The Impact of Western Culture on the Indian Culture
We live in a country which is filled with diversity. Our country has various languages, religions, cultures, festivals, and traditions. However, there is a genuine fear among Indians that the influence of the western culture is gradually leading to the decline of Indian culture and tradition. Indian culture is considered as one of the oldest and richest cultures, hence the fading of the Indian culture truly troubles us.
Westernization refers to the process by which the practices and culture of Western Europe are adopted by societies and countries in other parts of the world. In this day and age the impact of the western culture is increasing through many sectors such as social media, mass media and popular culture.
Westernization has both positive and negative impacts.
The Western culture is considered an advanced culture in the world and it has helped us in many ways. The invention of the printing press has improved communication, creating an effective ways to produce goods and services, while new technologies and medicines were invented to treat illnesses. The western culture has encouraged the youth of India to voice their opinions as they promote individual rights and self expression, empowering women to seek equality and education.
We see that people being influenced by the western culture has proven to be beneficial for society, but at the same time people are forgetting about Indian traditions. The Indian youth is called the product of westernization because they are being heavily influenced by it. English has become a famous language for all people and people are focusing on that instead of their mother tongue. Traditional and moral values like respecting elders and the importance of family are declining. The concept of joint families is decreasing, and there is also a decline in responsibility towards the elderly. Today’s youth prefers freedom, leading to a gap between family members. Nowadays, family members tend to spend less time with their families as the parents have extra workload and the grandparents are no longer there to take care of the children. The youth also prefer the western culture - its art, music, food, fashion - leading to disconnection with their roots.
It is apparent that the impact of westernization has influenced every corner of a person’s life. People are adopting the western culture and forgetting about their native culture. They are not being educated well about their Indian culture and I believe that programmes should be organized to promote and support local traditions and languages. People should come forward and make the youth of today aware of the rich culture and heritage of India.
Westernization can lead to our betterment, but at the same time we should happily perform the Indian rituals and customs of our heritage.
Written by Triparna Das
Writer
My name is Triparna Das, and I am currently pursuing a B.A. in Psychology at KIIT University.
As a psychology student, learning about mental health and discovering ways to help others is what drives me.
I’ve always had a deep passion for reading and writing, particularly creative pieces like poetry as well that sparks my knowledge in every step.