Changing Indian mentality

Around a year ago when I met one of my cousin brothers after a long time in my hometown, I asked him what he did for living. He told me that he taught in a primary school, where children of all unprivileged and schedule cast people of the colony studied.

Further, I asked him, what he taught them. He replied that he taught them nothing worthwhile and passed the whole day loitering here and there. And I could never digest the excuse he gave for this. He told me that if he taught them well, they would be educated and empowered, consequently, we would never find labourers to work in the agricultural fields, to build and paint our houses.

I was amazed by his response and thought how nonsense was his thinking. As I talked to more and more people about it, I found out, this wasn’t only my cousin’s problem. Many people from so called upper cast families thought the same way. They don’t want the Dalits, the tribal or other SCs and STs to be empowered.

The reason I find behind this, is the Indian culture that is still influenced by old traditions. Wherein we tend to follow teaching from the vedas, the Brahmins are the venerated lot, the Kshatriyas are the fighters, the Vaishyas are the traders and the Shudras mean the people from lower casts, who were considered untouchables.

However, now one year down the line, when I contemplated about the same issue, I found out this is not the case with most of the people here in Delhi.

Emergence of civil society has brought a sea of change in people’s mentality. Not long ago, people were afraid to get out and say no to corruption, even if they knew all along that it was deep rooted in the system. But, after Anna Hazare took on to the government demanding a strong anit-graft bill, people came out in great numbers and supported him whole heartedly.

When these people rallied on the street of the Capital they did not bother about the cast, creed, colour, religion or the economic background of the people they were eating with, sleeping with or shouting slogans with. They just stood for the cause.

Similarly, most recently massive crowd gathered at India gate demanding stiff punishment for the six accused that gang raped a paramedical student on December 16. This time around they did not even have a leader. They reflected togetherness and depicted changing mentality of Indians, who are rising above the issues such as reservation, communalism etc.

And this can only be called paragon of this change in mentality of Indian people, when a boy and a girl protesting at India Gate provided all out support to slain constable Ram Chnad  when he collapsed on the road on while performing his duty. They could have simply moved on thinking this could get them in trouble. 

However, despite the fact that police charged on protesters with baton that day, they stood there for him.

It has taken a long time for this change in mentality; but this change is here to say. Though this change is only limited to metro cities, in coming days, thanks to the 24*7 media, this change will be palpable in villages too.