SYMPOSIUM ON “EFFECT OF CULTURAL POLLUTION ON

SOCIETY”

Introduction

Good evening ladies and gentlemen,

1. I on behalf of YO’s Ser- 72 and YWO’s Ser- 11 extend a warm

welcome to all of you to this evening’s symposium, on the topic
“EFFECT OF CULTURAL POLLUTION ON SOCIETY”.

2. The word culture has been variously defined by different

historians. Some have identified it with customs, traditions and
conventions, while others have defined it as being a code of conduct and
rules governing social behaviour. Etymologically the word “Culture” has
been derived from the Latin word “Agriculture”. Culture is enlightenment,
discrimination and the refined understanding of life. It is a set of ideas
and concepts about universe, existence, life and man. Under this
category fall beliefs, laws, regulations, moral, philosophy, art and
literature. Briefly, culture can be defined as a set of principles and values
on which human character and social life is based, and by which their
relationship is defined. The scope of culture is the “human side of life”
and it is this concept that leads to development of culture and its
manifestation in various forms.

3. The truest presentation of morality in a person’s nature or

behaviour is the highest triumph of culture. It is individualistic in
character but as an organic whole, constitutes the moral fiber, frame
work and is the ultimate essence of culture. Morality pre-supposes a
definite code of conduct, a set of rules, a fixed pattern of behaviour. Any
digressions from that are regarded as a departure from morality. The
object of morality is to make a better human being, a better society, a
better nation and a more evolved world.

4. Change is the law of nature and will always remain an undisputed

fact. What was yesterday is not today and what is today will not be
tomorrow but then there are certain things, which are required to be
protected from the ravages of the sands of time because of their
sanctimonious and idealistic nature. The most important characteristic of
our present society may well be the incredible speed at which it is
changing. Scientific, technological, cultural and social innovations are
taking place at such a breath taking pace that no one can really keep up
with these. It is intuitively obvious that too much change will put a strain
on people and org. The instinctive reaction of an animal to stressful
situation falls into three main categories fight, fright and flight. The
corresponding human emotion seem to be numbing apathy, despair and
depression. Not only individuals but society as a whole is also going to
undergo these negative effects. The three basic attitudes all related to
helplessness are easily recognizable in recent patterns of social
behaviour unfortunately change, complexity and info-overload are
abstract phenomenon, which are difficult to grasp.

5. Culture is exposed to numerous dangers; therefore more caution is

needed to guard it against the forces of internal decay and lack of
dynamism, than guarding against external attacks. Whenever any
culture loses dynamism, it not only becomes decadent and effete but the
quality of people who adhere to such cultures also deteriorate and soon
they prove themselves unworthy of carrying the burden of culture any
further. Today the society is plagued with a plethora of malignant tumors,
which have crept into it, in the form of modernism. The degenerated
tastes, vulgar looks, naked appearance, low talks, sexual indulgence,
increased indiscipline, loosening control of parents and growth of fanatic
cultures have tarred our rich cultural heritage. This decline has started
assuming alarming proportions with passage of time even as the country
is charting a steady technological and scientific progress. There is a
perceptible decline in culture ever since.

6. Tradition is not a burden and one should never complain about it

as a vestige of the past. It is something that we can justifiably feel proud
of. In the name of modernization or modernism, it does not suit India that
a son should discard his parents, change wives, ridicule his relatives,
and condemn all, which our forefathers had so laboriously built.
Modernism demands that we should learn western science, arts, crafts,
tech, industry and other branches of human behaviour.

7. Today’s symposium will be covered in three phases:-

Phase I : Contributory factors in the genesis of culture.

(a) Types of Culture.

(b) Genesis and values Of Indian Culture

Phase II : Causative agents and erosion of culture.

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 (a) Cultural Pollution & Its Causes

(b) Degradation of Values in Govt Institutions/

Organisations

(c) Concept of Welfare State – A Political System

Phase III : Remedial Measures to Arrest Social Rot

(a) Remedial Measures.

(b) Conclusion.

PHASE – I

CONTRIBUTORY FACTORS IN THE GENESIS OF CULTURE

Types of Culture

8. The aim of culture is to achieve happiness. However its scope

goes far beyond achieving transitory or momentary phases of happiness.
Its realm extends to achieving lasting and permanent happiness, which
can be either human or sub-human. We shall however dwell only on
human happiness since the realm of sub-human happiness does not fall
within the scope of this topic. Accordingly human happiness can be
divided into three parts :-

(a) Placid (Satwik) - Appeals to intellect i.e., rational

(b) Active (Rajsik) - Appeals to intellect i.e., passionate

(c) Inert (Tamsik) - Appeals to senses i.e., malignant

9. The aim of Indian culture is the pursuit of human placid happiness

and that of the west, concerns achieving active happiness. This basic
difference has divided the world into two cultural groupings – oriental &
occidental.

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10. On the other hand, the components of culture according to
Kroebar may be classified under three broad heads.

