Is modernity in conflict with our traditions?

singhvp

New member
Quite recently, the humble and feeble modernity has been under scathing attack facing so many ruthless onslaughts from the custodians of our community, genuine as well as self-styled, accusing that modernity is the real culprit of violating the well-established societal norms like not marrying in the same-clan and within village etc. In my assessment modernity has nothing to do with intimate relations and the human sexual behaviour. The ‘Homosapiens’ considered to be our forefathers were more indulged in free sex without having regard to their caste, creed, religion, region or even their clan as these nuances evolved much later. I find the modern youth much more rational, well behaved and controlled in his/her sexual behaviour, observance of social norms and sophistry – thanks to the enhanced sources of scientific knowledge and education. Some of us seem to be satirical about those living in metropolitan cities for adopting modern style of living. It is a very wrong perception that those living in metropolitan cities like, Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, New York or even Timbuktu are indulging in all sorts of immoral acts. The scenario is not much better in the comparatively smaller towns/villages considered to be the bastion of culture and customs, as far as behavioral changes are concerned. There are people everywhere who indulge in all sorts of immoral acts irrespective of the size of a city or village. It has become more a fashion and a routine rhetoric to criticize modernity, rather than going deep into introspection and retrospection to analyze the facts and changing trends of behaviour.

Paradoxically enough, many of us spare no opportunity to criticize modernity in pursuit of being called as saviours of ‘traditions’, but, at the same time seem to be vying with each other to have everything that symbolizes modernity viz. sending our kids to English medium schools, wearing trendy clothes, having latest gizmos and luxury cars. How many of us are still wearing the handloom clothes made by the village weavers. Why don’t we wear turban and ‘dhoti-Kurta’ if we are so much concerned about our traditional identity? Why do we insist upon our wives to wear the modern lingerie and siphon. We should insist that they should remain clad in 52 yard “Ghaghra” and ‘bandhej ki odhni’ while keeping their faces covered all the time. The same logic also demands that we should prevent our daughters attending the modern day co-educational school, colleges and universities which offer them ample opportunities for close interaction with their opposite sex. We should rather be insisting on their sending to ‘Gurukuls ‘ only – traditional institutes. We will have to radically revive many of our traditions, if we are not prepared to adapt ourselves to the changed environment and prefer to be called 'puritanics'.

You may like to offer your comments.
 
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The term modernity seems redefined by some people who wants to impose their views which seems irrelevet to today's world.

A person who is well aware of the changing societal norms and keeps his mind open to listen and understand others point of views is labelled with term Modernity. There were amedments in our traditons and customs with rspect to time since last thousand years and will keep changing in future. This is not modernism but it is awareness about the changing world arround us.

We may accept the changes the way they are.
We may modify some customs to suit our traditions with respect to the today's world.
We may just try to stick to the thousand years old customs and traditions.

These three options decides a person's openmindedness and flexibility to solve any issue. The extremist are classifying these three categories into Neo-liberal, Modern and orthodox respectively. These terms hardly matters as they seems relative to one another and their definitions vary from person to person.
 
modernity mainly brings comfort to our life style while traditions make our life lively. and in a way modernity is complimentary to traditions. conflict arises when one tries to take over another. vp sir, blindfollowing of both is not good for a balanced life.
 
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modernity mainly brings comfort to our life style while traditions make our life lively. and in a way modernity is complimentary to traditions. conflict arises when one tries to take over another. vp sir, blindfollowing of both is not good for a balanced life.

Meera ji and also Vijay ji, very balanced and moderate comments. Thanks
 
According to me one should b Modern at mind and Traditional at Heart !
Both(Modernity n traditions) should hav a blend in lyf to make it colorful !
 
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24K worth statement, fully endorse !

There're a touchy difference between modernity and liberal thinking. For me modernity is to follow western culture blindly, being insensible and pretending to be extra cool without any substance. N' I seriously doubt if the new gen X is more sensible, tolerant and rational in thinking and outlook, I believe most of them have no vision, are very much confused about what they want. They're like ABCD - Amercian Born Confused Desi.

Liberal thinking comes from lot of good reading, learning from elders, valuing social norms n' customs and keeping a positive attitude. Neo-liberal is synonym of today's ultra modern gen.

Cheers
Jit


modernity is to walk in the dark with your Raybans on. just a rat race
 
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24K worth statement, fully endorse !

There're a touchy difference between modernity and liberal thinking. For me modernity is to follow western culture blindly, being insensible and pretending to be extra cool without any substance. N' I seriously doubt if the new gen X is more sensible, tolerant and rational in thinking and outlook, I believe most of them have no vision, are very much confused about what they want. They're like ABCD - Amercian Born Confused Desi.

Liberal thinking comes from lot of good reading, learning from elders, valuing social norms n' customs and keeping a positive attitude. Neo-liberal is synonym of today's ultra modern gen.

