Is urban India becoming more modern or Western?

[maggot_brain]

I was talking to my brother who is currently over in India right now and he says that I wouldn't recognise it as I haven't been in ten years. Is it true that people are turning away from religion? If it is then this a good thing. Religion has been the cause of so many problems in India. The less religion and superstition there is the better.

[Guest dada_rocks]

That kind of explains increasing rate of crime against women..

[beetle]

I don't think it is true.... As far as hindus are concerned...I think they are not encouraged to be too religious in their youth.... They are expected to fulfil the other duties like getting educated and marry...and produce the mandatory 2 children... Most people become religious later in life...... If you are interacting with the youth ...you are likely to feel that way.... If you interact with the older lot....you will find religion and YOGA are a big part of their life.

[beetle]

That kind of explains increasing rate of crime against women..

My foot!...that has nothing to do with it. The fact that women are not treated well at home is the reason. When you grow up hearing every one around using mc and bc all the time...how will you respect women... when your mother is a devi.....sister and daughters are flowers to be protected from other sick men ,your wife is your property and rest of the women are just interesting body parts...then this is what happens...... When the coward men are taught that the easiest way of getting even is to insult the womenfolk of your opponents...then this happens..... samjhe kuch...???

[maggot_brain]

My foot!...that has nothing to do with it. The fact that women are not treated well at home is the reason. When you grow up hearing every one around using mc and bc all the time...how will you respect women... when your mother is a devi.....sister and daughters are flowers to be protected from other sick men ,your wife is your property and rest of the women are just interesting body parts...then this is what happens...... When the coward men are taught that the easiest way of getting even is to insult the womenfolk of your opponents...then this happens..... samjhe kuch...???

I agree beetle, but I think he was having a sly dig at me based on what I posted on the thread he started here: http://indiancricketfans.com/showthread.php?t=72193

[Lurker]

I was talking to my brother who is currently over in India right now and he says that I wouldn't recognise it as I haven't been in ten years. Is it true that people are turning away from religion? If it is then this a good thing. Religion has been the cause of so many problems in India. The less religion and superstition there is the better.

Your question is incoherent. Are you wondering if India is becoming more Western or are you wondering if India is becoming less religious? The two are not one and the same. xxx

[maggot_brain]

Your question is incoherent. Are you wondering if India is becoming more Western or are you wondering if India is becoming less religious? The two are not one and the same. xxx

Agreed, it is incoherent. It should have been two separate questions: 1. Is India becoming less religious? 2. Is India becoming more Western?

[Lurker]

1. Is India becoming less religious?

Dont care.

2. Is India becoming more Western?

Yes. India is becoming Western by the day, and please dont confuse Western with being modern. The Indian cultural symbols are fast becoming ancients. Traditional habits like chewing paans is history, as is flying kites, putting mehendi on hands and so on. You are more likely to find a child playing on computer than to see him fly a kite. And the rage amongst current lot is to get tattoos, ask them to apply mehendi and see them scoff. Exceptions abound of course but I hope you get the point. In most of the metros Mom and Pop Shops are getting fast replaced by Malls. It is not only the shopping aspect but the whole Mall culture that is affecting India(specially big towns). Going out to a mall, parking car in the lot, walking around buying things you do not need, and to use this whole exercise as a means of spending time is very much Western and little Indian in nature. xxx

[Guest dada_rocks]

My foot!...that has nothing to do with it. The fact that women are not treated well at home is the reason. When you grow up hearing every one around using mc and bc all the time...how will you respect women... when your mother is a devi.....sister and daughters are flowers to be protected from other sick men ,your wife is your property and rest of the women are just interesting body parts...then this is what happens...... When the coward men are taught that the easiest way of getting even is to insult the womenfolk of your opponents...then this happens..... samjhe kuch...???

Well all those things come due to lack of religiosity...... Religious people are more likeley to respect women in my experience.....

