Questioning Current Indian Inter-Personal Culture

[DingDong]

Note please no political, marriage other discussions keep on topic small things make greatest difference

1. Why do we 'shake hands' gora tradition
2. Mummy Daddy, Uncle Aunty wtf?
3. Why do we carry mobiles with google, yet insult our matharbolis by mixing melechi (english) with them?? use shabdkosh.com/pa for example

4. why do we use spaces between words & commas, periods like bunch of melechas in gurmukhi, devanagri (other indic scripts Idk)

5. why do we wear pant kameej to wedding? i.e during moment our society grows & creates new unit, it does it in slave dress


@asingh10 @Bangalorean @spikey360 @Screambowl @Blackwater

Please add/tag/welcome others,

This is all I could think of, atm.

1. In my opinion, Shaking Hands is a healthier culture compared to touching feet which in my view is an archaic tradition, and I refused to follow it. I do not touch my parents' feet and I refuse to touch feet of the elders, they may call me arrogant and uncultured, so be it.

2. Uncle/Aunty is the Bollywood version of the Chacha/Chachi Bhayya/Didi culture. It is 100% desi product with a new wrapper, do not blame outsiders. It has got it's roots in the rural India and has it's benefits.

3. Mixing of English and Local languages is a byproduct of the modern class system which puts the English Speaking, Pizza Eating class at a higher pedestal in the social pyramid.

4. What is wrong with comma?

5. Pant Kameez is not European, it is a Middle Eastern Invention, and it is convenient.

 

[Sakal Gharelu Ustad]

1. In my opinion, Shaking Hands is a healthier culture compared to touching feet which in my view is an archaic tradition, and I refused to follow it. I do not touch my parents' feet and I refuse to touch feet of the elders, they may call me arrogant and uncultured, so be it.

2. Uncle/Aunty is the Bollywood version of the Chacha/Chachi Bhayya/Didi culture. It is 100% desi product with a new wrapper, do not blame outsiders. It has got it's roots in the rural India and has it's benefits.

3. Mixing of English and Local languages is a byproduct of the modern class system which puts the English Speaking, Pizza Eating class at a higher pedestal in the social pyramid.

4. What is wrong with comma?

5. Pant Kameez is not European, it is a Middle Eastern Invention, and it is convenient.

Shaking hands shows equality of stature. But not everything is equal. Touching feet is a gesture of humility and shows devotion, which is a difficult act. Also, touching feet gives the elders to bless your head (the most important part of your body!!). I have to dig it up but there has to be a more scientific basis for it- @asingh10??

 

[Mad Indian]

Shaking hands shows equality of stature. But not everything is equal. Touching feet is a gesture of humility and shows devotion, which is a difficult act. Also, touching feet gives the elders to bless your head (the most important part of your body!!). I have to dig it up but there has to be a more scientific basis for it- @asingh10??

This was one of the few customs I liked about north India. Here in south, only during special occasion do people touch the feet of their elders and seek blessings. There it is a common practice. Wisdom requires humility and there is nothing wrong in humility

 

[DingDong]

This was one of the few customs I liked about north India. Here in south, only during special occasion do people touch the feet of their elders and seek blessings. There it is a common practice. Wisdom requires humility and there is nothing wrong in humility

It goes beyond "humility", India is a "shame based" culture, the younger generation is supposed to "impress" the elders. Touching feet establishes a pecking order within immediate and extended family.

Like the original Varna System, the motive has corrupted itself and must be discarded. I avoid touching feet, my younger sibling doesn't touch my feet, he/she still respects me sufficiently and he/she still has my blessings.

 

[Sakal Gharelu Ustad]

It goes beyond "humility", India is a "shame based" culture, the younger generation is supposed to "impress" the elders. Touching feet establishes a pecking order within immediate and extended family.

Like the original Varna System, the motive has corrupted itself and must be discarded. I avoid touching feet, my younger sibling doesn't touch my feet, he/she still respects me sufficiently and he/she still has my blessings.

And what makes you think that the pecking order is not there if you don't touch the feet!!

If you have low social worth, you would always be at the bottom of the pecking order- whether you touch feet or not.

 

[Mad Indian]

It goes beyond "humility", India is a "shame based" culture, the younger generation is supposed to "impress" the elders. Touching feet establishes a pecking order within immediate and extended family.

