Imitating foreign culture

By Pritha Majumder

Once, a Britisher asked Swami Vivekananda, “Why can’t you wear proper clothing to look like a gentleman?” He smiled and replied, “Because in your culture, a tailor makes a gentleman, but in our culture, character makes a gentleman.”

In this short story, the Britisher thought that one could become a gentleman by dressing in foreign formal attire, overlooking that what Vivekananda wore was in ‘our culture’ and considered it inferior. Interestingly, after around a century, Indian culture is gaining popularity worldwide, with Hinduism being the fastest-growing culture in Russia. Despite this, our own youth seems to be distancing themselves from our roots.

While Westernisation isn’t inherently negative, some liberal ideas from the West, such as gender equality and freedom, are commendable. However, completely abandoning one’s cultural roots is undesirable. Today’s youth often perceive adapting Western culture as ‘cool,’ viewing those following Indian traditions as outdated.

It’s important to note that Western culture should not be considered superior to Indian culture. While many of us enjoy listening to English songs, dismissing classical Hindi music as inferior is unjustified. Similarly, the desire for self-reliance is prevalent among the youth, influenced by the belief that Western parents provide more freedom. However, Indian culture emphasises uniting families while allowing children space for development without distancing themselves.

Before blindly following Western culture due to peer pressure, it’s crucial to understand that the “Western idea of life is materialist, but the Indian idea of life is pure consciousness.”