(a) Reality Culture. Or subsistence culture which incl the

achievements under applied sciences and technology. It
comprises of all activities dedicated towards achieving basic
human needs such as pottery or weaving.

(b) Social Culture. This level is concerned with social structure

and action. It incl the socio-economic system, the system of
governance, structure of family, clan and tribes and thus
encompasses the whole area of social relationships.

(c) Value Culture. Or creative culture, including achievements

under fine arts, philosophy, religion, traditions, customs education
etc.

Genesis of Indian Culture

11. The very nature of culture suggests that it is not something which
is suddenly begotten or hatched out, but is the sum total of the common
man’s endeavour and struggle and is there-after shaped and moulded by
the contributory factors prevalent at that period of history in a region or
country.

12. The birth of Indian culture took place in the lap of a vast warm
country interspersed with big rivers emanating from the Himalayas
reaching up to the southern seas. Its foundation is solid as granite rock
and has more or less remained unruffled over the years. What makes
our culture stand the test of time and continuously evolve does certainly
merit an examination.

13. In the first place, environment has played a significant role in its
formation and development. India is surrounded by oceans on three
sides. Wearing the crown of the Himalayas watered down by numerous
rivers, nature has bestowed all its diverse gifts on India. Endowed with
such gifts of nature, the Indian people are bound to be an aesthetic,
sensitive, sentimental, conscious, congenial, intellectual and cultured lot.
This is the reason why an average Indian tends to believe that, “the

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conquest of arms is temporary, while victory gained by the path of
Dharma is permanent and lasting”.

14. Secondly, the intellectuals have exerted considerable influence on

the growth and development of culture. Intellectuals are born not merely
by an accident of history but produced by process, which is known as
Eugenics. The process was so perfect that India was never devoid of
warriors, philosophers, thinkers, writers, poets, artists, musicians and
men who were well versed in other arts and sciences. The men so
produced kept the torch of our culture burning and successfully handed it
over to posterity for carrying it further.

15. In the third place, comes the principle of reciprocity. The Indian
civilization is of complex origin deriving its source from various linguistic
groups, which inhabited this country or were introduced in this country
subsequently. Some were swayed by the greatness of India & lost their
identity and ultimately got absorbed. The invaders from the Arab world,
were however firmly rooted in their culture and traditions and were
inspired by a proselytizing zeal. This made a definite impact on the
native stock and added new values to Indian culture. The most
significant impact in the not so recent past has been the influence of the
Britishers and in recent times, of the western world.

16. The qualifying factor of any civilization is social life. The family is
considered the primary channel for transmission of culture and societal
values. The various sanskars or the good habits as they are called are
imbibed in the mind of the infant, which are developed as he grows. In
ancient India, the family played an important role in handing over these
sanskars from generation to generation. It is because of this institution
that we find age-old customs and traditions being observed and revered.

17. Before we progress any further, and discuss about culture pollution
in the Indian society or way of life, it is incumbent to realize the values of
Indian culture and what these stand for.

Values of Indian Culture

18. Belief in Dharma (Social Or Moral Law). Every Indian

irrespective of caste, creed & religion believes in the law of Dharma.
Dharma enjoins that every man be free from the feeling of enmity,
should be friendly and full of compassion, must not nourish the selfish

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ideas of ‘me’ and ‘mine’, and must strive not to get flustered in either
pleasure and pain.

19. Belief in One God. Indians believe in one God who is all-
powerful, infinite and all pervading. The various names and functions
ascribed to them are nothing but different expressions of one Truth.
Different faiths, beliefs and religions, each while being distinct and
different from each other is, but aspects of the same dharma. What ever
an Indian does, irrespective of his position in life or society, he submits it
to the feet of the Lord considering that all acts are done by the soul.
Intellect, body, expression, senses and mind are but a further expression
of God’s omni-potency and omni-presence. Believing in secularism, we
deny all heresies as absurdities.

20. Nirvana. Nirvana or redemption from cycle of death and birth.

The Gita says that one can attain moksha even by doing his own Karma.
It further explains that if a Brahman can attain swarg by following the
path of righteousness, a Kshatriya can also attain it by laying his life for
the country.

21. Aryabhava. The soul in all human beings is equal. All

human beings are equal irrespective of their birth.

22. Four Fold Discipline. The world is considered the karma kshetra
where every human being performs one or the other actions every
moment keeping in mind the principles of dharma, artha, karma and
moksha, which call for the observance of the righteous path, honest
living, balanced sex and redemption from the cycle of death and birth.

23. Unity is Diversity. No other country of the world has

witnessed growth & development of so many castes, creeds and faiths
during the same time in history. Despite the numerous adversities, there
has always been the under current of unity in diversity.

24. There are numerous other values of culture which form the
backbone of Indian culture & civilization. But today some sections of our
population under wrong influence and a misplaced sense of pride and a
new found identity due to their ‘Nouveau Riche’ status are decrying them
and threatening to shake them off. The mosaic widens when we view the

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world scenario, and it seems that the winds of change are not localized
but are indeed blowing across the globe.

