Shall I be called modern if I am comfortable wearing a simple ' kameez - shalwar'؟ Shall I not be called modern if I walk through streets wearing a miniskirt or jeans or a trendy dress؟ Usually, a person wearing stylish and branded clothes is considered to be a "Modern". But is it really modern؟ No, it is not modern: it is being Western. People usually misinterpret ' Modernization' with 'Westernization', which in reality are different. It is important for all of us to know that these two terms are not to be confused and mixed with each other.

In simple terms, Westernization is a process of imitation of Western countries by non- Western countries, whereby societies come under of adopt the Western culture. In short, Westernization is about the adoption of "Western" values. On the other hand, Modernization has a wider connotation. Infect, Westernization is a Sub-process of Modernization. Accepting or adopting the modern style or modern ways and ideas of thinking, living, etc is 'Modernization'. In other words, Modernization is a change or modification which offers the promise of the preservation of the past. Westernization is not important but we need to modernize so that we are able to compete and can keep pace with the fast-moving world of the present 21st century. The difference between ' Modernization' and 'Westernization' can be better understood by the following example. " Once at a party, a lady entered the Hall wearing trendy outfits. On seeing her, a girl next to me said, " Wow! See how modern she is". On hearing the word 'Modern', I asked her, " In what sense do you find her moder؟ She replied, " Obviously her dressing, her looks." Then I posed her another question, " Do you think that modernity lies in one's way if dress up؟ She replied, " Of course dressing makes you modern but unfortunately, I belong to a family where people are not modern and wear simple 'salwar ' suit. I was perplexed to hear the statement and wondered how one can judge the modernity of a person in the way they dress. But to Me, Modernity lies in one's thinking. What people call Modernization is actually Westernization. Westernization is nothing but the modern form of Imperialism and outcome of Globalization. The West manipulates us in such a way that we tend to forget our own culture, our tradition and blindly follow theirs'. The irony is that we don't even realize what is happening to us and the height is that people go to the extent of ending their relationship. One must understand that we cannot pose ourselves to be modern just by wearing modern outfits but we should be in position to appreciate the lifestyles of people belonging to different regions instead of making fun of them. I believe that modernity of a person is no way related to his or her way of dressing up. It should be remembered that one cannot modernize oneself without a degree of educational reform. In ancient India, before the British Raj, we had Sati system, where a woman was compelled to burn herself with the body of her dead husband. But after the introduction of education system, people were enlightened and raised their voices against this inhuman practice, till it got finally abolished. Moreover, condition of widows was no better than animals. But, in modern times, men and women are considered equal. This tradition from the India where they walk shoulder to shoulder with men is the outcome of Modernization.
Modernization involves changes not only at the institutional level but also a fundamental change at the personal level. It involves a change in modes of thinking, beliefs, opinions, the social structure from a closed Conservative society to a classless, caste-less society in which the individual’s status depends not on his birth but on his personal achievements.
In a nutshell, Westernization is living by analogy, doing something that is a set of people do. Being modern by definition is thinking primarily by principles rather than by analogy. However, this is the time we all understand that we do not have to compromise on our values/ attitudes and adopt the lifestyle of the West in order to Modernize and Develop. Thus, Modernization is not Westernization "!!!!

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