Author: Sandhya Jain
Publication: The Pioneer
Date: May 7, 2002
Indians abroad, particularly those
who left the country some generations ago, are going through an interesting
metamorphosis. For the sake of a working definition, I would call it an
intermediate stage of consciousness. This is not wholly satisfactory because
the communities, especially the youth, are bursting with ideas and energy,
and premature definitions tend to confine rather than define the subject
of the thesis.
Nonetheless, it was a rewarding
experience to interact with youngsters from the Indian community in Britain.
While there have been indications of ferment amongst youth of Indian origin
in countries where they comprise a sizeable number, it was only during
the course of a recent visit to London that I had a chance to witness first
hand the sincerity and vigour of their intellectual quest for identity
and moorings in the traditions of their once-native land.
This was an eye-opener because most
British Indians are migrants twice-removed from this country. Their forefathers
went to Africa four or five generations ago and though they did well there,
they were forced to migrate under pressure of repressive regimes such as
Idi Amin's Uganda, often with little or no funds. Their British passports
enabled them to land on that shore, and they availed of the opportunities
to make a new life. At the time of writing, London was anticipating a fresh
influx of refugees from Zimbabwe, where questionable elections have returned
a discredited regime to power.
Now, a generation that has grown
up in Britain; it speaks the local lingo, power-dresses according to prevailing
fashions and feels confident enough to seek to assert a unique identity.
This inevitably means a Hindu identity, as the vast majority of UK Indians
are Hindus, while Muslims there have come from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Turkey,
and other countries. This is surprising because most of these youths do
not speak a word of Hindi and cannot follow an ordinary conversation in
the language. Nor do they have a very deep understanding of the complex
realities of India, which are baffling enough for us here. Moreover, they
do not have a bloated sense of grievance towards white Englishmen; this
means that the search for cultural roots is not a reaction to real or perceived
discrimination in that society.
Clearly, social scientists and scholars
interested in ethnic communities will one day investigate this phenomenon
in depth and, I hope, with sympathy. I believe that the quest for, and
assertion of, identity must be viewed as intrinsically good for the foundational
well-being of the human being and the group. It should be accepted as an
absolute value, like freedom, as it determines the self-definition and
self-esteem of the individual and group, and affects his/its relationships
with others.
British Indians are not rejecting
their citizenship or the civic ethic of their adopted fatherland. But they
are not adopting western concepts blindly, and are seeking their own solutions
to problems of identity and integration. To begin with, they want their
link with Hindu dharma and India to be respected, and are prickly about
being clubbed as "Asians" along with Pakistanis and Bangladeshis. I understand
that some of them have taken up cudgels with the mighty BBC in this regard.
In fact, much of their ire against Britain is focused on BBC reportage,
as mainstream newspapers are regarded as more sober and less desirous of
causing deliberate offence.
While it is still premature to speculate
where all this will lead, an emerging consciousness of Hindu-ness seems
the most important paradigm of Indian youth in Britain today. They have
an inward awareness of the value of their cultural-spiritual traditions,
and wish to be rooted in them in a pluralistic rather than sectarian fashion.
I found to my astonishment that the youth as also the older generation
resent their religious leaders.
The most common complaint was that
the swamis ensconced themselves comfortably in their temples and protected
their respective turfs by promoting sectarianism in society. It was felt
that this was the reason why the various sampradayas (sects) did not interact
with each other socially and on religious occasions. People now want cross-sectarian
affiliations and intermixing, and they resent the exclusiveness practiced
by the religious hierarchy. Another sore point with UK Indians was that
of late the Indian High Commission had ceased to celebrate Diwali; they
are keen to maintain cultural ties with their mother country.
Even more positive was the thirst
for information that will promote respect for India. I was besieged with
requests for references of history books that depict the true history of
India, for biographies of great Indian heroes, for the best commentaries
on the Gita and the Upanishads, and so on. Needless to say, I was hardly
prepared for the avalanche. I could readily suggest sound commentaries
and even identify possible sources where they would be available. But I
had to promise to get back with reliable source books on history from reputable
publishing houses as they were candidly against the "distorted" accounts
of Marxist historians!
I did, however, suggest that they
read good literature from all societies and traditions to enrich themselves
and their worldview, as an exclusive diet of Hindu dharma, particularly
in a non- Hindu country, could prove restrictive and one-dimensional. Ironically,
that would also be un- Hindu as Vedic culture is intrinsically cosmic,
well-rounded, inclusive, and pluralistic. What is more, consciousness is
like the flow of the river; it accepts many streams and flows on, ever
changing and ever eternal.
What I found most striking about
the youngsters was their clarity of vision and daring in some respects-they
are formally converting white boys and girls who are attracted to Hindu
dharma and wish to share its essence. This is truly dramatic because hitherto
most Indian gurus and spiritual orders have resisted official conversions
and have permitted everyone to share the treasures of the Sanatana dharma,
such as yoga, various meditation techniques and Hindu philosophy, without
renouncing their native faiths.
Initially this practice did not
pose a problem. However, of late, American Hindus have found to their consternation
that prominent western individuals and groups have started "cannibalising"
Hindu traditions such as yoga and philosophy by appropriating them without
acknowledging the original source. Indeed, the term "Hindu" is virtually
taboo in US academia, and the Infinity Foundation and other groups are
now battling to reverse this unfortunate development. US Hindus feel that
the attitude of not accepting those who were drawn towards the Indic tradition
and wished to be formally accepted in it was a mistake. They also feel
that the claim that all religions are equal is specious as it denies the
uniqueness of each tradition, and tilts the balance towards faiths that
indulge in conversions by force, fraud or other forms of coercion. Clearly
the UK youngsters are leagues ahead in this respect; I met a young Greek
girl who teaches yoga!
One problem youngsters have to resolve
themselves is the issue of dating and marriage. In India, the college or
workplace romance followed by marriage is a route well-travelled in urban
areas; in UK Hindu society few dates lead to marriage, to the chagrin of
young girls who rightly feel that the practice of 'importing' brides from
India must end. Indian families as a whole need to grow up in this regard
and accept the social mores of the society and times in which they live.
