In quest for customs & creations unmatched,
I travel places far and near.
And return back to my home land,
Only to find them all pristine and clear.
Yes, the world is coming closer...and when people from different zones connect, their cultures overlap.
What we see today is a result of a world that is becoming global.
Some theories propose that- western thought has lead to globalisation and that globalisation propagates western culture.
So where did it all start?
For almost 2 centuries, the British ruled almost 2/3rds of the sub continent and exercised considerable leverage over the Indian lands. An important aspect of the British rule in India was the psychological indoctrination of an elite layer who were awfully tortured into becoming the model British subjects.
Much of this indoctrination took place outside the formal classrooms and through sale of books and periodicals written in english.
Previously, education was confined to the rich and the powerful. Masses remained away from formal education. Everything was in the form of epics- Vedas, sutras & Upanishads. And the medium was kept to Sanskrit.
Education in the modern times has changed a great deal. Not only we have adopted "angrezi" as our medium of education, but foreign techniques and languages such as French, Germany and Spanish are also being introduced in the curriculum. Soon we'll find students saying "laisseh moi tranquille`" or "ponde` esta el bano"... oh, what is that you ask? i'll leave that to you to translate... :P
With education, uniforms have too have changed. I remember, seeing my short navy blue skirt my Gran would be compelled to tell me how they used to wear 'saris' in their 10th std.!! So outrageous, right?
Western sensibility has creeped into the Indian market. With the opening of Indian markets to imports from the west, it has become easier to adapt to the lifestyle and clothing sense enjoyed by the men and women there. Now you'll find young girls strutting around in hot pants and micro-minis and working ladies preferring smart trousers and shirts over salwaars and saris as their dress code.
A comfortable alternative for sure.
And when I say comfort, how can we forget the comforting foods that entice our taste buds! Restaurants, delicatessens, and gourmet joints boast of their international food pallet. Ranging from Arabic Hummus to Chinese Chow-min to Japanese Sushi to Mexican Nachos to Italian Pasta(phew!)...they have it all!
Scrumptious meals are travelling across the globe!
We are also familiar with the exotic veggies & fruits like broccoli, avocados, jalapeno, kiwi, etc doing their rounds in supermarkets.
The influence in undeniable!
Talking of influences, how can we forget the greatest influence- the new age lingo of "hey dude" and "wassup bro"!
Also the way we have started adapting the American pronunciations of for example, schedule, often, semi-finals,etc and spellings like color, criticize, fulfill, etc. should be noted.
Following the western footsteps is the age old culture of music and dance. Western music ranging from pop to rock has formed a huge fan base in India. Instruments like guitars & drums have replaced sitars & tablas in the upcoming Bollywood numbers.
We now groove to waltz, jive hip hop & salsa in addition to our classical 'mudras'.
Influence is unavoidable.
Influence is inevitable.
But let us not forget that we too have had our share of influences in the west.
Even if you don't fancy this dash of 'Firangi Tadka' in your life....whichever turn you take- whether it's the 'East-turn' or the 'West-turn', what's important is to live in harmony. :D