PHASE II

CAUSATIVE AGENTS AND EROSION OF CULTURE

Cultural Pollution & its Causes

25. There was a time in our country, in the not so distant past, when
most kids wouldn’t use foul language and when, those who did, would
get their faces slapped. A time when one wouldn’t dare ask the
President of the USA as to what kind of underwear he wore and when
no President would have entertained such a question with an answer.

26. There again was a time, when students referred to teachers by

their surnames, when teachers refused to pass kids who hadn’t met the
minimum standard required. A time when unmarried girls naturally felt
ashamed to get pregnant even once while unemployed youth felt
ashamed of themselves because they wouldn’t have any job.

27. During the past four decades, standards of personal taste,

language, behaviour, courtesy and manners have plunged to loathsome
levels. Today we are awash in a cultural Tsunamis of Vulgarity and
incivility. From the street corners to the school classrooms, from movies
to MTV & FTV, belligerent faces stare back at us in defiant challenge to
all that is decent and good, virtuous and valuable – even simply
coherent and intelligible. Today the “HIP-HOP” Culture is in. Questions
of moral choice and regulation along with awareness about the ongoing
cultural pollution have arisen as older, more traditional patrons of moral
conduct have corroded, and new technologies have led to conflicts
about ‘taste & decency’. There have been heated debates on a variety of
moral philosophies e.g., Liberalism, Religious Fundamentalism,
Feminism, Marxism and Environmentalism.

28. While in the West the 1960s came to represent a decade of sexual
freedom and liberal values, the same originated here in India around the
1980s. Permissive values dominated much of the social and political
landscape. This decade of permissiveness was a period of moral

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decline, which despite the public outrage and govt policies could not be
stemmed. The rot had set in, into the delicate moral fiber of our society.

29. Today, the culture practiced and being readily accepted in society
is all about Nihilism. It is true ! Etymologically the word is derived from
Latin verb Nihilist, which means nothing or that which does not exist. As
a philosophy, Nihilism can be broken down and expressed in different
ways or subsets. One such subset that we see daily is Existential
Nihilism. This philosophy is the most common form and flatly believes
that life has no meaning. Yet another form is that of Ethical Nihilism, also
known as Moral Nihilism, this philosophy rejects the idea of overarching
absolute morals or ethical values. After all, if life has no meaning what
good are values? Why bother to follow a moral code at all?

30. We see Nihilism imagery daily. Pan over the TV programme guide.
All the soap operas, which can boast of or have the maximum TRP’s be
it English or Hindi are ones which have maximum illicit relations, crime
and plots. There are serials and movies, which even go so far as to
attempt to supplant absolute moral and ethical values with a set of no
pressure rules and permeable boundaries. Watch ‘Seinfeld’ the English
serial! Deliberately or not, this points out to life as nothing more than an
endless loop of trivialities without a caution for moral values and ethics.
In other words, life is depicted as being a mere repetition - boring and
without meaning. We shall now bring out specific areas in which
degradation of values have taken place.

31. Education. It is widely observed today, that the more intelligent

and skilled a person is, the craftier and overly manipulative he proves to
be. The more formal education a person receives the more arrogant and
selfish he tends to become. Are such instances, not verily a negation of
all intelligence and education, if self-actualization quickly degenerates
into self-aggrandizement and self esteem into egotisms? What worth is
all our learning and training then?

32. When shall we realize that exalted, ennobling human values have
scarcely any correlation with our professional degrees and skills? They
need a different kind of definition of “self” & “life goal”, and just as much
assiduous labour and care, are required to nurture and sustain them. We
are faced with recurrent evidence of how the increased use of
technology in various spheres of life is offering wider and greater scope
for indulgence in immoral activities and thereby causing cultural erosion.

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33. Cheating in exams has now become, a hi-tech professional
activity. Our college campuses are highly volatile. Sparks of discontent
are so widely distributed in the youth that any protest suffices to ignite a
big flame, or might inferno be a better adjective? They make everyday
news by plastering the headlines of our National dailies. However this
anger is not wholly unjustified. After all what are we preparing them for?
Are they sure of getting their due at the end, from their faculty and Alma
Mater? Does the faculty honour the values of academic honesty and
decency objectively? The Indian youth today is a victim of dual
standards of morality. He observes in his day-to-day life that those very
reputed custodians of society who admonish and decry sycophancy and
flattery and profess high ideals have been the ones practicing them. In
the very portals of universities divisions and higher scores are
manipulated through internal awards, faculty positions are secured
through servitude, and promotions through black mail. After all how can
the young mind tolerate all this?

34. Under the impact of modernization and the developing society the
campus ethics have completely transformed. The ancient norm of
treating the campus as sacred, and entry of the police & politicians into it
being compared to a profane and polluting incident has disappeared.
Now each and every campus activity is done under blessings of the
police & politicians. The admission, elections, functions, examination,
and even the central evaluations, are done under politicians & police
surveillance. The culturally debased and anti-social elements under the
patronage of political parties seek admission as students and end up
figuring in highway holdups, robberies, molestations and acts of
debauchery. In fact, the old systems of vigilance and controls have lost
their efficacy and significance.