Like the original Varna System, the motive has corrupted itself and must be discarded. I avoid touching feet, my younger sibling doesn't touch my feet, he/she still respects me sufficiently and he/she still has my blessings.

Again, I will have no problem touching the feet of elders. If for nothing else, I would respect their wisdom and experience. BTW, do you know how much you can learn from elders? I was very fortunate to be raised in a joint family. You can only know it if you were raised in one yourself.

 

[spikey360]

When you are touching feet, there are some things you are doing which have significance.
Your hands are folded, signifying they are of service. You touching feet, instantly signifying the person is above you. Again, you touching your own head and heart with your hands mean that you are going to serve the elder with your mind and heart. Where is the shame in this @DingDong?

 

[parijataka]

Thanks to this status symbol of speaking in English (also an economic necessity for job opportunities) I fear we are losing our Indian languages - no one these days speaks one complete sentence in their mother tongue. For eg `light off maadu` in Kannada or `light off karna` in Hindi.

 

[punjab47]

@DingDong problem is that a foreigner has changed the way you write your language, and know 99.9% of your population is illiterate in the real way to read/write it.

Just Google lareedar no place to use comma when no spaces in sentences.

Then again Delhi walas seek to win gold at the annual 'mallu' competitions.

 

[punjab47]

When you are touching feet, there are some things you are doing which have significance.
Your hands are folded, signifying they are of service. You touching feet, instantly signifying the person is above you. Again, you touching your own head and heart with your hands mean that you are going to serve the elder with your mind and heart. Where is the shame in this @DingDong?

Because true men touch only the feet of Sri Kejriwal, inventor of the popular AK49 assault rifle.

Ak47 kills current generation, only AK49 can ruin future ones too...

 

[Bangalorean]

All right, let's talk about the usage of English amidst Indian languages.

As with anything, one needs to go to the root of things to find the real problem. I would like to know the translations of the following English words into Hindi or Kannada or any other Indian language:

Thermodynamics, Quantum foam, 8-pin CPU bus, Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP), genetic engineering, transverse waves, Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), balanced polymorphism, NAT (Network Address Translator), automated clearing house, benthic zone, Visa payment processor

Do you get my drift? The modern world runs on English, and the words we use in our workplaces on a daily basis are ALL in English, with no translation in any local language. Will you spend the time and money to translate all the world's scientific and engineering and biological texts into all Indian languages so that people read, understand and think in those languages instead of English?

At the end of the day, it boils down to the same thing. The nations and cultures which drive technology and finance in the modern day, will also drive their language and cultural exports. Till India begins to drive finance and technology in the world, we can keep cribbing and ranting, we only make a laughing stock of ourselves.

 

[asingh10]

All right, let's talk about the usage of English amidst Indian languages.

As with anything, one needs to go to the root of things to find the real problem. I would like to know the translations of the following English words into Hindi or Kannada or any other Indian language:

Thermodynamics, Quantum foam, 8-pin CPU bus, Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP), genetic engineering, transverse waves, Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), balanced polymorphism, NAT (Network Address Translator), automated clearing house, benthic zone, Visa payment processor

Do you get my drift? The modern world runs on English, and the words we use in our workplaces on a daily basis are ALL in English, with no translation in any local language. Will you spend the time and money to translate all the world's scientific and engineering and biological texts into all Indian languages so that people read, understand and think in those languages instead of English?

At the end of the day, it boils down to the same thing. The nations and cultures which drive technology and finance in the modern day, will also drive their language and cultural exports. Till India begins to drive finance and technology in the world, we can keep cribbing and ranting, we only make a laughing stock of ourselves.

During my grad school, I remember my classmates from China used Chinese translations of computer science books. I'm not saying that we should get rid of English, but don't you think its a good idea to translate more of the science/engineering texts to local languages so that more people (esp. in rural areas) can have access to it ? Why should we force them to learn a foreign language first ? In India, only 5% largely elite are fluent in this language. Its a very strong class marker. How can it become an equalizer ?

 

[punjab47]

During my grad school, I remember my classmates from China used Chinese translations of computer science books. I'm not saying that we should get rid of English, but don't you think its a good idea to translate more of the science/engineering texts to local languages so that more people (esp. in rural areas) can have access to it ? Why should we force them to learn a foreign language first ? In India, only 5% largely elite are fluent in this language. Its a very strong class marker. How can it become an equalizer ?

