We are living in a world of change. Change that is so hard to acknowledge that by the time we adapt ourselves to it, it develops into another new transformation. A new space discovery, a smaller computer microchip, a new mastercard offer or even a new TV show. There is so much to absorb for people in our age. Worse so for the generations still attaining their education if we consider how much they should train themselves to survive in this highly competitive world of today. Calculus gets tougher and tougher and there is hardly anything that hasn't been invented already. Although arguable, I believe that the current era is probably the worst to be born into the human species.
On the other hand, I see changes bringing life. Medical improvements have increased life expectancy, reduced diseases and associated deaths. These changes have colored existence into diverse hues that last longer as we spend more cherished moments with our near and dear ones, especially our grandparents. The same changes have narrowed distances to a frequent e-mail or an immediate skype call. Any amount of gratefulness to technology for making this possible would not be enough. Arguable again, I can say that the present time is one of the best times to see in the history of human existence.
A fact established is that technology is a determining factor. As we shape technology, it shapes us. We created the television and now it decides when we get dinner. It is not the content, i.e. the programs on TV that make our kids fat but the tangible set, the medium itself called the television that is the cause. This is just one of the examples of how much we are willing to change to be modern. Spending hours and hours with the TV or our computers marks our proximity to modernization but is it the only catalyst? Since I do not want to be accused of technological determinism, I focussed a bit on social changes as well.
The idea of an accomplished woman in Elizabethan times was of one who could paint tables, net purses and play the piano forte. How absurd does that sound for women of today who educate themselves and rub shoulders with men in all walks of life? All that has changed wasn't easy but was a requirement of time. The two world wars and the massive deaths of men in families brought women to mills and factories to ensure production. Ankle length elegant skirts had to change to comfortable trousers because children had to be fed. Women would still have been a deprived section of society if we had fussed over their changing attire. The western world accepted this change and what is surprising is that we aren't.
India is now the second largest economy of the world. Our IT department is the best in the world and we are the largest telecom market. I hate to mention it, but we even have nuclear weapons. Aren't we proud of all that? Aren't we proud to say that we are on our way to becoming a developed and modern nation? But, as I said before, modernization isn't about technology and material aspects alone. It is about how much we match with the contemporary times in spirit. It is about moving with time and not holding on to ancient traditions (like feminine skirts) that hinder the development we are so desperate to have.
I could come up with a number of characteristics of my country that I'm proud of. But, what I'm proud of most is its diversity- of a number of races and religions coexisting. India since its earliest times, has welcomed all people. The Aryans, the Afghans, the Persians and even the British- they all added to make our culture rich.Its most appealing factor today, its diversity, is a result of this acceptance and assimilation of people, cultures, traditions, beliefs, practices etc. that we value so much . Nations do not stagnate, they evolve. Why are we stopping this evolution in the name of preservation. That which we change today will be worth preserving only if we let it change. A culture changed is not a culture lost. So is modernization really such a bad thing when it is only changing time to evolve into something new that we will want to preserve later and so on. We need to allow this change and be modern. We need to think modern to be modern. As I feed some more random thoughts to it, I ask myself again, how close are we modernization in its truest sense?