Cheers
Jit

I dont find it confused or whatever u wrote. If you generalize by considering couple of examples then you are absolutely wrong dear.
Anyway, I assume you also belong to this generation X: ya ferr bujurgaa mein ginti kare hai Jittee???? hahaha
 
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Its not usual generalized thinking DK bro .. my kinda of generalization comes from observation n' experience n' it says most of today's gen X is very much confused n' just don't have vision.

Bhai mein to apni bujuron mein hi ginti kya karoon .. I wish I were born in 60's .. I'm quite retro in almost everything but keep an open mind full of liberal thinking !! :)




I dont find it confused or whatever u wrote. If you generalize by considering couple of examples then you are absolutely wrong dear.
Anyway, I assume you also belong to this generation X: ya ferr bujurgaa mein ginti kare hai Jittee???? hahaha
 
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24K worth statement, fully endorse !

There're a touchy difference between modernity and liberal thinking. For me modernity is to follow western culture blindly, being insensible and pretending to be extra cool without any substance. N' I seriously doubt if the new gen X is more sensible, tolerant and rational in thinking and outlook, I believe most of them have no vision, are very much confused about what they want. They're like ABCD - Amercian Born Confused Desi.

Liberal thinking comes from lot of good reading, learning from elders, valuing social norms n' customs and keeping a positive attitude. Neo-liberal is synonym of today's ultra modern gen.

Cheers
Jit

Fully agree with Jit Bhai,
Modernity term is widely used for following the Western Culture blindly. We should put our head into anything before doing it. If something which is good for us and doesn't harm others and society, we can follow that. Also we should hold our old good customs and traditions firlmy which are proven against the time such as respecting elders, parents. Being here in US and seeing the culture over here, I am proud that still we are having great moral values in India.
 
Modernity means-
Life is given to us only once so enjoy it as much as you can. Rebirth, karmas etc. things are the imaginations of rustic, uncivilized people.
Do MCA, MTech, MBA...settle in some foreign country...don't toil in office but have lacs of Rs. (or thousands of dollars) as salary. If you toil, you are fool.
If making physical relations is bad then why the creator of this world has made man and woman? If making intimate relations doesn't hurt anybody then go for it to the maximum.
Whole world is one. They are fool who have created boundaries, castes, religion etc. rubbish.
Science has developed so much, human being has reached the moon, but some people are fool who still care about same gotra, intercaste marriage, intimate relationships, religion, country etc.
...

...

...

...

...

Sorry to say I am not such a modern. Kudos to the system of this world otherwise people like me would suffer here badly.
 
Modernity means-
Life is given to us only once so enjoy it as much as you can. Rebirth, karmas etc. things are the imaginations of rustic, uncivilized people.
Do MCA, MTech, MBA...settle in some foreign country...don't toil in office but have lacs of Rs. (or thousands of dollars) as salary. If you toil, you are fool.
If making physical relations is bad then why the creator of this world has made man and woman? If making intimate relations doesn't hurt anybody then go for it to the maximum.
Whole world is one. They are fool who have created boundaries, castes, religion etc. rubbish.
Science has developed so much, human being has reached the moon, but some people are fool who still care about same gotra, intercaste marriage, intimate relationships, religion, country etc.
...

...

...

...

...

Sorry to say I am not such a modern. Kudos to the system of this world otherwise people like me would suffer here badly.

well said. Makes sense.
 
Modernity means-
Life is given to us only once so enjoy it as much as you can. Rebirth, karmas etc. things are the imaginations of rustic, uncivilized people.
Do MCA, MTech, MBA...settle in some foreign country...don't toil in office but have lacs of Rs. (or thousands of dollars) as salary. If you toil, you are fool.
If making physical relations is bad then why the creator of this world has made man and woman? If making intimate relations doesn't hurt anybody then go for it to the maximum.
Whole world is one. They are fool who have created boundaries, castes, religion etc. rubbish.
Science has developed so much, human being has reached the moon, but some people are fool who still care about same gotra, intercaste marriage, intimate relationships, religion, country etc.
...

...

...

...

...

Sorry to say I am not such a modern. Kudos to the system of this world otherwise people like me would suffer here badly.

In your opinion, is it the modern life-style which tends to drive people towards immoral acts like illicit relations and other forbidden acts; or such tendencies have been persisting through all the ages? What corrective measure would you like to suggest to maintain a precarious balance between traditions and the modern life-style. Is there only a thin line between modernity and immorality? Comments from Shri Upender Singh as well as from other members are solicited please.
 
Indeed...

Dear All,

I was thinking as to when would have the first conflict between tradition and modernity taken place. It had to be when humans first started wearing clothes. Then the ones who did not wear clothes were traditionalists and those who wore clothes were modernists. However, human beings have ‘Progressed’. Now those who wear clothes are traditionalists and those who hardly wear them are modern. Interesting indeed!

