Sunday, June 22, 2008

Shallow India

India as a country has always prided on its depth...dharma, culture, yoga, ayurveda and all the other cliches that are talking points of many an Indian in his global conversations so that he can highlight his self imposed sense of superiority.
Where is all that depth nowadays in that country? I think five years of continuous economic growth has produced tremendous discontinuities in the identity of the country.
"Des badla, bhes badlo" is the new slogan epitomized by none other than the embodiment of India's can do spirit, MS Dhoni. Dhoni once represented the blossoming of small town India when he started out, but today he is another lost icon who has lost not just his hair but also some of his value in the societal ladder. At one point of time more people adopted his hairstyle than John Abraham's but commercialization has dented his uniqueness.
When swagger replaces strength, there is a sea of shallowness that engulfs a country into a sense of self-propogating seduction creating a mirage of achievement. And just like a strong sea can erode a mighty cliff by the bay, the deep rooted Indianness seems set for multiple erosions before it metamorphises and disintegrates in parts.
Inflation is eroding economic growth, hubris is eroding strategy, smartness is eroding intelligence, easy money is even eroding Bollywood's storytelling abilities, individualism is eroding affection. Will we embrace a mean spirit that matches materialism with movement or trumpet a culture that craves success at all costs.
I am not sure, when the rest of the world tries to search for their souls and all they can find are the wrinkles on their temples.

1 Comments:

At 2:19 AM, Blogger Bart said...

First, where is "that" Jayesh and who is this Luckily lukkha?
Second - "...in that country?". that country?
Third - For every Dhoni getting lost, we always find a Praveen Kumar.
Fourth - " I am not sure, when the rest of the world tries to search for their souls and all they can find are the wrinkles on their temples." - Who?
and how is this related to the subject?
Inshort the answer is classic Capitalism. India was always on the move towards it, accelerator was pressed in 1990 and now we are at the jet speed smooth cruise...

 

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