Politics and Culture in Modern Society

Colonization, "Westernization" and Social Culture in the Post-Colonial Societies

One of the most profound (but relatively less-understood) consequence of colonization has been how the political and economic rape of the colonies has also led to what sometimes seems to be an unbridgeable cultural gap between the nations that were the beneficiaries of colonization and those that were the victims of the colonial assault.

The era of colonial pillage and plunder led to the relative stagnation and often precipitous decline of traditional cultural pursuits in the colonies (mainly due to the loss of patronage resulting from political defeat and economic contraction). At the same time, there was an unparalleled and almost dazzling flowering of culture in Europe - in terms of urban planning, in the realm of science and technology, and most remarkably, in the genre of harmonically constructed polyphonic music.

Whereas in Europe, the steady inflow of capital led to an unprecedented growth in trade and industrialization which culminated in a certain degree of political democratization - the reverse occurred in the colonies. Local economies were emasculated, and political and social progress was reversed, or highly circumscribed by the colonial authorities.

While Europe entered an era that ushered in unique and revolutionary developments in culture – the colonized nations of Asia, Africa and Central America not only missed out on these monumental developments, their political and economic subjugation led to cultural theft and annihilation, and even more so, to a deeply penetrating psychological genocide.

Not only were certain aspects of the material culture in the colonies lost or destroyed, colonial societies also lost the power of cultural discrimination. Losing almost all sense of cultural continuity, they were also unable to recover (in any adequate measure) the ability to strive for cultural progress on their own terms.

On the one hand, there was a widespread sociological aversion to appreciating and preserving what had precariously survived from the past - on the other hand, there was an irrational and defensive embrace of religious dogmas and practices that had long since lost any significance or practical utility (or in fact, may have always been an obstacle to progress).

Robbed of any measure of self-confidence, the colonized (and even post-colonial) intelligentsia either looked upon its heritage with skepticism or disdain, or conversely, sought refuge in fundamentalism, obscurantism, or idealistic myth-making. When a native tradition had the stamp of approval from a ‘respected’ Western ‘authority’, it attracted excited and flattering attention. But rarely, and only in relatively isolated cases, was it possible for the colonized cultural intelligentsia to rise above the cultural stereotypes, and critically explore and examine its cultural legacy for any intrinsic (or sustainable) merit.

This is not to say that the struggle for freedom did not awaken the spirit of cultural regeneration in the colonies. Leaders of the National Liberation Movements invariably invested some effort in seeking the cultural rejuvenation of their societies - but there were too many practical impediments that prevented them from achieving anything more than partial success.

Because the domain of culture is extremely broad, and encompasses many facets of civilized social life - the task of post-colonial cultural regeneration was much larger than what even what the most well-meaning advocates of de-colonization could have anticipated. And whereas some aspects of culture are immediately apparent to all (or most people in society), there are other more subtle and complex aspects of social culture that are not as readily understood or appreciated by the majority - especially at times (and in situations) when there have been sharp and forcible breaks in cultural continuity.

When people think or speak of culture - they often do so in very simple and general terms - they think most immediately of popular customs - such as traditions and rituals pertaining to birth and death, to puberty and marriage. They think of social celebrations and festivals, forms of greeting and communication, hospitality rites, cuisine, games, sports and entertainment. But by and large, colonial regimes did not interfere excessively in such aspects of human existence. Thus it is often the case, that most victims of colonization are relatively ignorant and oblivious of what they may have irrevocably lost (or incorrectly internalized) as a result of colonization.

In particular, they are rarely able to comprehend how the hundred or two hundred years of colonization were not only very destructive in terms of culture, but that they were also precious decades of lost opportunity - when the colonized nations could have been active recipients of the cultural developments that transformed Europe, and perhaps, made additional contributions of their own. Whereas the European colonizers were able to expropriate (and utilize on their own terms) the centuries of progress made in colonized Asia or Africa - only a small elite in the colonies became aware of the new cultural vistas that had opened up in Europe. And very rarely were these colonized elites able to absorb and communicate the most useful and inspiring elements of the new European culture.

In part, this was because the colonial elites were too removed from the colonized masses, or didn't care enough. But this was also because the cruelty of the colonial occupations led many radical nationalists in the colonial world to associate all European culture with the culture of conquest and hegemony, and it became very difficult to separate the positive and more universally appealing aspects of the new European culture from the racist and chauvinistic philosophical developments that dominated the European intellectual space.

(To this day, there are some scholars who have branded Beethoven's music as "imperialistic", notwithstanding how Beethoven was in fact drawn towards very radical democratic ideals in his lifetime, and probably had no inkling of what damage colonial rule was bringing to the colonized world. By and large, the most monumental cultural changes in Europe took place in those nations that were not engaged in direct colonial rule - such as in Austria and Russia - or in Germany and Italy before their emergence as imperial powers. The best European composers were either sharp or sensitive social critics, or moved by ideals of humanism and social justice, and even when they weren't explicitly socially conscious, they had the talent to eloquently express profoundly moving human experiences; few could have been intimately aware of the injustices of colonization.)

