Being Indian

Posted on the orkut community "Indian v/s Western philosophy" on 9 July 2006 by Nipun:

Acc to Pavan Kr Verma, Indians have some distinct characteristics that include:

1. Natural amorality
2. Materialistic pragmatism
3. Propensity for ends (without thought of means)
4. Excessive love for perks of power
5. Dislike for disorder
6. Compromise and self-preservation
7. Ability to retain hope
8. Resilience that comes from being continually exposed to adversity
9. Intrinsically non-violent nature
10. Indifference to sufferings of weak and poor
11. Extraordinary sensitivity to calculus of power
12. Exceptionally hierarchical in outlook
13. Not democratic by instinct or temperament

Comments... anyone?


My response to it on 18 September 2006:

First of all, please let us not equate hinduism and indianness... It might be true, but sometimes it is distracting... The analysis by Mr. Pavan Kumar Verma is excellent. but though he has been correct in his analysis, though there are gaps. At first glance it portrays an each indian as greedy and selfish. True. But it also gives the impression that an indian is very "rational" and unemotional. False. Let me explain.

In the ancient times, the caste system was absent... even in its most primitive form, it was based on occupation... that was rational as it brought structure and efficiency in society... later on it degenerated... caste system became hereditary... the spirit of spiritual and theological argumentation was replaced by later holy books... the rationality was lost in the process...

Next, the family is the basic unit of society in any caste... the family then started being bound more by emotions and external society rules... the family members who questioned society were controlled greatly by the rest of the family, and the tool used was emotions... things started turning dogmatic...

so slowly, the tendency has become more of justification than rational decision making. the "rational unemotional selfish greedy indian" has become an "irrational emotional selfish greedy indian"... this had even been noted by our famous leaders like annie besant... americans and europeans can work and cooperate fully with the people they hate the most if it serves their purpose... but indians must like the people they work with... so much for pragmatism.....

so if you look at the indian society as a whole, it is far from what indian philosophy wanted it to be like... all of us are extremely immoral, but try to show that we are extremely moral... this duplicity has become a part of our character... i might admire a movie heroine for marrying a muslim hero in a movie, but i would probably be dead against my sister doing so...

all i can say is, i wish my analysis is totally false...