Friday, January 04, 2008

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..

17 comments:

Brahmin in Boston said...

True...very true. As they say "Rome was not built in a day" (no, nor was it built in a night!), the transition is slow but sure. One of the good examples would be the reverse brain-drain.

I never got a chance to look at the photo. But if its the photo which u have put up, then it looks as if the guys that were there, were looking for the same kind of "action". :-)

It will take some time for this ignorant and arrogant a*****es to understand the fact that India is truly progressing. I am hoping against hope that this would be the last kind of incident that would happen! (even though I know it is not going to happen like that)

Keep writing gal...a very good job!

Jayant said...

Initially I had d same question going through my mind,hw're d first two paragraphs related to the topic?
You answered that later and I couldnt agree to it more.We need time to modernize and incidents like these do hinder that transition.
However,dont u think you were a bit rude in citing the Delhi example?True,there have been incidents with women which are shameful but then it happens everywhere,just that they get reported more in Delhi's case,as it happens to be the national capital...
anyways,good work,would love to read more

Pranay said...

nice article mansi... although i dont entirely agree that girls who wear short, western outfits are more succeptible to such attacks. i think men need to have the basic respect for women.. most of us educated people do respect other's dressing style, but some ppl may find it offensive.. but that doesnt mean that they can pounce on any woman on streets and molest them..
Tourists should respect the native dressing sense, but first and foremost, our people need to learn to respect other people...
anyws.. keep up d good work, wud luv to read more frm u..
n do check out my views on the same issue
http://thinktrash.blogspot.com/2008/01/shame.html

manzdesai said...

well jayant.....as per my 1st para says....it is the media wch is termin mumbai to b goin the delhi way.... nt me...:D

manzdesai said...

pranay.i am nt against gals wearin skimpy outfits..my post jus focusses on the transition period wch we r goin thru....jus want to mke pple aware of the process we r undergoing to bcome a develpd and a modern state....so gals n others need to slow dwn a bit with the modernisin.....:D
thts it......
n yeah read ur article....
felt gud..all of us cumin up with diff perspectives on the issue....

Jayant said...

the latest is that the accused have been identified,arrested and released on bail for jus rs 10000... that means the cost for ripping apart womens' dresses on streets hs come down to this.. pretty shocking!

manzdesai said...

ya it is.....bt consider one mre thng na......
the victims havent come fwd to lodge a complaint...cant expect mch frm the cops too....coz thts wat the rule says.....
heard abt habeaus corpus?
so this was expectd....:D

manzdesai said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Gaurav Sharma said...

really welll written....i was really shocked by the incident....NRIs cum to India to get the warmth of Homely feelings n wat ppl give them is Childout bitter memories to live with whole their dammm life by doing such deeds....really bad!!!huh!!

Unknown said...

Nice work but ....
too much adds..

Prats said...

Hey mansi very well written....
On the thing abt the victim not filig a complaint was more abt not getting innocent ppl involved thn ....not havin trst in the cops......god noes whu were the ppl in the crwd who tried to molestthose frls and wich of dem were tryin to free dem .........

Prats said...

plzz iggy ne grammatical flaws in ma comments ..........BHAVNAON KO SAMJO

Matangi Mawley said...

hey.. this is my 1st visit to u'r blog.. post is gr8! very thoughtful!
right u r abt the "transition".. our country needs time. we r at the threshold between two entirely different processes. and the media helps no more than confusing ppl even more..
well u'r post has it all.. i ve no more to add!
keep writing!

akkyy said...

N still I don't understand how does a writing about Indians getting the idea of "Modernization" wrong is to do with cheapstakes trying to molest a girl.

Its mere lack of moral and self respect.

akkyy said...

N still I don't understand how does a writing about Indians getting the idea of "Modernization" wrong is to do with cheapstakes trying to molest a girl.

Its mere lack of moral and self respect.

Unknown said...

akkyy........is jus a perspective i gave....well i gues pple around are goin round n round with this issue.....so tght y nt enlighten pple with a diff perspective.hope ya gt wat i said here......

Vinod Ramamoorthy said...

The worst part was that political party coming up and backing the molesters saying that they did nothing. It's time we try changing others' mindset too along with our own

Nice blogspace!