Originally posted by: flipfl0p
These traditions have started thousands years back, when human being's major occupation was agriculture. Man who tilled the land became stationary. Women whose duty was to maintain household, shifted.
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I am not disputing, there is pollution. Our ancestors kept the air clean and gave us an opportunity to celebrate when we were kids. It is our (grown ups) duty to keep the air clean. Here we are, uncompromising with our luxury, not bothering about environment. All we do is, ask the kids to sacrifice their fun, who burst crackers once a year. Is that fair?
Thank you for your thoughtful response. Even though I do not agree completely, I appreciate the effort in sharing your perspectives. Some of it does make a lot of sense.
To me, human civilization is patriarchal in nature. It is not unique to India, but globally pervasive. Patriarchy in historical context is not necessarily wrong or evil. It is just how civilization evolved given the circumstances. At some point down the line though it became problematic. Now that our society is different and we have the ability to bring more equity for all humans, some paradigm shift has to take place.
We do take culture for granted. Being in the United States has definitely made me appreciate some aspects of culture a lot more. At the same time, I don't think growing older has made me more forgiving. There are definitely many aspects of Indian/Hindu culture that I have become much more cynical and scathing about. And I struggle to wrap my head around the fact that people still defend it.
As for Diwali, reducing it to the bursting of fireworks is unfair to the people and the tradition. The five days of Diwali have a lot more meaning beyond fireworks, and fireworks are not the only source of fun. It will be an adjustment period, but there are a lot more things kids can have fun with - lighting lamps, making lanterns, drawing rangolis, shopping for new clothes, helping make and eat sweets. The next generation of kids is already living a different life than we did. Less outdoor places to play in - but a lot more devices and television channel.
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