Globalizing Indian Society Myth or Reality

It is believed that movies are nothing but depiction of society. Any trend in society can be easily gauged by it. Recently a Bollywood movie ‘De De pyaar De’ was a land mark in Indian society. It showed society being receptive to couples living together before Marriage, Love between people without any age barrier & Divorce not being treated as a social taboo. It is an evidence of Globalization In Indian society being a reality.

At the same time the movie ‘NHIO’ showed Globalization is a Myth. The practice of honor killing, women disempowerment, patriarchy reflects the traditional mindset which is immune from Globalization & Its after effects. In the beginning it leads to a behavioral change but seen turns into attitudinal change.

In India due to constant Interaction with the world from Ancient times, globalization is a norm. Harappan civilization used sophisticated Articles like Toys, cosmetic items which were imported. Greeks Introduced the culture of curtains, Kushans Introduce long boots, stirrups, mughals Introduced tobacco, tea & Britishers Introduced the modern political structure.

Present Day Globalization is a product of post 1991 reforms Via this essay. It can be explored how globalization is a reality moving away from being a myth. It can be called as ‘INDIAN WAY OF GLOBALISATION.

HYBRID NATURE OF GLOBALISATION

Culture of a country is amenable to change with time. In recent times the dressing pattern in the country is undergoing ” Walmartization ” i.e. Adopting western culture BC it the college going students or office culture of suits & formals, the trend of absorbing oneself showcases the reality of Globalization.

However the traditional dressing pattern is prevalent in various parts. In the villages Dhotis, Lungis ‘ is still dominant our prime minister is a true ambassador of Indian culture. He favours traditional Indian Safari at Global events like G20, SCO summit. These trends reflect that Globalization more than reality is a myth.

Globalization is changing not what we wear but also what we eat ‘ Mcdonaldtisation ‘ of cuisine is the new reality fast food chains have dramatically entered Indian society. With more & more people adopting a busy lifestyle, processed food is gaining currency. Italian dishes like Pizza & Pasta is becoming the new ‘Dal Chawal’. Due to this according to National family health survey 2016-> more than 20% Indians are now obese.

However, this reality as of now is more a myth as regional food of Indian states are also becoming popular. Rajdhani chains are promoting Rajasthani food whereas Dalma chain is popularizing odishi culture Saravana bhavan can be spotted at every Major city offering South Indian dishes. So in addition to global India is also going Indigenous.

Changing dressing seating pattern is reflected in the festivals. Secular festivals like Valentine’s Day, Fathers Day, Mothers Day, No shave November’, Friendship Day are celebrated across the Indian society. ‘Comicon’ festivals have now become regular where people portray famous comic characters. Reality of changing festivals is reality of Globalization.

Nevertheless the Importance of traditional festivals of Diwali, Holi, ID, Lohri, and Christmas cannot be undermined. Even now the head of the country celebrates these festivals with the soldiers. The enthusiasm with which people take water from rivers for lord shiva takes the entire country by surprise Kumbh mela is recognized as the intangible cultural heritage of the world compared to this the globalizing tendency is seen as a myth.

Culture of a society is also reflected in its expression spearheaded by globalization the culture of web series & standup comedy now is the new normal. The people now pay extra money in addition to the Internet connection to get access to latest contents like Netflix Amazon prime. The ‘Jio effect’ has led to Digitization in the country people now use technologies to even make payment to Taxi drivers. Ex paytm Wallet, UPI, Bhim App.

But at the same time. The traditional theatres those losing its charm is still a treat to watch ‘Ranga Shankar’ of Bangaluru is famous in theatre. Tribals culture is dominated by ” nukad & nattah “. Jatra is a night long festival in odisha & Jharkhand. They depict themes like social issues, political problems etc.

Finally cultures expression is ganged by form of music. The Rock culture has grown in urban areas. Regular concert by rehonored names like David Guetta is taking place Discotheques have grown in numbers. DJs are slowly seen even in marriages. This is due to the reality of Globalization of society.

But even now traditional Indian brase musical Instruments like Trumpet is seen in marriages. Republic Day parade & beating retreat showcases master class of these Instruments. Raghav Dixit band is famous in south India for its classical Instruments. Classical music like Khayal, Kawwah, and Carnatic is still holding its fort. Although Globalization is slowly keeping in as of now it’s more of a myth.

Culture slowly starts Influencing the Economy, Under the era of Glonbalisation the nature of Jobs is changing. Ecommerce platforms, food delivery outlets (Zomato, Swiggy), Taxi drivers (Ola uber) all now dominating the employment sector. At the same time future will comprise of Drones, Artificial intelligence.

But this is more prevalent in urban areas. Rural areas  people still practice caste system (occupation is linked to tradition) like Leather, Apparel – in Uttar Pradesh, Untouchability leading to menial  Jobs like manual scavenging shows the Myth of Globalization.

These practices can only be improved by strong polity. Under the globalization Indian society has become more aware. Recent election was based on cognition shehat, shiksha & suraksha replaced Roti, Kapda & Makaan as the issues social media led to people becoming more areas people participation via Apps like (VIGIL led to enforcement of model code of conduct.

However, the domination of Black money Hate speech, opaque political funding voting on caste lines still prevailed. the old norms of Indian voters voting their caste & not casting their votes still prevailed voting percentage of 67% still has a long way to go.

Polity can be strengthened by the process of ‘Good governance’. use of technology in the society is a gift of globalization. E Governance like PRAGATI & CPGRMS has allowed people to raise their grievance. Civil societies & pressure groups are becoming increasingly important. ex Akshay patra foundation implementing Government scheme- ‘Mid day Meal’.

However Indian society has not lost its roots. Recently Jammu & Kashmir implemented ‘Bach to villages’ programme where offices spent overnight in villages to understand their problems. Sundargarh sp in odisha organized Hockey match among tribals to win hearts & mind of tribals naxals.

Governance, polity will be improved only when society as a whole changes. Under the shadow of Globalization, women issues have come in vogue women are being empowered in role like scientist (chandrayaah 2 headed by women), security forces (INSV Tarini- first all women circumnavigation of world), Hollywood (priyanka Chopra) & also sexual harassment issues have been mainstreamed via me too movement.

However Globalization is still a myth patriarchy is reflected in low women labor force participation rate (27%) Deloitte. In polities the culture of ‘panchayat pati’ wherein women just act like proxy candidate is prevalent. Women are still considered as ‘Paraya Dhan’ in the country.

Finally society which is empowered will give importance to Environment. Globalization has fastened the pace of Development leading to Deforestation; water Ineffiency, Industrial pollution (Vedanta Thootukudi – copper smelter plant).

However as seen in the map, Traditional rain water harvesting is still the norms is also touted as the model for future myth.

INDIAN WAY OF GLOBALISATION

As seen in the augments before Globalization is the new normal seeing this government is also implementing schemes like SMART Cities, EK Bharat Shreshtha Bharat (Protect Indian Diversity) etc. 

Future lies in “Thinking Global & Acting Global”. This requires value based Education (Gandhi), Decentralized Governance- Gram V-day will lead to Rastravday & focusing on improving the capability of an Individual (Amartya Sen). This will lead to right mix of Adopting globalization & pursuing indigenization.

Guru Dev Tagore believed ‘That world is a Global village’. Even our Ancient text talks about vasudhaiva kutumbakam (world is one big family). Ensuring cultural lens while adopting Globalization will lead to “New India” – 2022.