The world possesses a large number of cultures. The cultures have been maintained over the time and it passes from one generation to another. It’s the strong culture that help people connect with each other and build rich and peaceful communities, within the same cultural backgrounds. The concept of culture has been defined by experts in a number of ways. It means a certain set of customs, ideas and social behavior of a group of similar people in a society. It refers to the sum of human beings’ life ways, their behavior, knowledge, language, art, traditions, dress code, morals, beliefs, feelings; it connotes everything that is acquired by them as the vital members of a society. Culture consists of all learned, normative behavior patterns – that is all shared ways or patterns of thinking and feeling as well as doing. Culture is very significant to us because it defines our identity and helps us understand our ancestral values. It’s the culture that gives us the very meaning of life. It is the culture that makes us unique from other parts of the world.
The natives of ‘Kashmir’ are branded as ‘Kashmiris’. Kashmir has been a beautiful piece of land on earth. Its people are always friendly, warm and loveable. Kashmir is best known for its rich culture and a vast treasure of the resources. The culture of Kashmir is vast and appealing and creates a long lasting impression. Our cultural traditions have shaped our identity. But there is so much happening around the world and rich cultures are being lost in the name of modernization and westernization. Kashmir is not an exception and we have also forgotten our rich culture.
I was involved in a discussion on Kashmiri culture with one of my big brother and well wisher Dr. Farooq Ahmad Mir from Wullarhama Anantanag. He is a proud Kashmiri and well settled in Russia and leading a large team of doctors there. We revisited the glory and fall of our rich Kashmiri culture. Parents today want their kids to be fluent in English and other languages. The height is that they can take their children to any task if they will talk in their mother tongue (Kashmiri language). Parents today serve rewards to their kids to speak in other languages but feel guilty of their own language. Ah! This is a big damage to our culture first. Let’s speak in Kashmiri with our children and make them feel proud and comfortable. There is no wrong that next we can attempt to develop their skills in English and other languages. Don’t take panic if children show early signs of weakness in English and other languages. It is natural and while practicing they will eventually develop a good hold over many other skills. We must not forget that there are students who start learning other languages only after their graduation and still develop good over them. We must use, preserve and be confident of our Kashmiri language.
Our children are our future. They are the ambassadors and the propagators of our unique culture and identity of our Kashmir. The truth may seem bitter but our future looks bleak and dark. What kind of good values and a message our kids are going to keep with them demands immediate attention and introspection? We have made a rich life of our children as a hell. Our children are always caged and imprisoned. We must revisit the golden days when a large number of children in the neighborhood used to play together. They were making lasting friends and relieving their worries when they spent good time together. There was peace, progress and more health in our children. We must revisit the days in Kashmir and find the excitement of the kids when on the occasion of Muharram ‘Doodh Wagrah’ (milky rice) was being served to kids by each family in the neighborhood. Ah! Today our kids are weak and stressed and just limited to this virtual world. It seems our children are living their life in dreams only and not in the reality.
It is unfortunate that in Kashmir we believe more in formalities rather than a true care. It’s the real love and care that matters most. There is show off and extravagance even if it is at the cost of peace and increased liabilities for the families. There are some rigid families who make poor families and others suffer. We value teachings of our beloved elders that serving better to guests is like serving better to God. But it must not increase our liabilities through our lavish means. We can please any person using the minimum resources with love and care. We must know that even sometimes serving best of the things in the world can easily defeat us when our intentions are wrong.
Writer is a Assistant Professor, ITM University Gwalior Email:-dr.shahidamin15@gmail.com