35. The older values are now like the fairy tales whom a child of today
hears from the grand mother with his eyes broadly open in surprise. The
indicators of the fresh academic values are newspaper headlines, which
scream: -

(a) SWIFT, 12 HOUR ‘COUP’ BY BOMBAY STUDENTS.

(b) ONCE A UNIVERSITY, NOW A CORPSE.

(c) STUDENTS BEAT UP DELHI UNIVERSITY REGISTRAR.

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 (d) WHOLESALE COPYING IN MEERUT UNIVERSITY
EXAMS.

(e) CALCUTTA VARSITY LAW STUDENTS DISRUPT EXAMS.

36. Thus, in India higher education is in a state of disarray. It is all

topsy-turvy, and hotchpotch. But who is to be blamed for it? Probably no
single individual or a group. This total mess is a creation of the whole
society. The parents, the teacher, the politicians, the students and
managers of education have all been hand in glove to paralyze the
system. They have finally achieved the logical derivation of where any
sub-system will go, if it is driven blindly without clear aims or objectives.
The callous neglect that has been shown towards the backbone of
Indian intellectual life will soon bear undeniably poisonous fruit. And then
the society will suffer the agony for what it has been doing all these
years. The prevailing educational system has made one intellectual
blunder. Justice is today only a word in the dictionary. If you demand it,
you are naïve and if you fight to seek it you are an idiot.

37. It may appear pessimistic but it appears that there is no hope for
redemption. When opportunism & pragmatism are the mottos of life,
other values have no place or even stand a chance.

38. The Fashion Statement. ‘Apparel introduces a man’ is an old

adage. Unfortunately though, it does not always hold significance.
Scanty and revealing clothing is in demand. The topless and mini have
made inroads into the fashion industry and today such outfits are
garishly displayed by not only the models doing the ramp walk, but also
are worn as everyday wear by people in cities and towns. The present
culture of ‘Rock and Roll’ is non-challant, indulging, restless and
sensual. If permitted to grow unchecked it will certainly spell disaster. An
other name of gross fashion could be voyeurism. Today all odd things
are being aped in India in the name of modernization. The sari is such
dignified apparel and makes one look so very demure and graceful. It is
one fashion, which has stood the test of time and space and is never
likely to fade out. Disbelief in the country’s past and throwing ridicule at
the age-old culture not only hurts national sentiments, but also causes
internal decay and degradation of morals.

39. Fashion is no longer the monopoly of females; it has evinced great

interest in men too. Contemporary Fashion, that is! Students spend a lot
of time and money on fashion accessories and end up neglecting

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studies, which should be their basic aim. They suffer from a misplaced
notion that fashion means wearing clothes and jewellery and adorning
themselves with accessories to make a statement; to be noticed and to
prove themselves. All the while not realizing that they are entering a
world of make believe and falsities. Losing track of their true selves. And
unfortunately it has not stopped at just clothes. A false sense of style
from smoking, drinking and drug use also has permeated their psyche.

40. Intellectual Sham. The flip side of what we just spoke about is
also true. Fashions in dress are much less harmful than intellectual
fashion. Intellectual fashion is intellect shown by a pseudo intellectual. A
pseudo is one who tries to appear more knowledgeable, fashionable or
cultured than he actuality is. Such pretensions while being baseless eat
away into the foundation of a culture. Such individuals show an interest
in scholastic matters for reasons of status and cheap popularity.
Intellectual thoughts, policies and trends can shake notions and change
systems of governance. Thus these ideas can cause major upheavals
and ignite men to act in a violent manner. Intellectual fashions can thus
misguide the masses, the society, community and even the nation since
they are a sham - unauthentic and pretentious.

41. Role of Religion. Religion is a way of life. It is a matter of

one’s faiths and conviction. Today religion is being used as a weapon to
divide the society or community into smaller fragments based on
parochial and extremism and made to fight against each other. All this
for the sake of achieving vested interests of selfish indls or parties.
Politics has managed to use religion to woo people towards themselves
worth to win on an assured vote bank. Religion has got inter-twined with
politics. Religion which is supposed to act as a guide to righteousness
and virtuous living has now got corrupted and is now a method or cause
for degrading of culture.

42. TV and Cinema. Television is one of the greatest miracles of

science. It serves as a link between the govt and the people. It is the
common man’s closest companion. When he is not in office, he is
watching TV at home with the rest of his family. It is the most powerful
means of mass media communication available today. It can be used
very effectively to educate the masses, despite wrong notions and
strengthen the social fabric of a nation.

43. But experience and regular viewing has shown that programmes
aired on television are not always helping in attaining the desired goals.

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Children who are at an impressionable age have fallen prey to the
compulsive disorder of watching anything and everything that is
screened on TV and more often then not, these revolve around the
common themes of sex, sleaze and violence.

