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Society and Culture
Change is said to be the essence of life so the two principal streams society and culture cannot be constant phenomenon.
Talking about these, one can say - in the past people had few wants and so idealists or the orientalists, as one sees, believe that life was simpler and people were happy.
But the society has been undergoing transitions and so has been the culture of the people.
However, in the present times there’s flurry of problems as there is no end to worries and anxieties. In the eastern part of the globe, there is so much talk about influence of western culture.
The general concept here is that with the advent of modernity, now the European civilization has entered the culture and with this the conventional western and European wants and luxuries.
Thus, talking about modernity in general sense, there cannot be just one modernity concept of irrespective of geography, time, environment and social conditions. The forms of modernity will have to vary between different countries depending upon specific circumstances and social practices.
Man is better known as a social animal as he cannot survive alone. A society is thus something that reflects coming together of people punctuated by common way of living, their likings, life style, faith in religion and at the same time form a distinctive culture.
A society may be of tribals, non-tribals for instance or also of linguistic grouping like Gujaratis or Bengalis. In global perspective, it can be of Americans or Britons and put together we can club as western culture or society.
Societies get organized according to their living style, religion and also political nature. Like we can describe both Americans and Indians as a community of democrats despite the vast and crystal clear ethnic differences.
Some culture or society description often emerges out of use or media publicity. In fact, observers would have little to disagree that ‘the Middle East’ has never been a geographical expression in that sense.
It has always and eseentially been an economic and political one and that too from a western perspective. Historians would agree that the term is a fairly recent phenomenon coined and publicised by the western nations and media. That way, crictics say the term primarily reflects onlt a western perception.
The English word "society" is a 15th century discovery and historians believe it first came from a French word.
Again in Indian context, culture has different meaning.
It’s a vast country with all people practicing all established religions and linguistically there are as many cultural and social groups as many states or provinces in the country.
Mini-India
Taking a step forward – rather eastward, cradled amidst the hilly wilds, the northeastern tip of the country is an ideal description of a mini-India in all its true pluralistic multi-lingual and multi-racial character. The northeastern region of India proudly houses a number of ethnic communities --- more significantly over 200 tribal and non-tribal groups --- living together. It is often said that no family can claim as great as ethnic diversity as these seven northeastern states. Even the diversity of Indian sub-continent appears only a humble submission as compared to distinctly different living styles of the tribals and the rest in the region - for more than one reason.
Historically, the various ethnic groups in the region have never been together. The northeast as a unit is thus a product of colonial legacy and thus there is a moral standing when the bogey of expansionist approach from “outsiders’ is raised.
This is not a generalised statement about the vast region but it applies to each individual state also.
Even the identity of Nagas refers more to “collective identity” as a 20th century phenomenon because more than 17 tribes and sub-tribes have discovered themselves as a community hardly few decades back. A neo-community of Chakhesangs among Nagas has come only with merger of three clans Chakhros, Khejas and Sangtams.
There have been mutual suspicions and rivalries between tribes, clans and even confusion on historical background. Does it then leave us with some connections on emergence of Naga-Kuki feud in 1990s or how Mizos still consider Kukis as belonging to their stock?
Assam
Assam as a social and political group has from time immemorial been the meeting ground of diverse ethnic and cultural streams. There are 16 scheduled castes and 23 scheduled tribes constituting about seven per cent and 10 per cent respectively.
While Hindus are in majority, Muslims and Christians form other groups and thus BJP has been always eyeing towards this state to establish its toehold.
Native Hindu Assamese also include a large number of Vaishnavites – who observe birth and death anniversaries of the prominent Vaishnavite saints and the state has also been the home of ‘Tantricism’ as borne out by the Sakti Temples like the famous Kamakhya shrine in Guwahati and Kechaikhati temple at Sadiya.
The emergence of Sankardeva was an important turning feature in socio-religious lives of the Assamese who founded and propagated the Ekasarananama Dharma and also doing away with the esoteric rites widely practiced by the Saktas.
Situated between 90-96 degree East Longitude and 24-28 degree North Latitude, Assam is bordered by Bhutan in the north and Bangladesh and the state of West Bengal in the West. The state of Arunachal Pradesh lies in east and along the south are Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram. Meghalaya lies to her Southwest. The base of history of the land and the people could be found in Assamese folklore and the literature of Tantric, Buddhists and Vedic. The legend about famous Kamakhya temple at Guwahati dates back to pre-historic days. Various places mentioned in the epics, like Mahabharata are now identified with sites in the state.
The 13th century witnessed the advent of the Ahoms, led by their first king Sukafa, the descendant of Shan civilization in Myanmar (Burma). Establishing their foothold at Sibsagar, the Ahoms named the land and territory ‘Assam’ --- meaning the rising and falling land. The long continuance of Ahom rule stands unparallel in history, yet the interpretation is that the naming of the land owes its origin to geography than the bravery and indomitable spirit of Ahoms.
The major Indian social groupings would be: Tamils, Bengalis, Punjabis, Marathis, Biharis, North Indians taking a sub-regional canvas and again South Indians taking the sub-region of southern part of India.
Among them, the Tamils are of Dravidian stock with a track record of history of two millennium old. The oldest Tamil communities are those in south of India and also in northeastern Sri Lanka.
There are also a large of number of emigrant Indian communities scattered around the world and who have able to set up their societies. Like Malayalam have established strong toe holds in the Gulf region while Gujaratis and Punjabis have done so in America and Canada and also a few European countries.
There are an estimated 80 million Tamils around the world, they say.
Again arguably, for instance, with the advent of English civilization whole life cycle has changed both for good and for worse.
The countrymen have emerged more informed community today and in sharp contrast it''''''''''''''''s also getting worse with globalization and Americanisation and particularly the call center life style.
In Bengal, in the year 1873 a scholar called Rajnarayan Bose made a comparative evaluation under the tile ‘Se Kaal E Kaal’ meaning “those days and these days”.
Rightly perhaps he did reflect that the word ''''''''''''''''adhunik'''''''''''''''' in the sense in which we now use it to mean modern was not in use in the 19th century.
His argument has been that the word used ‘nabya’ for new means which was inextricably linked to western education and thought.
Social Tolerance
Even the concept of freedom and tolerance in a society and among cultures keep changing. Take for instance, the controversy pertaining to Salman Rushdie''''''''''''''''s Famous book ‘Satanic Verses’. Muslims created hype of all types with the Government of India even falling prey to chap popularity among minorities deciding to ban it.The writer could not visit India for over a decade.
Ironically, it’s believed that if a book like this is written about Hindus, perhaps they too would have revolted!
But, as they say, things keep changing...
If today a man called Michael Madhusudhan Dutta were to write a book
called ‘Meghnathbadh'''''''''''''''' and declare ''''''''''''''''I despise Rama and his rabble'''''''''''''''' -- no doubt the book would be condemned and banned.
Many say, it’s a good fortune of Bengali literature that the colonial
Raj of 19th century banned books only when they were against colonial
masters and not at the request of the countrymen.
Non-entities and Margins
In terms of society and culture of people, another vital aspect is to be looked into.
Observers say like a page of a book, society too consists of the main stream and the margins.
These margins seem useless to the main page yet they define boundaries and are important.
But in terms of society, unlike the margins of the pages of a book, the margins and non-entities in a society are not static and continuously stretch and change.
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