[Guest dada_rocks]

Dont care. Yes. India is becoming Western by the day, and please dont confuse Western with being modern. The Indian cultural symbols are fast becoming ancients. Traditional habits like chewing paans is history, as is flying kites, putting mehendi on hands and so on. You are more likely to find a child playing on computer than to see him fly a kite. And the rage amongst current lot is to get tattoos, ask them to apply mehendi and see them scoff. Exceptions abound of course but I hope you get the point. In most of the metros Mom and Pop Shops are getting fast replaced by Malls. It is not only the shopping aspect but the whole Mall culture that is affecting India(specially big towns). Going out to a mall, parking car in the lot, walking around buying things you do not need, and to use this whole exercise as a means of spending time is very much Western and little Indian in nature. xxx

U guys are erroneously extrapolating data gathered from top 0.0001% of India for the whole india.. I am sure 99% indian kids have no access to computer video games.. I for one am sick of the paan-chewing randomly spitting menace in Bihar. .. Every nook and corner are flooded with Paanwala shop in Bihar.. Mehndi nahin lagati hai.. kya baat kar rahe ho I get sick of shooing away gals from my garden.. Yes it has couple of mehndi tree.

[beetle]

Well all those things come due to lack of religiosity...... Religious people are more likeley to respect women in my experience.....

:hysterical::hysterical::hysterical::hysterical:

[Lurker]

U guys are erroneously extrapolating data gathered from top 0.0001% of India for the whole india.. I am sure 99% indian kids have no access to computer video games..

Actually DR you say that because of the region where you come from. Yes indeed Bihar/UP and similar areas have many of these things still going on. Then again which Indian refers to Bihar/UP as Modern/Western?? My example of kites is very much valid. Flying kites was perhaps the biggest entertainment thingy for young peeps in 70s and 80s. You had towns that were famous for making manjha etc. Still remember how I hounded my Dad when he went to Benaras or Bareilley. Today of course kite flying is very much a past phenomenon. In Gaya where you could see kites in the sky for 6 months every year, if not more, it is now flown on Special Occassions like Sankranti and 26th January. Aur Guru computer game ke liye to Gaya mein bhi line laga hota hai outside cybercafes, tum kahan rahte ho bhai?

I for one am sick of the paan-chewing randomly spitting menace in Bihar. .. Every nook and corner are flooded with Paanwala shop in Bihar..

No issues there.

Mehndi nahin lagati hai.. kya baat kar rahe ho I get sick of shooing away gals from my garden.. Yes it has couple of mehndi tree.

Again very much a localized phenomenon now. Pahle to mauka chahiye tha mehendi ka, ab not so much. In a strangely fascinating manner many of such habits are kept alive by the Muslims of India. Kites, mehendi and paan are still very much a thing in Muslim culture. And maybe these survive in Bihar/UP/Bengal area because of their presence? xxx

[Guest dada_rocks]

I can see u apprently didn't have nice experience with religious people , but just my observation.. For instance Om Namah Shivay jaap karnewale certainly kisi nari ko nanga karke football ki tarah nahin maar sakte..:two_thumbs_up: PS: all those points mentioned about you has been there since ageas so there has to be some new change whihc drives this sudden spurt in crime against women. Just using simple analytical skill

[Guest dada_rocks]

Actually DR you say that because of the region where you come from. Yes indeed Bihar/UP and similar areas have many of these things still going on. Then again which Indian refers to Bihar/UP as Modern/Western?? My example of kites is very much valid. Flying kites was perhaps the biggest entertainment thingy for young peeps in 70s and 80s. You had towns that were famous for making manjha etc. Still remember how I hounded my Dad when he went to Benaras or Bareilley. Today of course kite flying is very much a past phenomenon. In Gaya where you could see kites in the sky for 6 months every year, if not more, it is now flown on Special Occassions like Sankranti and 26th January. Aur Guru computer game ke liye to Gaya mein bhi line laga hota hai outside cybercafes, tum kahan rahte ho bhai? No issues there. Again very much a localized phenomenon now. Pahle to mauka chahiye tha mehendi ka, ab not so much. In a strangely fascinating manner many of such habits are kept alive by the Muslims of India. Kites, mehendi and paan are still very much a thing in Muslim culture. And maybe these survive in Bihar/UP/Bengal area because of their presence? xxx

I am telling you 70% pof India lives in village and there is no luxury of computer video games available.. even among urban india majority of small towns have few internet-cafe where they charge you 70rs/hr majority of folks can't afford this. Paan Khana to ban kar dena chahiye:cantstop: Patangbaazi meri taraf kabhi bhi in thing nahin tha.. Mehndi abhi bhi hai in thing.. BTW in pakistan so often ruccous happens over mehndi and patanagbazi calling it hinduana riwaz..

