India - Beyond the Dark Culture

I’ve been raised in a liberal family (for Indian standards), however, constantly fed with the values of our culture. I was trained to feel proud of my cultural values and the traditions. However, I have always been a practical person and I demanded logic for almost everything that I was being taught as part of culture and tradition. Whenever my parents or some elders told me to do or to not do something, I raised questions. One of my favorite fights with my mom occurs every Saturday. She says that I was born on this day and which is somehow related to some Indian god and thus I should not eat meat on Saturdays. I do not logically see why I should agree to this. I always debate with her saying that it doesn’t make sense to not eat meat on one particular day. I ask her for reason and that’s when she plays her ‘Mother’s sentiment’ card. Unfortunately for her, I keep forgetting that I shouldn’t eat meat on Saturdays as per my mom’s request and I even tell her that I did, which pisses her off even more.

Most of us know that the whole point of these cultural customs and traditions is that they were formed for a logical reason when the thought came into existence. However, we do not mind following blindly what has been adapted tens of centuries ago for surviving the circumstances at that time. Prophet Mohammed never asked Muslims to go marry how many ever women they want. He suggested that Muslim men can adopt widowed women by marrying them and taking care of them. But in due course, to make the suggestion work in their best interests, Muslim men eliminated the part about adopting the widowed women and just stuck with marrying any number of women. While one cannot really ascertain whether this is true, it makes sense from a logical stand point. There are such blind faiths in every religion and as people evolved over time, they retained the parts of blind faith that are most convenient to sustain their dominance and to suppress the weak.

In the recent times, one can observe that it is not just a problem with culture or traditions. It is much more than that. When I learn in the news about foetus being found in the trashcans and drainages, when a doctor pulls a newborn out of incubator because he wasn’t paid Rs. 200, when a woman is being stripped off in the middle of the road while the rest are enjoying the show clicking picture, when a father beheads his daughter and walks proudly to set an example and warning others against loving people from other castes, it does not merely pain to be a part of such society, it hurts deep in the heart. It hurts because I cannot understand how these people spend peaceful nights in sleep. It hurts because I am part of this society that mutely watches such acts and even supports them while blaming the victims. It hurts the most because I am helpless. I am helpless because it isn’t a few weeds in the society that needs to be eliminated. It is not a bunch of fundamentalist bastards who perform such acts. It is not a single problem related to castes, religion or women. It is the fundamental lack of respect for EVERYONE ELSE in the world. It is the lack of respect towards others’ freedom to let them live their lives the way they want. One never questions oneself of why we should consider ourselves responsible for others’ lives and others’ decisions in life. It is our constant judgment as a society to make people adhere to the ghastly norms that the illogical beliefs have set. Yes, I am helpless and I will remain helpless. I will remain helpless because I am the outcast here. I will remain helpless because I can only be the change I want to see; however, I will never see the same change in the society. I loathe my helplessness and my existence in this society.