If civilisation is to become an article of trade between England and India, I am convinced that England will gain by the import cargo.” This was recorded by Sir Thomas Munro. Speaking about Hindus in general, Warren Hastings had said that “they are gentle and benevolent”. Earlier, Abu’l Fazl wrote in Ain-i-Akbari that “the Hindus are religious, affable, cheerful, lovers of justice and admirers of truth”. The Chinese traveller Hiuen Tsang was struck by the “straightforwardness and honesty” of the Indians.
It seems something went seriously wrong during the British Rule and also the post-Independence period. The average Indian male, particularly in the urban centres, has become comparatively aggressive, intolerant and has an indifferent commitment to truth. A number of factors would appear to have contributed to this transformation.
Ethical values were ingrained among the new generation at two levels—family and the educational institutions. Both these levels are today in a state of complete disarray. The traditional joint family system has disintegrated and the nuclear families are under considerable strain. Generally, both the husband and wife are working with the result that the child is left to himself. He may be going to a good institution, but he does not get the traditional care and upbringing from the parents. In schools and colleges, with some exceptions, the stress is on getting good marks and being able to qualify in a competitive examination. There is no emphasis on ethical values, being a good citizen, having a healthy attitude towards the opposite sex or imbibing an idea of service to society and the country.
Politics has somehow become a dominant feature of our society. It, in fact, influences all the other segments of life. But, unfortunately, it is being increasingly infiltrated by persons of questionable background and has, therefore, become very murky. Such persons are no inspiration—in fact, they provide wrong examples of success to the young generation.
On top of all this, the internet with its tremendous advantages is also causing havoc by providing easy access to pornography. More than half a billion people have access to the internet in the country today and we are the third most porn-watching country in the world. What the attitude of the porn watchers would be towards the opposite sex is anybody’s guess.
(The writer is Chairman, Indian Police Foundation)