It would be appropriate to begin with some incidents this writer has personally experienced. Just a few years ago he was discussing Indian Culture with a certain gentleman. He was around 40 years old and was employed in some company. The writer said to him, 'You have a job, you are busy in your office for the whole day, you work hard, at the same time you must be enjoying your work, your children go to school, you have a good wife, there is a doctor to attend on you as well as police security; in such a situation, what is the need of Indian Culture?' Thinking for a while he replied, 'No need that I can see.' Another incident is also not very old. It was when, during the current decade, this writer used to teach a course in Indian Culture for a class of adult and professional students. It was an optional subject, but once a student opted for it, it became compulsory like other subjects. Every year, in the beginning of the course, the writer would ask the students, 'Why did you opt for a study of Indian Culture when you live in India?' They found it hard to give an appropriate answer to the question. In fact, it would not be an exaggeration to say that the writer got no meaningful answer. This was not the students' fault, it is the fault of modern education, and of the social milieu that we all of us have knowing or unknowingly created around us.
It is by no means unusual to come across such incidents that clearly reveal ignorance of Indian Culture. A majority of Indians today are in this condition. Nobody should be surprised if our cultural moorings seem to have weakened, distorted, and apparently on the brink of destruction, due to foreign rule of centuries, the spread of a consumer culture, and our own weaknesses. All those of us Indians who directly or indirectly love Indian culture, believe in it, and have reverence for it, should strive to break those shackles, regain confidence in ourselves, and take pride in our country and our sublime Culture. Our work, our actions, should be aimed at preserving the culture of our nation, otherwise we would fall prey, like other nations, to a consumer culture based on wealth. We have in our own lifetime seen the transformation of peoples and countries that had reached the pinnacle of material prosperity based on wealth. We would become like the sapling that flutters helplessly in the breeze because its roots have dried up. We all see an example of this in modern times. In our childhood we may have rarely heard of the United States of America, as in those days the name of England was on everyone's lips. It was considered the world’s richest and the most powerful country. Indian markets were flooded with things made in England. This scenario changed before our very eyes. India was partitioned into a number of countries, the USA overtook England in influence, and even small children in India came to know of it. Nobody can say if the riches and influence of the USA would continue in the coming decades or some other country would emerge. This will happen with every culture based on consumerism. It is on the basis of its culture that India has remained famous for ages. The foundation of Indian culture is not materialism but elevation of man's character, awakening the divine powers that lie dormant within him, helping him to achieve his ultimate goal and finally showing him the practical, proven means to achieve all these ends. Ancient history is testimony to the fact that so long as Indians did not stray from their culture, India prevailed as a country of great wealth and enduring influence. That is the culture we have to preserve.
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