My parents and my convent background inculcated into me a set of values, which today as I fast approach middle age and look around the society today, I realize do not hold any kind of meaning to today’s generation X or Y or whatever they choose to call themselves. Growing up, I had my period of being the rebellious teenager and getting up to all kinds of mischief, which if my parents ever came to know, would land me into serious trouble. I remember the colossal row I got from my mother, when one Diwali I chose to go out with some boys and returned after midnight.
However, whatever I did or did not do, there was always this invisible boundary line that I never crossed. I like to think that it was due largely to the way my parents brought me up and a small part due to my own personality and disdain for cheap behavior. A few months back, I saw something that pulled me up short on the streets of Kolkata. A young couple, probably not more than 19 or 20 years, sitting in a hand pulled rickshaw. The girl was sitting on the boy’s lap, the hood of the rickshaw was thrown back and they were openly smooching. Despite myself, I stared at this sight. Often, riding shuttles with couples I have felt uncomfortable at the way they blatantly go ahead with their PDA. It does not embarrass them but it embarrasses the hell out of me and I am sure out of many a person whose paths they cross.
The other thing I notice is the skin show. Young girls today want to wear as little as possible. Diaphanous tops with no or little underwear and skirts or shorts that end only an inch below the crotch are worn with an air of nonchalance. Even at work, people turn up wearing clothes that make you want to close your eyes in shame. The saree, our traditional Indian garment can be worn in many ways and I personally feel that it is an extremely sensual garment – in the way it covers yet provides glimpses of female curves. Today’s young crowd disdains the saree as sadly out of fashion. If at all they wear it once in a blue moon, it is draped to show off as much of female assets as possible with backless or strapless cholis, leaving little to the imagination. When I wear sarees to work, I see the looks I get from my colleagues which clearly say “What a dinosaur!” This year and the last, during the pujas I found girls roaming about wearing cocktail dresses and micro minis. Durga Puja – one of the biggest Indian festivals and people choose to wear dresses that are in no way a part of the Indian culture or tradition.
Dress sense is something entirely personal and so also is the fact of how I choose to behave with my partner in public, I guess. What worries me from all that I see around is what kind of values do these youngsters hold? They are the future of India, the ones who will take India to the next level. But their attitude and behavior do not instill a sense of pride or confidence in me. I don’t know whether I sound like a crotchety old lady, but I honestly think that the young folks and their parents should take a step back and evaluate the way they are leading their lives. Instead of short skirts and PDA, why not focus on maintaining and nurturing our culture that makes us Indians unique in this world?
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