Changing Culture- Jaipur < :-|(

Changing Culture- Jaipur


I remember my childhood days. Those are happy memories. Whenever anything reminiscent of childhood it automatically takes my mind to a time which was full of excitement, laughter and carefree playing.

I am happy about the opportunities of getting to play with lot of neighborhood children of my age, it was fun. TV and phones were a luxury at that time. We bought our first TV when I was 8-9 years old. It was a B and W and only one channel was broadcast.

Similarly I also remember older people back then. They were happy to have us (kids) around. By no means we were quite children but still we were welcome everywhere.

Now I count as a grownup. I have become a parent. I live in the same neighborhood. My playmates have become parents too. Young people have taken our place and we have taken that of our parents’ and in other words a generation has passed.

But I carry one concern on my mind now days that parents don’t want to give chance to their children to be in a relaxed atmosphere what they had got. Parents of my generation or somewhat older to us are trying to control every aspect of their ward’s life. They want to keep tab on everything like clothes, TV time, Outdoor times, what friends, what to eat etc. Mostly parents want their kids to outshine everyone else in studies.

Some of these things are needed and parents should perhaps genuinely take care for their children. The difference is parents of my generation were not so pestering and admitted of higher freedom.

But overall I find playing grounds/gardens have become less crowded hardly I see children come and play badminton, Frisbee etc. I don’t see much participation or enthusiasm in children in celebrating festivals like holi, dasuhara and janmashtami etc.

Kids I have come across, I think have grown impolite and aggressive compared to our time. In all superficial aspects of life young people would like to be Americans. Our society should rather be moving towards becoming more accommodative and courteous but we are sending it in the reverse direction.

It’s not socially dishonorable in our children today to lie or cheat others, every place is a parking place, corruption is tolerable rather a way of life, helping others is for stupid and courtesy is a kind of weakness.

Our biggest social media – films are only abetting every wrong listed here rather then helping establishing moral values.

Sometimes I get very nervous at the prospect of our society becoming so intolerant and corrupt that surviving in it as an ordinary kid or parent can become impossible.

Values we learnt in school, like helping, courtesy etc be a big burden in such a senario. That’s what we are headed towards.

I am therefore seriously confused what to tell my daughter, how to rear her that she will be future ready.

I feel, we i.e. new parents will have to build an atmosphere like the old days which we had got as children, let the children sublimate their energy and aggression into team play in grounds, learning to cooperate and collaborate rather then walk alone. Cover each others’ weaknesses to win. Then life will be fun again!!!