transition !!!!!

Heard about the recent molestation case near hotel J W Marriot, Mumbai. Two NRI couples were walking outside the hotel when a group of men passed lewd comments on the girls. When one of the girls questioned the gang they were surrounded by the whole group and molested to the extent of ripping their clothes off. Media persons present there clicked pictures of the whole incident and there it was, ‘the breaking news of the day’!!!! Then came suggestions, comments, views, opinions ….. of people from all over the nation some blaming the girls, the gang while some holding responsible the cops and the overall security system. Mumbai was charged to be going the Delhi way.
Apart from the blame game, and the so called solutions on the safety measures to be implemented lets view the issue from this perspective. Right now our country is undergoing a transition. It is slowly proceeding towards the state of modernization. However, Indians have assumed the wrong meaning of the term modernization. Many even tend to confuse between modernization and westernization. Modernization means process which involves industrialization, urbanization and other social changes basically involving development of both the society as well as the individual, keeping the culture and the traditions of the society intact. Of course, that doesn’t mean being static and adhering to the old traditions which have given way long back and not changing with the changing times. Moreover, our country has altered for the good, eliminating many evils like sati, child marriage etc. But still the mindset of the individuals has not changed to a larger extent. People have become modern, mostly, in their outer appearance, the things they use, the infrastructure etc.but they still are traditional in their mind.
In the urge to become modern, Indians are running behind the westernization influence. Adopting western culture, tradition, values, manners etc is what Indians are more interested in. A person’s class, his position in society is generally decided by how western his way of living is. A person is said to be educated and sophisticated by the branded formals and blazers he wears, when he eats with a knife or a fork instead of his hands, when he uses an imported Merc or a Rolls Royce instead of an Indian Fiat or a Maruti.
Now the point is, how this is related to the issue I have put forth…..
Well, every development that takes place, takes time to reach the zenith. Modernization doesn’t take place suddenly. Deviations do take place during these transitions. Deviations in the behavior of the people involved, in the process of reaching the goal etc. Generations are involved before the whole society becomes modern both mentally and physically. Deviation in this process is the misinterpreting of the two terms modernization and westernization. And that is what is happening. Girls are taking over the western style of dressing and conducting themselves in society. Wearing mini skirts, revealing tops, boozing, getting into unsolicited activities etc under the banner of being modern is a trend today. It becomes hard to digest for the hard core culture inclined people. Moreover, people migrating from rural areas to cities find it hard to digest this culture shock. Well one might very well say that it is their problem. But then thinking objectively, we have to survive in this society and have to adjust according to the mindset of the members of this social system. A male dominated society cannot change the other way round all of a sudden. Ofcourse, women should get their bit and freedom but then progress in this direction should be slowly and steadily. All of a sudden behaving so freely in the society, competing physically with the men etc would lead to such incidents. Ours is a generation facing the transition and it is we who have to struggle to shape the society as per our needs and desires. Society would face such major issues before it reaches a final stage where women would be able to roam around freely, behave in somewhat similar manner as men. That might be the generation of our kids where it would be a cakewalk for them. Youngsters today think at a different line from what their parents think and this brings about a gap in the thinking level of the two generations- the generation gap. May be tomorrow a society might come wherein our ideas might match with the future generations but as obvious this will take time and generations too..