I’m puzzled at how often people use the past to validate their sense of worth in the present. It’s so important that we’re even willing to tilt history itself in our favor. Just look at the number of right wing* blogs for example which discuss India’s great achievements in the past and how we were superior to every other civilization blah blah.
Those times are gone and who we are now is very different from the people who lived at that time. Only the cultures and traditions have been passed down. And we can be proud of that. Otherwise, we have no business taking credit for what the people in the past did.
To me, it smacks of an inferiority complex. My grandfather for example, was a big stud. He was the Prime Minister of Sikkim, the Chief Secretary of Meghalaya, the Ambassador to the King of Bhutan and the President of the Planning Commission. He also churned out five books and Bhutan tilted its flag for him when he passed away. A guy of many achievements no doubt. But should I feel proud of that? Does it make sense for me to say “You know, my grandfather was xyz…” with a sense of pride? I don’t think so. If I say it, the impression I’m conveying to the listener is that I myself have no achievements worth talking about so I’m piggybacking on those of my ancestors!
Some even use history to keep alive a sense of grievance. I’ve read again and again about how India was constantly invaded and looted. By the Mughals, by the British, how they tore down our buildings and committed other atrocities. Well boo hoo – get over it!
Some might mistake my words as a recommendation for forgetting history. That’s not true. History must be remembered so that we don’t repeat past mistakes when the situation is the same. Meaning you can’t look at history, say that the Mughals overran India and so they will do so again. The times and circumstances were different. History when interpreted correctly is a valuable tool to study human behavior. When interpreted foolishly or simplistically it can cause a lot of damage and suffering.
In the Ayodhya case, there are people who go back hundreds of years and say that first this was built and then that was built over it. Why? The laws at that time were not the same. You cannot apply today’s law to a situation hundreds of years ago. I feel that for legal purposes, we musn’t go further back than 1950 – when our Constitution came into being. It’s only because of our Constitution that our laws of today have any relevance. So just like we draw an imaginary line and say that a person magically becomes an adult at the age of 18, we have to draw an imaginary line somewhere and say “Before this, let bygones by bygones.” Let that line be the most defining moment in India’s history.
I’m reminded of Peter Sarstedt wonderful song “Where do you go to my lovely.” Here’s a snippet.
(First sings about how sophisticated a particular woman is and how she’s risen in the world)…then he goes:
Ah, remember the back streets of Naples,
Two children begging in rags
Both touched with a burning ambition
To shake off their lowly-born tags, so they try.So look into my face Marie-Claire
And remember just who you are.
Then go and forget me forever
But I know you still bear the scar deep inside, yes, you do.
Even though it’s an awesome piece (here are the full lyrics), I can’t agree with the singer’s sentiment that because the woman was low born and poor at one time that somehow lessens her achievements in the present. It’s cheap. Our birth and our past is something we have no control over. What we make of ourselves now is what matters. Where we were born, and who our parents were are irrelevant details.
Look at it another way. Suppose we discovered that the seeds of life on earth originated from outer space via a meteor. Will that affect the way we feel about earth as our home? Does it have any bearing on what we are now? Of course not. Earth is our home. Adopted or not, it makes no difference. It’s the only home that matters.
(*”right wing” isn’t meant to be an insult. It’s used to describe people who hold conservative views as described in Wikipedia’s page on the subject)
Good article Bhagwad. Wish more people could show such maturity!
It's like these ways of thinking are maps that help us navigate reality and make sense of it. But every now and then we must see if our maps are indeed reflections of the landscape…if we continue to operate with outdated maps then we'll get into trouble sooner or later.
The map analogy is plagiarized from Scott Peck :)
Good post, Bhagwad. I agree, people should not take credit for someone else's achievement. But I think we , as a nation, need to learn to be more self-respecting. Not because of all the 'greatest civilization' bullshit, but simply because we have something in us, some strong spirit that keeps us going despite every inconvenience. Its very sad, the way most people think and act.
In reply to Pal
Yes – we need to have more self respect. And one sign of mature self respect is tolerating criticism, not being overly touchy and learning to laugh at oneself. Otherwise it's just insecurity masquerading as self respect…
Even though I'm not Indian I understand what you're saying. I find it really annoying when people (no matter what country they're from) have to constantly point out their country's achievements. It's funny, because they'll never point out bad things their country has done. In my experience, these same people actually defend them. I agree with you, it is some type of inferiority complex.
In reply to RenKiss
Yup – there might be another explanation, but I haven't found it yet :)
I think that in the long run, our real Indian traditions will show themselves. Even those regarding inclusiveness. Just imagine. Just 63 years into our independence we decriminalized homosexuality. It took the US 225 years for the last state (Texas) to do that. We've had a woman prime minister, a Sikh prime minister, almost had a foreign born pm, a woman president, a muslim president and what not…
Bhagwad … I second your thoughts.
Many aspects of India’s “great” history are pure myths. Many Indians continue to believe in these myths and want India to transport itself back in history to these mythical times.
Many conservative Hindus want the disputed land in Ayodhya for themselves. Their argument is that Islam is a foreign religion and now they want to “correct” history. Well, many aspects of Vedic Hinduism is foreign to India as well. But lets not talk about that!!
In reply to Hari
As you say, much of the problem occurs when people try and “correct” history instead of just accepting it as it is. We have to let go of a sense of grievance against the past before we can move on…