Indians and The Rear-View Mirror

Everyone must have at least once in their conversation with their parents must have heard their parents saying, "In our times, it was so much better compared to ours." Or how glorious our past was and how ahead of time our ancestors were. Well, no one can deny that the discovery of zero, Sushruta's surgical interventions, the Ayurveda, and many such examples can be cited. It can be then inferred that we were more advanced, so to say, than our peers. But what about the present and the future? India definitely has improved but still doesn't have the required social and economic indicators. So is it justified to give an excuse for the same by bringing in the culture argument and invoking the past? While there is no harm in taking pride in one's past glory, it becomes a problem when you start invoking your past as an excuse for the mess you are presently in.

Remember the school opening scene on the eve of Vijayadashami from Swades? SRK talks about how modern his lifestyle is and how developed countries function. The elderly counter him by bringing in the same old argument of culture. This is precisely what is wrong with us as a society, why modernity and economic prosperity and valuing one's culture need to be mutually exclusive? This argument is, in fact, an oxymoron. The problems that India faces today are much more complicated and require a modern approach to solve them. Hiding behind the façade of culture will make it only worse.

China, our next-door neighbor, also is a bit like us. It also takes great pride in its history. But there is a bit of nuance which distinguishes China's historic nostalgia from ours. Instead of sticking to its past, China adapted as the world changed, and now it looks forward with a hope of restoring its past glory in its 21st-century form. Similarly, India should adapt to the dynamics of the 21st century and strike a delicate balance between modernity and its traditional values.

It is like driving a car while looking in the rearview mirror. While the mirror does show the journey and how far you have come, if you continue to drive looking in the mirror, you are bound to meet with an accident that might end your journey altogether. India wants to be a superpower and also has the potential to be one, but it is possible only if we start looking at the future instead of what we have or had accomplished in the past.