[maggot_brain]

Dont care. Yes. India is becoming Western by the day, and please dont confuse Western with being modern. The Indian cultural symbols are fast becoming ancients. Traditional habits like chewing paans is history, as is flying kites, putting mehendi on hands and so on. You are more likely to find a child playing on computer than to see him fly a kite. And the rage amongst current lot is to get tattoos, ask them to apply mehendi and see them scoff. Exceptions abound of course but I hope you get the point. In most of the metros Mom and Pop Shops are getting fast replaced by Malls. It is not only the shopping aspect but the whole Mall culture that is affecting India(specially big towns). Going out to a mall, parking car in the lot, walking around buying things you do not need, and to use this whole exercise as a means of spending time is very much Western and little Indian in nature. xxx

Agree and it's very sad to see. It's a bit of a cliche, but India has been good at absorbing influences while maintaining its cultural identity. Seems like that previous invariant has now been put to bed.

[Lurker]

I am telling you 70% pof India lives in village and there is no luxury of computer video games available.. even among urban india majority of small towns have few internet-cafe where they charge you 70rs/hr majority of folks can't afford this

Arre bhai tum sahi mein kahan rahte ho? :angry_smile: 30 Rs mein Gaya mein us jamaane mein hota tha jab dial-up connection tha, woh bhi via Patna! Abhi it would be around 20 or so. Waise 70 Rs aajkal ke liye kuch nahin hai boss. Pahle Mumbai mein 70Rs mein thaali milta tha, ab 150 se uppar pakad lo.

Paan Khana to ban kar dena chahiye:cantstop:

Kahe bhai? It is as Indian a thing as you shall ever get. Bina paan ke patta ka kaun puja hota hai? Haan paan khaa kar publicly thookna band kar dena chahiye.

Patangbaazi meri taraf kabhi bhi in thing nahin tha..

Kya baat karte ho! Muzaffarpur mein to bumper hota hai patangbaazi. Phir se wahi sawaal - tum kahan rahte ho bhai! :giggle:

BTW in pakistan so often ruccous happens over mehndi and patanagbazi calling it hinduana riwaz..

I have heard that. Basant kahte hai udhar patangbaazi ko. But it is immensly popular. Pakistan Govt. promotes it as a tourism thingy. And I think Muslim girls have always been the first to use Mehendi in their hair. xxx

[apocalypse]

Who said kite flying was only popular in 70s or 80s... You need to visit my place during Basant Panchmi :D

[Lurker]

Who said kite flying was only popular in 70s or 80s...You need to visit my place during Basant Panchmi :D

Your place as in Atlanta? :D Seriously though yes it is now more symbolic than fun. Generally flown on Basant Panchmi or Makar Sankranti(at my birthplace it is specially flown on Mahashivratri). But it is a big let down from the days when you should see kites in sky from September to March(winter season). Atleast thats what I did for almost a decade :D:D

[apocalypse]

Your place as in Atlanta? :D Seriously though yes it is now more symbolic than fun. Generally flown on Basant Panchmi or Makar Sankranti(at my birthplace it is specially flown on Mahashivratri). But it is a big let down from the days when you should see kites in sky from September to March(winter season). Atleast thats what I did for almost a decade :D:D

Wish it was in Atlanta :D At my place the season starts after Diwali ends... so mostly November to early Feb

[Lurker]

^^ That reminds me Apo. Are you still in Atlanta(and agar main phir se bhool gaya to apologies). The reason I ask is that I keep hearing/reading about Georgia, specially Atlanta, running out of water. Whats the situation?