44. Life revolves around the idiot box. Conversation and behaviour
patterns have also got greatly influenced by the various programmes
telecast. Life has become artificial and unhealthy. Virtues like sympathy,
kindness and compassion are getting denuded. People are often cooped
up in their houses, not even vaguely aware about their neighbors and
fellow being. Scenes of sex and violence in films contaminate moral and
social atmosphere of the society. People have now got psychologically
prepared in accepting these as facts of life.

Degradation of Values in Government Institutions/Organisations

45. Post independence, India emerged as a sovereign, socialist,

democratic republic. The bureaucracy handled the administration of the
country. The police handled maintaining of law and order and the Armed
Forces guarded the frontiers. With the erosion, of precious cultural
resources such as personal character, benevolence and basic civility
and the increasing materialistic nature of society, the bureaucratic setup
and our police department have set up excellent examples of
degradation of service culture and ethics.

46. The image of our police force instead of being glamorous is

tarnished and so is the contemporary police culture, which incls:-

(a) False implication of innocent people on the insistence of

people who grease their palms.

(b) Police make money by favoring persons. They also resort to

extortion.

(c) Evade registrations of cognizable crimes and in the process

make a fast buck.

(d) Instances of custodial deaths. Fake encounters and

molestation of women in custody are common occurrences.

(e) Reach a place of violence much later after the act has
already taken place.

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 All these and many more such instances reflect the erosion in
human values and service ethics and norms.

47. Musical Phenomenon. Music is a worldwide phenomenon

that influences all levels of society. The nature of lyrics and video
associated to music creates a permt impression in both the social and
political realms of our lives with increasing popularity due to its rhythms
becoming more upbeat and intense. Visuals indulging the spectators in
more exposure & explicit scenes are poised to leave a lasting impression
on minds of the current & future generations. Although the media
coverage it gets is enormous, its potential has not been exploited as a
tool in revival of culture. Music videos are dramatically changing the
world of music with its controversial topics, explicit lyrics and portrayal of
the opposite sex. It would be plausible to extract specific characteristics,
which can describe this genre of music. Recurring themes incl topics
concerning drugs, murder, sex and violence.

48. While a number of songs played today are cheaply produced

remixes of old time lyrics, they have captured the market and are doing
quick business. Catchy rhythms and foot tapping beats with gyrating
pelvic thrusts make these sell like hot cakes among the younger
generation. The focus on quick money has shifted the prime interests of
the juvenile and elderly alike. The motivation for creation and innovation
is nullified by the pursuit of monetary gains.

49. Indian Political Scene. Today as in the past, India is divided into
various political and vested groups. Some parties in the name of
representing the feelings of the masses seem to voice the wishes of
people with deep-rooted vested interests. What is surprising is that even
the representatives of the people reflect vested interests with an eye on
power. Democracy and civilized parliamentary proceedings are flouted
through catcalls, jeering, thumping of desks, fighting, quarrelling and
muted vituperation in complete disregard to sense of decency and public
interest. The cure of democracy is not to achieve your end, but is how
you achieve it. Freedom is not what you chose to do, but is the duty that
you ought to do for others.

50. Literature. Close examination of the passage of Indian literature,

reveals that in harmony with the cultural efflorescence or decay,
literature either rose to the high pedestal, or fell to the depths of
degeneration. The fanatics of Hindi literature have given it a dangerously

13
wrong momentum and direction, thus creating a cultural dead lock or a
cultural paralysis for more than one third of the Indian population. The
so-called advocates of modern literature have played havoc with words
and ideas. The matter has been allowed to get lost in vague philosophy,
incoherent subtleties of language, incomprehensible words and
meaningless dialogues. What should have been new Indian renaissance
has thus degenerated into vulgarity.

51. Promiscuity. Sexual permissiveness in all age groups is

breaking all bounds. Losing virginity or getting pregnant is a common
occurrence now days. With an increase in promiscuity levels in the
society among the younger generation, it has attained the status of
being yet another fashion statement. One uses these methods of gaining
cheap moral thrills and to prove himself or herself to be way ahead of
their peer groups. Children think that they have attained adult hood by
indulging in such activities.

52 In a study carried out at hospitals in Delhi, it was found that of 362

patients suffering from one or the other STD, 16% were below 18 yrs of
age. Newspaper editorials commented on these statistics saying that
moralizing wouldn’t have an impact on students who are fed on a
plethora of sexually titillating advertisements & means of entertainment.

53. Attitude Towards Children. In the older day’s children needed

supervision by the elders and were taught to respect authority and act in
a dignified manner. The earliest signs of rebellion against parental
discipline were immediately dealt with. The respondents were wholly
against giving in to the children’s wishes for more freedom especially in
things considered beyond their age. This pattern of behaviour was
established from earliest childhood and maintained through
adolescence. The older generation were confident that such up-bringing
was in the best interest of the child even to meet the challenges of
modern life. They believe that the upbringing of children on traditional
lines is the best; it has sanction and authority, which western values
lack. The dilemma we fear today is due to our lack of commitment to our
heritage. Those of us who where brought up to think on western lines
must distinguish what is relevant for us as Indians, and must not be
carried away by western values, which were relevant in their own context
of time and space. There are new values that must be inculcated in the
young so that they can face the challenges of a modern society, but we
must endeavour to see that the best in our tradition is combined with the
best in the west.

