and coke and Perrier.
Thanks for taking the time to read this
First off , I am newbie , so please forgive my errors in logic, method or etiquette.
I want India to become a major power.
For India to become a major power , it is an un-controversial opinion that we have to become a major economic power. The most effective way to achieve this by selling our services to other countries (Software etc.) , by opening up our markets to entities with money ( Corporations etc.). I will call these entities as Wealth sources. Both have happened at a remarkable level in the past 12 to 15 years and the results are self evident. There is a third way of selling extremely high technology "Products" ( read missiles , Airplanes, Radars etc.) . Realistically it will take atleast an other 20-30 yrs for us to do that in a large scale.
In the past 12 to 15 years I have also seen a marked change in the way people behave , conduct themselves and interact with others. Even though the majority of the Indian populace has not changed , the majority of the Indian populace has not had a slice of the pie yet. It is mostly folks in Delhi , bombay, Culcutta, Madras , Hydrebad etc. who have seen the most economic growth , and also have had the opportunity to interact with these wealth sources.
Even the guys from rural areas and villages who did B.Thech and M.Tech with me have become more westernized after coming into contact with these wealth sources.
I have infered that economic growth leads to westernization.
I would like to make it clear that I have no problems with becoming wealthy or becoming more sphisticated(what ever that means).
The problem I have is the emergence of "pseudo-culture". A Bombayite or a Madrasi dressing up , walking , talking , eating and conducting him/her self like a westerner to some extent or an other not necessarily because of "how it feels" but more because of "wht it represents" . Even though it is true that these people are a small minority, it is also true that this small minority is the group that has come in contact with wealth sources.
I have no problems with seeing a half naked woman on TV( as a matter of fact I like that kind of thing <!--emo&
--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo--> ) , but I want that woman to be naked in an Indian way. If you take the question of getting dressed up , it is always GUCCI or LACOSTE or RALPH LAUREN. Are there no sophisticated indian ways of dressing up ?
If you take fine eating , many people prefer PIZZA over other equally costly , indeginous food.
If you look at movies 90 % of them are shot abroad!!!!. You see these actors wrapping themselves around the american flag and dancing in LA or SF.
In case of automobiles , altleast one can say that BMW is better than Ambassador. A Sony better than MTNL phone.But things like clothing , perfume , attire , food , are are a matter of taste.
Why do most nouveau riche prefer foreign culture over Indian culture to show their success to their societey.
The reason behind my elaboration is to ask one simple yet frightening question.
As economic progress comes to India there will be more and more people touched by the wealth sources. Does this mean that there will be a gradual erosion of what our core culture and values are ?
Do we have to be less and less Indian if we have to have more and more full stomachs in our country?
Is there any way to market the "Indian way of Good living". Why dont we see huge truck loads of "tender coconut water" being shipped all over india instead of pepsi and coke and Perrier.
Thanks for taking the time to read this