THE INDERICAN

The average Indian is constantly in awe of the coolness quotient that the westerner(often the American) exudes. The 'Hi' extends to a 'Hey' and a 'How are you?' is cut short to a 'sup?', the answer to which is apparently another 'sup?.' Squeezing this slang in his lang(uage) on one hand and a momentary lack of blinking at the sight of a pair of legs walk by in hot pants on the other, gives us an insight into the dilemma of the confused Inderican.

With India rapidly spreading its wings across the world map, it is imperative to tactfully bring about some degree of modernisation in its culture from a global perspective. Graduating to be amongst the most sought after economies to invest in, it is inevitable that India will continue to attract people from all corners of the globe. So what facets of our culture shall we subject to this so called modernisation? How to strike a balance with the young and the old so that neither generations are unwillingly driven towards an unsatisfactory change?

These questions will continue to stare us in the face till a hypothetical situation of our saturated satisfaction levels are met.

Coming back to the flummoxed Inderican, take for instance, his paranoia for fair skin. In retrospect, if I were caught with a men's fairness cream in my school bag, it would probably haunt me for the rest of my schooling days. However, over the years it has become quite the thing with the biggest of personalities holding up these creams, promising you guaranteed western skin. But noticeably, the search to attain just the right skin tone resonates with the people world over, as the westerners resort to sunbathing to get that ever elusive tan.

Although this is confined only to the cosmetic aspect of things, we are witnessing a definite evolution even in the parent-child relationship.

The shift made its presence felt with 'Mummy' & 'Papa' being downsized to 'Mom' & 'Dad.' It came with its set of pros and cons. Unfortunately, obedience and respect for parents took quite a battering. The Inderican has developed this not so welcome habit of talking back to his parents sans the dignity that is least expected of him. On the contrary, I must mention here the level of openness and ease with which today's youth shares its views on just about anything, which in the yesteryears was limited to predictable conversations.

The Inderican will constantly strive in search of that perfect balance but till this identity crisis is resolved, perhaps with a conclusive cultural transition, his dilemma shall linger on but at the same time will at some level keep him rooted to the traditional values and ethics that define Indian culture.