The Other Sanskritization
Eminent sociologist Professor M.N. Srinivas coined the term "Sanskritization" to describe the cultural mobility in the traditional caste structure of Indian society. To raise their status in the traditional hierarchy of society, lower castes imitated the ways of the upper castes and in the process, quit some of their "impure" ways to assimilate well. This assimilation continued throughout.
During the British rule, several reform movements took place. When the reigns of these movements fell into the hands of the lower caste leaders, they questioned the need for the lower castes to imitate the ways of upper castes and rightly so. By blindly aping the ways of the upper rungs of the society, you also acknowledge their justification for being the upper class in the first place.
I believe readers would agree with me here for the most part. Now that we have these ideas on the table, let's move to what's called westernization.
With the advent of Europeans in India and their consolidation as imperial powers, a class of Indians emerged, British/western in taste and Indian by blood. The White Men's burden to civilize the barbaric natives and the propagation of cultural homogeny of West were directed to justify the rule and make the natives accept the rule graciously. Fast forward to present, and the cultural homogeneity of West still exists. Old habits die hard after all.
Here in India, English has become the proxy for education and intellect. It took Yoga to come back via West to become popular. I still scratch my head when I see glass buildings in India being cooled from inside. The accent, the changing fashion trends which are basically western fashion trends with a time lag, are all reminders of colonial hangover.
This is why I call it "the other Sanskritization"! The quickest way to become modern is to look down upon the "Yog", and adopting the "Yoga". A Justin Beiber song in the phone to look cool isn't cool anymore when news comes that West doesn't approve of him as good music.
Before I am given a label, let me also clarify that in no way I am against the adoption of values merely because of their alien nature. One should, in fact, experience different cultures and adopt what suits him/her. It is this blind aping which is nauseating to me.
To sum it up, let me quote something which holds the same relevance today, as it did in the past.
During the British rule, several reform movements took place. When the reigns of these movements fell into the hands of the lower caste leaders, they questioned the need for the lower castes to imitate the ways of upper castes and rightly so. By blindly aping the ways of the upper rungs of the society, you also acknowledge their justification for being the upper class in the first place.
I believe readers would agree with me here for the most part. Now that we have these ideas on the table, let's move to what's called westernization.
With the advent of Europeans in India and their consolidation as imperial powers, a class of Indians emerged, British/western in taste and Indian by blood. The White Men's burden to civilize the barbaric natives and the propagation of cultural homogeny of West were directed to justify the rule and make the natives accept the rule graciously. Fast forward to present, and the cultural homogeneity of West still exists. Old habits die hard after all.
Here in India, English has become the proxy for education and intellect. It took Yoga to come back via West to become popular. I still scratch my head when I see glass buildings in India being cooled from inside. The accent, the changing fashion trends which are basically western fashion trends with a time lag, are all reminders of colonial hangover.
This is why I call it "the other Sanskritization"! The quickest way to become modern is to look down upon the "Yog", and adopting the "Yoga". A Justin Beiber song in the phone to look cool isn't cool anymore when news comes that West doesn't approve of him as good music.
Before I am given a label, let me also clarify that in no way I am against the adoption of values merely because of their alien nature. One should, in fact, experience different cultures and adopt what suits him/her. It is this blind aping which is nauseating to me.
To sum it up, let me quote something which holds the same relevance today, as it did in the past.
"I do not want my house to be walled in on all sides and my windows to be stuffed. I want the cultures of all lands to be blown about my house as freely as possible. But I refuse to be blown off my feet by any. I refuse to live in other people’s houses as an interloper, a beggar or a slave. " - Mahatma Gandhi
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