India got independence from british colonial rule 65 years back. Lot has changed in the country since independence.
We achieved the right to elect our leaders and choose our future but we hardly achieved independence from cultural imperialism residing in our minds.
Its irony that the country which fought for independence for 200 years, started rhyming 'Ba ba black sheep' and 'humpty dumpty' a year after independence.
A country, which is rich in so many languages and dialects still considers English as a language of the rich , elite and educated and devalues its own regional languages and its literature.
Now,
Bombay sounds more cool than Mumbai.
English medium students are more intelligent than Vernacular medium students and certainly
Pepsi became better than Lassi and Mcdonald's became better than wada pav.
MP government seems to have taken series of steps in restoring our cultural identity, language and literature.
English rhymes replaced with Indian rhymes.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/5079002.stm
1) In one instance, government replaced English rhymes with Indian rhymes. This certainly makes sense as it would make new generation more aware of our history and culture and prevent us from creating another Shakespeare generation.
Sadly, in our country, such attempts are equated with Hindu nationalist movement, as evident in above link and other articles in our leading newspapers.
2) In another instance, MP gov conducted mass yoga session. This was again termed as communal by some organisations as evident in the below article.
http://www.ndtv.com/article/cities/madhya-pradesh-students-seek-surya-namaskar-record-muslim-leaders-call-it-un-islamic-issue-fatwa-165855
Yoga is practiced across the world in many secular countries but in its own country such exercises are considered communal.
3) There are many other instances of how we are destroying our cultural identity.
We don't even have consensus on singing Vande Mataram, our national song.
http://news.rediff.com/report/2009/nov/03/muslim-body-supports-fatwa-against-vande-mataram-recitation.htm
Teaching Gita in Indian schools
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-01-09/india/30606881_1_secondary-schools-teaching-saffronise-education
I don't understand why Cow slaughter is secular and banning Cow slaughter is not secular. If banning Cow slaughter is communal then not banning Cow slaughter is also communal.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/other-states/article2769540.ece#comments
We should respect other cultures, languages and identities and constantly improve ourselves with new understandings but not at the cost of replacing Indian rhymes with 'Ba ba black sheep' in our schools.