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54. The question uppermost in the minds of Indians in this period of
transition from a traditional to a modern society is whether traditional
society will be observed, lose their uniqueness and succumb to a
western way of life, or whether they will succeed in maintaining a
balance between the modern and the traditional. The responses indicate
that for the second generation the impact of the West is great and
presents an increasing threat. The youth of India are gradually drawing
closer to Western youths in their attitude and this is seen as a retrograde
step. The concerted effort of the majority of the people is to prepare their
children within the traditional pattern with regard to marriage and family
obligations.

55. Family Values. When the most important roles in a family

breakdown, they are torn apart and human society begins to collapse, as
is evident in dysfunctional communities, bad government, increased
crime, incivility, lying, cheating, violence, moral degradation, incestual
relationships and other social ills.

56. Racism is anti-family, it denies the brotherhood and sisterhood of

humanity. To judge people by the colour of their skin is stupid, as it
prevents people from relating to others based on the fundamentally
important human identity of men and women and their roles in the
human family. Racism in culture does add diversity and enrichment to
the world and does not allow people to share and appreciate the
different experiences of people from different cultures.

57. Children. Children must be protected from the immoral and

corrupting influences of sadism, the creed of theft, coercion,
enslavement of individuals, terrorism (warmongering), indoctrination, etc.
Children claimed as citizens of states are subjected to numerous forms
of abuse; their minds are poisoned and their morals corrupted by the
political indoctrination schools, they are coerced into participating in
political activities and worst of all, children are victimized by war and are
even recruited into the military by some of the most barbaric states.
Because the state doesn't truly protect children, children grow up in a
society of rampant immorality, where they are exposed to violence,
racism, nationalism and immoral and destructive behaviour. The
pressures that such a pernicious society places on the family leads to
break-up of marriages and numerous family problems.

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58. Deviation from the Cultural Path. The grave danger of
deviating from the straight cultural path resulted in the misuse of their
material achievements due to their misunderstanding of the role of the
community. The moment the thought process of a given group of people
which is the soul of culture debilitates and frays, the group disintegrates
and decays.

Concept of Welfare State – A Political System

59. What is most odious is the fact that the expressions of decadence
are so incongruously militant. We behold, daily and in countless forms,
nihilism which causes revulsion and at the same time leaves us
incredulously bewildered, wondering from what cesspool of our national
life has such pollution oozed forth.

60. It would be simplistic to lay blame for this cultural collapse solely at
the feet of politics or economies since these are two basic pinions
around which civilizations and cultures are formed and generated. Ideas
rule the world, and for better or for worse – the militancy of today’s
nihilists is largely the product of many decades of intellectual corruption.
The concerted and ceaseless assault by generations of academics upon
the standards, ethos, values and philosophical premises of western
civilization have undermined our foundations and battered our cultural
institutions. The breeds of citizens around us, who have been
empowered by modern intellectuals, serve as carriers of the deadly
spiritual virus – which is gradually sapping our society of its once vital
defenses and immunities. But, to have a broader impact on society,
ideas good or bad must be spread into every corner of society. They
must be embodied in cultural institutions and transmitted by political
programmes. So while intellectuals may have opened the faucets, the
main pipeline for carrying cultural pollution throughout society has been
the welfare state.

61. The corrupting influences of the welfare state go far beyond the
obvious. It isn’t just that the Censor Board or the Ministry of Info &
Broadcasting occasionally, subsidies obscenity, or ensures that valuable
government money earned from the tax payer’s salary is getting
subverted for trading in drugs, and alcohol or is getting sucked into
generating scams & ghotalas and for subsidizing the basic amenities of
daily life like Fuel, Rations and Housing. It is thus, that un-earned
benefits encourage some people to remain shift-less and lazy.

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62. On the contrary, one of the seldom-recognized benefits of the
market system is its great civilizing influence. Socialists often denounce
capitalism for promoting “Competition, not Cooperation” but in fact the
competitive demands of the mkt place reward cooperation and punish
anti social conduct.

63. The welfare state short circuits this learning & maturation process
by buffering people from any need to behave themselves. The welfare
state has allowed & encouraged proliferation of a nihilistic subculture.

64. Economic Insecurity. In today’s scenario the youth is neither

economically secure nor fully equipped with values and the over all
result is frustration and helplessness. So ultimately he has to face the
bitter truth of the world and whatever the society provides him, he has to
accept without thinking of values or of education.

65. Lack of Role Models. Be it a teacher, political leader, parents or

a social worker, no body is really setting the trends as far as the imbibing
of values are concerned. But unfortunately it is not happening. Whatever
is being taught in principles, it has to be in habits of living and thinking.

