Think and Ask. Why?

This is a question I want to ask myself, and try to answer is using key trends that we are seeing with tail winds pushing ‘India Story’ forward, counterered by head winds from different quarters.

I want to explore the economic growth, technological trends and culture shifts to understand the nuances of the macro indicators with long term implications. 

This is my attempt to make sense of the ripples which could be tomorrow’s waves.

It my firm belief that there are no boundaries to a state, yet I am fascinated by the concept of borders. While borders are lines in history shaped by blood and sweat, there is only one coherence to its existence: 'Culture'.

Lot of intellectuals, by design or default mix culture, famously coined as 'Cultural Identify' by Ronald Jackson in his book 'Negotiation of the Cultural Identity', with native identity which are just wrappers to the core. 

An interesting aspect of 'Cultural Identity' is that it always comes with a strong, inexorable yet smooth argument of 'Religious Identity', 'Linguistic Identity', 'Regional Identity' or 'Cult Identity’. In order to understand the difference, we don't have to go back far. The recent events at JNU reflects a growing (and perhaps dangerous) cult identity which most common people will view as 'Anti National Identity'. This has been deliberated in the name of profound divergence against the norm. Quick disclaimer - Anti-Culture may not anti-establishment and is not anti-people, so I should refrain myself articulating this notion. If I have, please dump it.

While I completely understand the 'Fundamental Rights' of an individual in a democratic country, from which I take the liberty of spinning few cents hoping to shake the dollar, I am unable to understand the reason for the deliberation on our part to inflict damage to our 'Cultural Identity' at the cost of 'Cult Differentiation'. As students, we do engage in debates or dharnas, which shapes the future of the political discourse of the country and should be encouraged to 'Break the Norm' meaning breaking the norms of illnesses of the society to evolve our 'Culture'. Moment you decouple ones identity from culture, by trying to break it completely (sloganeering ‘Bardaadi Tak’), ripples in society accentuates.

If we go through the sequence of events at JNU and beyond, these undercurrents have become visible and appalling, exposing each side (for good or for bad). I have asked myself, what is the difference between chanting 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' and 'Bharat ki Barbaadi Tak'? The answer is clear through the prism of 'Cultural Identity' vs. 'Anti-Culture Identity' prism. Bharat in its true sense is the melting pot of all diversities and distinctions into one mold which is neither a compound (Communal State) nor mixture (Loose Gravels). Its in a state of quasi-compound and quasi-mixture with catalyst ‘Indianess’ shared by all for thousands of years. Its the cultural thread this cult is trying to break or says to break in order to prove that either there is no 'Cultural Identity' of the nation or we are disconnected from this bond. This to me is the design either to underestimate the capability of Indianness or trying to weaken it for personal agendas.

Fundamentally, the only thread of commons deeply routed in the existence of a nation is its culture. Progressive nations are built of that. It is therefore a common sense to understand the reason for every women in India wearing sarees (or atleast have one) across regions, religions or castes not because lunatics have imposed it but by fundamental choice. No where in the world, one would find such diversity w.r.t. a cloth (that too plain rectangular) than in India. In fact, it goes beyond the physical boundaries of India to South East Asia. That I believe is threads of culture. There are many more examples in our way of living that amplifies our diversity yet connects us culturally. So what is culture? To me it is the unifying bond of people, societies, states and country at large. Its no brainer then that the meaning of 'Anti-Culture Identity' is division, subtraction and subvention of culture. Today, we are at the cusp of choosing between 'Culture' or 'Anti-Culture'. The design of 'Anti-Culture' cult is getting exposed day-by-day which is good for nation to mature, as it is said in science, one that is not measured can't be managed.