@Bangalorean also fact that those who study in native language are ahead of those who study in colonial one

Israel China Japan Korea vs India Pakistan Nigeria Somalia.

Also Bangalorean your post doesn't address simple stuff like batti for light, channga for nice, yaar for friend etc
I.e unemployed rural people also use english to appear 'smart'

 

[asingh10]

I know many from vernacular medium background who struggled through college reading those thick engineering books written by foreign authors in English. Those who haven't been through that change from Vernacular to English medium will have a hard time understanding.

 

[Bangalorean]

During my grad school, I remember my classmates from China used Chinese translations of computer science books. I'm not saying that we should get rid of English, but don't you think its a good idea to translate more of the science/engineering texts to local languages so that more people (esp. in rural areas) can have access to it ? Why should we force them to learn a foreign language first ? In India, only 5% largely elite are fluent in this language. Its a very strong class marker. How can it become an equalizer ?

In principle you are right. But Korea etc. are ultra homogenous. Can we translate into Hindi and Kannada and Tamil and gujarati and Punjabi and Bengali etc. etc.

Is the expense viable and justified? Can the government take up the task? They are actually struggling with keeping ncert textbooks updated. Technology changes rapidly.

And lets look at one more aspect. The repository of technical knowledge on the internet is in English. Things change rapidly. How can we keep up? Can we really do so?

This is not as straightforward as it appears at first sight.

 

[punjab47]

And lets look at one more aspect. The repository of technical knowledge on the internet is in English. Things change rapidly. How can we keep up? Can we really do so?

This is not as straightforward as it appears at first sight.

Sanskrit. Sanskrit. Sanskrit. Sanskrit. Sanskrit.

We have alphabet, they have stupid cartoon drawings & still manage..

Also, you're going to have those stronger in communication than hard science. They will need 'employment'

Is it better for them to engage in marxism i.e gender, colonial, racial, caste muh oppression studies? Or work to benefit your society by creating knowledge i.e Sanskrit equivalent terms.

Not everything is either or, neither are we a 'rich developed country with jet engines' or Somalia. You seem to think latter, RSS former both sides of same coin. @Mad Indian

 

[Bangalorean]

Sanskrit. Sanskrit. Sanskrit. Sanskrit. Sanskrit.

We have alphabet, they have stupid cartoon drawings & still manage..

Agreed, if you can make it happen.

 

[asingh10]

In principle you are right. But Korea etc. are ultra homogenous. Can we translate into Hindi and Kannada and Tamil and gujarati and Punjabi and Bengali etc. etc.

Is the expense viable and justified? Can the government take up the task? They are actually struggling with keeping ncert textbooks updated. Technology changes rapidly.

And lets look at one more aspect. The repository of technical knowledge on the internet is in English. Things change rapidly. How can we keep up? Can we really do so?

This is not as straightforward as it appears at first sight.

I can understand that there is a new version of Java coming out every year & it'd be hard for translators to keep up with the pace but core CS subjects like Object oriented design, analysis & design of algorithms, data structures etc haven't really changed in a long, long time. Or even programming languages like C/C++/Bash etc which are still taught in many schools.

 

[asingh10]

Remember Imran Khan who was praised by PM at wembley for creating 52 free educational apps ? That guy is from a small village in Rajesthan & teaches Maths at a Sanskrit school. Barely fluent in English. Dropped out of college. Picked up programming from online tutorials. In his interview with CNN-IBN, he mentioned how the Internet is full of content in English but in Hindi its limited and how he wants to bridge this gap through his apps. This country has a huge untapped potential and we are making it difficult for people like Imran by creating language barriers.

 

[punjab47]

Agreed, if you can make it happen.

Other thing is, it makes your society resistant to foreign ideas & let's be honest they haven't exactly been helpful to us.

I type pure English because my phone has no virtual keyboard, only qwerty physical.

My dad told me do things at #1 never second. So better to know good punjabi & english but to slowly introduce Sanskrit words into English to absorb it.

We can definitely do a lot with English as well, but should not destroy our native traditions. It's merely tool, mother tongue is sacred.

I'm not educator though, so past that Idk what right balance is. Definitely should be tipped against english for average civilians though.

Unless what you do requires english i.e trade or collaborative science, it's just inferiority complex.