66. Materialistic Approach. Industrial revolution in the last

century emphasized on reason and realization of conduct but it soon led
to the disregard of self-control in moral order. The consequence has
been a let down of integrity in family bond and also given birth to the
materialistic approach. Today the father is not being considered the
head of family and the child is in revolt. Every one wants comfort and
luxury at any cost. Majority of them even do not know what the values
are and how values can help in bringing happiness and mental
satisfaction in their life. Valuables are becoming more important than
values.

67. Conflict Between Material And Spiritual Values. There has

been an overwhelming impact of material progress and prosperity in our
outlook, attitudes and approach. But there is no corresponding feeling or
sensitiveness for moral and spiritual values in personal and social life.
There is an unlimited multiplication of human wants. Happiness is
synonymous to satisfaction of everlasting needs where as ‘Education in
deeper sense of word should enable people to move from the concept of
merely POSSESSIVE HAPPINESS TOWARDS THE IDEAL CREATIVE
HAPPINESS.

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68. Influence of Western Culture. Western culture is influencing
our nation to the extent that we are forgetting our real roots, our moral
ethics and values. I am not advocating that western culture is bad but
one tends to pick up the undesirable things very fast and more so in the
case of children where due to lack of proper guidance, they adopt certain
ideas that shake up the foundations of individual’s personality and of
society as a whole.

69. Lack of Basic Needs. Even after the 56 years of our

Independence, 40% of our population is still below the poverty line so
when he is not having any thing to eat, wear or to live in, will he be able
to understand the logic behind the values?

PHASE III.

REMEDIAL MEASURES TO ARREST SOCIAL ROT

70. Having studied and understood the various causes of cultural

pollution and the forms in which it is raising its ugly head in today’s
civilized societies, one can dispel the mindset and the imaginary bogey
of “Cultured Invasion” which has hitherto been blamed for the entire
process of cultural decay. It is the decadence of the innocent mind and
the natural phenomenon of the old order giving in to the new free
generation that has played a greater significance in this process.

71. Wild pursuit of worldly happiness and materialistic modern day

education system in not giving adequate imp to moral, ethical & spiritual
aspects of edn, thereby weakening the very foundation of our present
day society . We are living in a great paradoxical situation. The question
remains, what are the limits of tolerance of differences, and who sets
them? Who defines the boundaries of “taste” and “decency”? Do we
have regulatory bodies to establish them? Or are they decided by
distinct differentiated groups of viewers who communicate with television
editors, controllers and programme makers? Today we have more
degrees, but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgments. We have
multiplied our possessions but reduced our values. We have learned
how to make a living, but not a life.. There is too much in the show
window and nothing in the stocks. In fact, we are always getting ready to
live but never really living.

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72. Need for Moral Education. Today technology is becoming the
dominant authority but there is no direct relationship between
technological progress and values. But the situation today is egoism;
anger, violence, downfall of knowledge wisdom etc are prevalent
everywhere.

73. What We Do For Living Vs What We Do With A Living ?

Money is essential in each and every place of life yet a person is poor, if
only he has money but no values.

74. Education System. Our present Education system has a strong

urban bias and is elitist in nature. What it means is that children
educated in city schools are belonging to socially, economically
privileged groups and are in an advantageous position to get more
benefits from such system. By doing well in a selected numbers of
subjects, using skills which can be developed more effectively in a city
environment, one is, guaranteed jobs, which ensure a better standard of
living. But our max population is in villages, they are not being imparted
the same education. And the result is in front of us - Unemployment and
lack of values, which is causing the frustration in today’s youth. Our
education system accords less priority to the power of understanding or
power of knowing facts. Today emphasis is more on power of memory
and we are least bothered about imparting values and changing the
attitude among the men.

75. Role of Teacher. Today out of 100 crore of population

almost 21 crore are the children in our country. So the importance of
teachers in making the nation’s future can be well understood. “A lamp
can never light another unless it continues to burn and so is the role of
teacher who illuminates the truth of knowledge in its students which
emits the lights of eternal values”. But unfortunately the role of teacher
has become so restricted in the present scenario. A teacher has to be
perfect role model.

76. Lack of knowledge. It is always said that “Knowledge is Power”.

Do we have proper means to seek the knowledge and if that be so how
many of us put the real effort to quench the desire for knowledge? Lack
of knowledge of our own history, culture and traditions questions the
basis of our understanding and appreciation of values.

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77. Accountability. Accountability means an accounting of its
performance with respect to the responsibility that goes with it. It is the
actual measurement of the responsibility fulfilled or performed. The
degree of accountability can be realized only when the task and duties
assigned to the agencies in the system are properly evaluated.

78. Role of Educational Agencies. The value education is being

visualized as a national level initiative to sensitize parents, teachers,
policy makers, educationist and administration for the need to promote
value based education. NCERT is laying emphasis on value oriented
education to curb the religious fanaticism, violence and promote nurture
critical thinking, reasoning and build up a humane approach to life.
School boards will be encouraged to design and develop such courses,
which will make value transmission an integral part of an integrated
personality.