Having seen life a bit and experienced a multi ethnic environment, I believe being modern is being able to accept other person’s point of view in the correct perspective. This debate about following western culture has lost steam a ling time back because human progress in these days would in any case lead peoples to that kind of life style that we describe as ‘Western’. The rest of the world is doing that and that’s why it was called ‘American Dream’. The so called under developed nations and societies would ultimately reach the level of decay that the so called advanced societies have reached and regretted. Ek baar sab nange ho ke jaroor dekheinge, nudist colony bhi banaaeinge lekin ‘shanti’ na milay.

We see in metros how life is undergoing a change towards the worst. Those who believe in honest living, goodness, ‘Bhaichara’, etc are in a minority and are detested by those who think that they are modern. Ek TAU ne Sonepat ki courts mein ya baat kuchh is tarike se samjhaayi thi “Bhai Fauji, jo lugayee salwar kameej pahar ri se va te se ganwaar, or jisne sirf kameej pahar rakyaa se va modern”.

How does the future look like? Rather bleak. Having seen the cream de la cream of society from very close quarters in the center of India’s capital, things are really going to the dogs. I don’t know where this ‘modernity’ that is being practiced by the elite and aped by the rest will lead this nation to.

No, there is no God who will rescue us from this quagmire.

Best regards,

JS Malik
 
Ek TAU ne Sonepat ki courts mein ya baat kuchh is tarike se samjhaayi thi “Bhai Fauji, jo lugayee salwar kameej pahar ri se va te se ganwaar, or jisne sirf kameej pahar rakyaa se va modern”.


Best regards,

JS Malik

Laughed a lot...........TAU's witty humour and conventional wisdom is really commendable.

On a serious note, if the modern life-style leads to cultural degeneration, it could be dangerous.

Anyway, thanks Col. Malik for your comments.

Regards
 
there is a old saying "Cauva challa hans ki chal apni bhul baitha".Most of youth today cought between modernity and traditions. Trying to follow the westren culture and when happened something wrong with own family because of modernity/or follow of western culture, then reliese something wrong is going on. Adopt best of west not the waste of west. Modernity does not say do not follow our own traditions customs those have deep roots in our blood by birth. to flow with time if ok, but not at the cost of our culture and traditions.
 
there is a old saying "Cauva challa hans ki chal apni bhul baitha".Most of youth today cought between modernity and traditions. Trying to follow the westren culture and when happened something wrong with own family because of modernity/or follow of western culture, then reliese something wrong is going on. Adopt best of west not the waste of west. Modernity does not say do not follow our own traditions customs those have deep roots in our blood by birth. to flow with time if ok, but not at the cost of our culture and traditions.

Most of the cases of 'immoral relationships' happenend in so called Khap dominated areas. Can you mention any such case outside that area ? Doesn't that force you to think that there is something wrong about your approach regarding this matter ?

I strongly discard the influence of western culture for this ..... as even in USA incest is illegal.

Modernity is all about the openmindedness regarding the various aspect of social and practical life instead of wearing some specific type of clothings and acts.

End of the day, point of views of a person matters instead of the clothes he/she wears.
 
In your opinion, is it the modern life-style which tends to drive people towards immoral acts like illicit relations and other forbidden acts; or such tendencies have been persisting through all the ages? What corrective measure would you like to suggest to maintain a precarious balance between traditions and the modern life-style. Is there only a thin line between modernity and immorality? Comments from Shri Upender Singh as well as from other members are solicited please.


Yes sure it is the modern life style which tends to drive people towards immoral acts like illicit relations and other sins. I agree such tendencies have been persisting through all the ages but there is a difference. It is very hard to avoid illicit relations, but today it is going out of limit in so called moderns. Mostly people in this world have more than one partner throughout the life, but in India people don't want their children to indulge in illicit relations, which means they say to their kids that we couldn't avoid it but if you can then please don't do so. That is the Indian culture. If parents keep on warning against such immoral acts then good charactered people will be taking birth here. But in West parents don't give such teachings to their kids.
I would like to suggest that don't overestimate the science. Science had claimed some years back that a girl could be turned into a boy, but what happened? That claim proved baseless. These days science is again claiming something special. According to the scientists they are very near to invent such a pill which will enable the human being to live for more than 100 years. But science has no answer for that 82 year old Mataji who has been living for last 65 years without eating or drinking anything. Be educated as much as you can, but don't do such things to others what you don't want others to do with you. Will any body want that his sister has a number of boyfriends? If not, then why are you doing so with others' sisters? Will anybody want that his wife has post marital affairs? If not then why are you doing so with others' wives? Same thing for females. If there is some power running this world and we all are creations of that power, then surely that power punish who indulge in such immoral acts and good doers certainly are rewarded. I am just sharing views here, otherwise I am not going to worry if this whole world is busy in living life to the maximum.
 
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