Friday, January 28, 2011

Indian Culture : A Brief Introduction

India as a Nation-State is possessed with multiple racial , ethnic  diversity . Historically, Hindu culture is dominating over several centuries . Indian Hindu Culture can be defined as a Way of Life .

The Hindu Culture as Way of Life can be looked at three levels . (1) Past (2)Present(3)Future . These three levels fundamentally as The Culture of Karma , The Culture of Dharma , The Culture of Moksha .

The Hindu way of life also emphasis  the importance of Ashrams . Ashram means Duty & Stages of life . Every Stage of life has different types of Duties . Every individual have supposed to follow these Duties which present right Karma .

Hindu way of Life has been approved by the religion and practices . Hindu way of Life emphasised on Spirituality . The Hindu Social System , Historically , provided Caste System which is being dominant over several centuries .

Caste System is a part of Cultural System which is well approved by Hindu Religion . Caste System is defined by Birth . It was traced , originally , clash between Aryan & Dravidian's . Aryans were , fair in color , discriminated Dravidian's . Aryans brought Social Discrimination , Cultural Discrimination , Religion Discrimination , Geographic Discrimination , Economic Discrimination under the Varna Model . Each Hindu individual was provided with scripture and quality based on Birth . These scripture quality bring  Inequality which was responsible to bring  the Caste Discrimination . Thus, Hindu Culture  did promoted Inequality among society .

In India , during Bhakti Movement , there are no. of religious , social movement which looted the Hinduism namely Buddhism , Jainism , Sikhism etc.

The religion of Jainism is very much limited in urban , mercantile society . It was not well spread all over the India . Similarly  , Sikhism is very much limited to Punjab & Haryana . It was not well spread all over the India & partly Sikhism , Jainism are practiced due to Hindu Culture.

The Religion of Buddhism strongly opposed the Religion of Hinduism . The Buddhism on field level has very much influence to global masses . Therefore , Large no. of lower caste Hindus converted in Buddhism because it never preached Caste System .

The impact of Islam on Hindu have not brought much influence .Even though , Hinduism has been strongly practiced . Historically , India was well influenced by Hinduism and partly by Christianity .

India witnessed the arrival of Dutch , Portuguese , French etc . They have not brought much impact as British . British es have brought Religion of Christianity . It presented by giving importance to Social Welfare . yet , Christianity reflects Hindu Castism

The impact of British had affected at social , economic , cultural , judicial , administrative , democratic infrastructure , education .

The Impact of British Administration had been responsible for bringing Culture of Modernity ,
Modernity , fundamentally , promoted cultural responsibility and fragmented thinking with rationality . The impact of British has brought Transformation in Agriculture , Industry , Education , Administration and Judicial System etc . Impact of British has brought over all development . India , today, witnesses Traditionally and Modernity  with continuum . India’s Traditional – Modern is a new cultural transformation that we face in 21st century .

India’s uniqueness can be emphasised with multiple ethnicity , racial diversity , regionalism , linguistic diversity  formation .

Diversity may bring no. of social problem , cultural problem . India has been witnessed ethnic conflicts , racial conflicts , linguistic conflicts , religious conflicts , regional conflicts and cultural conflicts . India’s cultural Heritage is promoted traditionally which has transformed by modernity .

Increasing ethnic conflicts , racial conflicts , linguistic conflicts , religious conflicts , regional conflicts and cultural conflicts , traditional culture can be linked with Diversity and Under Development .

India is possessed with multiple tribal community . They are ethnically , racially , geographically , linguistically different . Therefore , it is not possible to define the Tribal in a single definition . Tribal was segregated ethnically , racially , geographically , socially , economically , linguistically etc . Therefore , different problems are found in India . However , Tribal Policy address the diversity .

Historically , we have two major policy as Policy during British Government  & Policy of Indian Government .

The British Administration had suggested Tribal Segregation policy . They also called National Park under which they are geographically separated . National park brought isolation among trebles . National Park Policy mad create isolation among the tribes and non-tribes .

Govt. of India had apposed the British policy and bring the assimilation and integration policy . Constitutionally , today , we are practicing policy of Integration . The Policy of Integration never enforced constitutionally or legitimately . The Policy of Integration emphasises on consensus .

However, Indian Tribes are under going no. of social , cultural problems namely land alienation , ill health , illiteracy  and so on .

Geographically , it is important to define and discuss their problem , land alienation in context of development .


The Name of Development , we face tribal crises . For Tribes land is not an economic asset but for them land is a cultural , geographic resource and ecology as economy . Therefore Tribes can not be displaced . Such displacement may create problem of Tribal conflict . The name of building dam , name of industrialization , corporatization , the public-private sector have displace them . These displacement may promote tribal conflict . It also promote tribal unrest . These types of insurgency lead to problem of Internal Security of India .
Rajani Kant Indra
Faculty of Law
Lucknow University, Lucknow
January 28, 2011

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