Let’s redefine culture | Readers Write

I like to think I'm fashionable. Good clothes, shoes, and all the other accessories that help me to stay in the 'in-crowd' matter to me. I guess I'm a typical 23-year-old.

But as I mature or evolve as an individual, my perception of 'cool' is changing. I am beginning to realise that the real person within can sometimes be overshadowed or completely shut out by our craze to be 'in'. Our own preconceptions about different things hold us back from actually enjoying and understanding those things we really ought to explore. Even worse, it pushes us in directions we are better off avoiding.

I'm not saying that being fashionable is wrong. Looking good can improve one's self-esteem but at the same time we need to stop being mere imitators. I've been to places like Bangalore and Kolkata where our image isn't necessarily pleasant. There are some exceptions, but they are scarily very few and far between. We need a reality check. We need to take a good look at ourselves and find in ourselves leaders for generations to come. As Jawaharlal Nehru once said, "My doors and windows will always be open to all the civilisations of the world, but I refuse to be swept away by them." Wouldn't it be great if our social awareness and conscience were as sharp as our dress sense, and if we were eager to learn about others' cultures too? And if through all this we could preserve and adapt our own traditions and customs to work in the 21st century.

Most young people would rather ignore the cold hard facts of society and instead lavish their attention upon new records and designer labels. Thinking and talking about certain issues or acting upon them, makes you uncool or worse, a 'leader' or 'philosopher'.

Quite frankly, this attitude smells to me like a big pile of manure. To shy away from social issues of one's times by saying they are only for old people or worse, old politicians, is only an excuse to face away from reality and live in an illusion. Unless we talk and act about issues that matter, we too will be like the whiny and passive politicians we speak so negatively of. It's time to wake up and smell the coffee.

Let's not hide behind the faces we've put on. Instead, let us reach out to places we've heard of but ignored. Let's go beyond our comfort zones. If we want to feel good, not just look good, it's time we started talking about Gaur not just Gucci, the frontline, not the playstations. Let's break away from the mould we've cast ourselves in and redefine our culture.