by Kulcha Hyderabadi » Mon Jul 01, 2002 12:30 am
Hina didi, it really surprises me no end how naive we could get about these issues. I really dont understand why even we have to talk about them. When we see no problem in allowing foreign culture in the form of food, clothing, technology, media into our homes, why lament about the change in attitude and behavior of the younger generation. We see people emigerating to Western World with vigor and fervor, knowing that they are heading into a different culture that is so different from our own, we do this with full knowledge and intent and yet we start cribbing and complaining about it when we find our children ignoring our values and culture. How can we inculcate our culture and values in our children, when they spent most of their time in a different environment, read a different curriculum, grow in a more liberal society?? Of course, for us, who are deep rooted into a certain culture and values it looks really bad... but for them, this is what they are growing with or exposed to it...so nothings bad to them. I firmly believe that it is important to ensure that our children do not stray from religious duties and responsibilities, the moral values etc. etc. There is nothing wrong adopting a different culture. Nothing wrong in wearing jeans and T-shirt, nothing wrong in eating cheeseburger and pizzas... provided, they are done without infringing or transgressing our religious and moral values. People in Hyderabad still frown upon those who pray in Trousers! - anything wrong with that? Why do muslim women wear \"Kali Poth ka Laccha\"? is it a religious requirement? The dowry system among muslims of asia is an alien practice - the various rites in our weddings - where did they emanate from?....The bottom line is that there is nothing wrong adopting a different culture as long as religious and moral values are kept intact. The impact of cultural change (foreign) is felt by the first generation only and after that it becomes the culture of the future generations. I bet, our great grand children will not even talk about these issues.