79. A National resource center for value education has been recently
set up in the Department of Education Psychology and Foundation of
Education with the objective of developing and implementing programs
and strategies to re-new emphasis on value education and develop
relevant material for use. Some of the activities are under way :-

(a) Researches related to study program on value

education, analysis of NCERT science text book, the value of
compassion and spirituality and counseling with the view to
discriminate info which is useful for all.

(b) Annotation of various types of materials relating to

value education in India.

(c) Preparation, production and supply of reading

material for students to inculcation different values using stories.
Parables and anecdotes from literature on different faith should
also be included.

(d) Resource material for :-

(i) Value education for use by parents, teachers and

teacher educators.

(ii) Training of teachers in values.

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 (iii) Training to teachers, educators in effective
development with emphasis on arts and aesthetics.

(iv) Using drama as medium of value development.

80. The critical factors that determine successful human societies

hinge on maintaining close consistent families based upon marriages
that last a lifetime, or at least through the raising of children in secure
home environments where they are protected from the evils of the
political-state, not only from being victimized by sadists, but most of all to
raise children to be free and responsible individuals.

81. A Successful society must not only respect and support the family;
it must mirror the family as much as possible. The roles of men and
women in the family must be carried into the larger society. Of
paramount importance, are respectful and peaceful relations between
the men and women.

82. The human family is a complex network of extended familial

relationships and behaviours that support the family and duplicate many
of their activities within the community at large. That's why there is a
need to establish a social structure that is an extension of the family and
a government that supports the family.

83. A real family is built on the union of mother and father who
provide love and nurture and protection to their children, helping them to
grow up to be good men and women who treat each other with respect.
To respect girls, is to respect their femininity, which is synonymous with
peaceful behaviour, and to create opportunities for feminine expression.
To teach boys to be violent towards females will obviously lead to
violence against females, and the result of all of this will be the inevitable
destruction of the family and of a peaceful society.

Conclusion

84. A country is known and identified by its culture. Whenever the

people of a civilization have neglected their culture, it has led to anarchy
and the society has subsequently disappeared from the pages of history.
Examples are the Sakas, Huns, Maya and Inca dynasties about whom

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nothing is known today. On the other hand, consider the cultural groups
such as the Aryans, Greeks and Jews who always held fast to their
values of culture and as a consequence are till today recognized as
living cultures, apart from being forerunners of highly cultured groups.

85. We as Indians are known the world over for our rich cultural
heritage and its colourful diversity. We have inherited this rich cultural
brocade from our fore fathers & we must as responsible ambassadors of
our culture earnestly pursue and enrich our culture by timely additions
and alterations to it. In a world changing at a fantastic pace due to the
scientific and technological advancements and a concomitant
globalisation of our culture, there is a much change in our daily routines
in opting for the winds of change, and in keeping in pace with the rest of
the world. We must realize our traditions and cultural values in the light
of the modern world and its ever-increasing demands. All traditional
values must be re-examined in the context of our time. Which of them
should be preserved and how can they be preserved? In transforming
and adapting these values into modern life, we have to decide their
worth. One need not automatically accept everything that traditions hold
sacred for the intellectuals and guardians of our society; the primary task
is not the maint of the heritage of our ancestors, but the building of a
viable life for ourselves. We in India are being ruined by misdirected
pulls. In some quarters while the West is being worshiped as the symbol
of advancement, in the other quarters, it is being decried as base and
mean. Our redemption lies through the path suggested by our ancient
sages and as interpreted by national leaders in the context of our reqmt.

86. In today’s scenario it is equally necessary to inspire confidence

among Indians and infuse into them a spirit of healthy socio-economic
life. This will ensure that gifts of equality, fraternity and freedom become
easily available and also to remind the people about their role in building
up the culture and to project the correct image of India in front of the
world. Lastly, to lay guidelines for future generations, in the absence of
which, posterity will hold us responsible for any decadence. Culture,
which is a continuous process for the betterment of human lot, is created
and recreated through own efforts. Now it is to be recreated in the light
of recent political, scientific and cultural devp of vital imp to the world and
the coming generation.

87. The human life is divided into several parts, and each part has its
own function. The same applies to our feelings, thoughts, notions,
habits, and customs and even to our bodies. This constant change is not

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only inevitable but beneficial too. It helps in movement and dynamism
and is essential to growth. It takes us away from stagnation and
boredom, does away with monotony and the dreariness in life. It
changes our mindset, mentality, and temperament and helps do away
with conservatism, evil outdated customs, rotten habits and rituals.
Comforts and luxuries are added and life becomes more dynamic than
ever before. Adaptation is the key word. Man has to adapt to changing
life styles, ideas and the ever-changing world scenario - political,
economic, social & cultural. He needs always to be alert, agile and
vigilant, otherwise he will end up as a sand dune in the shifting sands of
time.

“I slept and dreamt that life is beauty,

I woke up and found that life is duty.”

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