Thus, in part by accident, and in part by design, the colonized nations became very removed from the most advanced of the new humanizing trends that were beginning to shape the best of the new European civilization. But quite unfortunately, by the time many of the colonies were liberated, European culture was already in decline - even decaying; so it was Western "pop" culture that drifted to Asian and African shores. But the more enlightened and invigorating classical culture was unable to make much of an impact.

Although prior to liberation, there was indeed a period of cultural renaissance that accompanied the struggles for freedom in the colonies, these evanescent trends could not survive the inexorable march of pop culture that the forces of Western commerce had a vested interest in pushing.

Soon colonized societies had not only forgotten what they had, they had also forgotten how to sustain or renew (or elaborate upon) their fragile heritage. Above all, they had forgotten to dream, to fantasize and to engage in constructive and creatively critical social discourse. Most of all, colonized societies lost the ability to envision a better future that was consistent with their own geography and history. More often than not, even the most advanced social activists in colonized societies fell prey to a semi-mechanistic interpretation of imported ideas of social change that were indeed inspiring and useful, but yet, may have fallen short in key respects.

Cultural and social progress seldom comes about without some measure of struggle - but struggle alone does not guarantee success. For that, theoretical understanding, historical knowledge, critical self-awareness and material practicality (one that takes into account the physical constraints of geography, resource availability, time and environment) all become important.

Unfortunately, many serious proponents of social change in India (as elsewhere) have been unable to fully comprehend the lasting sociological consequences of colonization, or effectively mine the rich (non-European) pre-colonial heritage for ideas or inspiration. For instance, in the realm of the fine arts, and in the realm of epistemology, Indian civilization has had much to offer. And the Indian people have not been entirely averse to studying nature so that they might mould it for their own benefit. The long history of managing scarce water resources provides numerous examples of Indian creativity and problem-solving. Putting others before self is also not an entirely alien tradition in India.

Yet today, it seems much harder to find such qualities amongst those that hold the keys to power.

This is at least partially because colonial rule taught the Indian elite to become divorced from nature and from India's highly evolved aesthetic traditions, - to neglect its traditional training in epistemology. Although elites often tend to be duplicitous in their dealings with the masses - the colonial era state bureaucracy treated the masses with a contempt and disingenuousness that was perhaps unseen in pre-colonial India. (For instance, when people bemoan the corruption that has seeped into all elements of Indian public life, it is sometimes forgotten that corruption of the Indian bureaucracy was an important element in ensuring colonial domination. Personal corruption is what allowed tens of thousands of Indians to betray their brethren day in and day out, even as the nation as a whole was being systematically looted).

Colonial rule discouraged the development of personal integrity - to the point that if any exceptional Indian (such as Bhagat Singh) dared display it to any admirable degree - he had to be hanged - as a warning to other Indians who wished to be as patriotic, or miraculously retained an element of gallantry, or exhibited some bit of romantic idealism.

Colonial rule destroyed not only the character and spirit of the Indian people, it also took away their ability to engage in holistic analysis. It turned Indians into peons and pages - people who were capable of serving the destiny of others - not those who could shape and mould their own destinies. Indians retained the ability to be intelligent about details and particularities, but lost the ability to be intelligent about the big things in life - the important things in life.

Whereas once, the wisest Indians had spent years and years contemplating about what brings about human happiness, the colonized Indian couldn't even conceive of happiness - let alone plan the happiness of an entire society.

And to some degree or another, we are still paying the price of that odious legacy. Even as sections of our elite have learnt some of the lessons of modern science and technology, and appear somewhat successful in marshalling re-emerging Indian scientific and engineering talents (in the domain of their business activities) - they have yet to correlate the progress of science and technology to what really matters - which is the all-round progress of human civilization. Nor have they been able to fully co-relate cultural and material development with geographic and climactic advantages and constraints.

If we look at the case of India, or any other ancient civilization - certain conclusions are inescapable: barring periods when an external (usually dominant) power (such as an invading conqueror) forced its culture on the society it captured and defeated – civilizations have been typically compelled to develop in harmony with their peculiar geographic environment. Geographic conditions and climate have shaped the economic lives of societies, which in turn has influenced their cultural output. Civilized societies have learned to take advantage of natural resources available in abundance, and do without things that were generally inessential to healthy and comfortable living.

Although the expansion of trade and the development of technology can and does allow societies to transcend the limitation of local geographic conditions, there can be important impediments and constraints that come with ones geography that cannot be entirely wished away. Moreover, it is important to recognize that cultural developments that are very meaningful in one society may be of lesser significance in other societies due to certain climactic differences. And while some cultural innovations can be adopted with very little variance or adaptation, others may require a much more thoughtful and creative application in a very different setting.

Take for instance, the attitude towards clothes. In warm tropical or semitropical climates, clothes were not essential to survival. Thus clothes were light and involved rudimentary stitching and tailoring. Being bare breasted or being semi-nude wasn't considered a matter of shame or deprivation - but something that was in keeping with the natural environment. Throughout the tropical world, whether in the jungles of the Amazon, or the grasslands of Africa, or the rice paddies of India and South East Asia - light or little clothing was the norm - even when society had the knowledge and know-how to drape itself.

But to invaders from the North - for whom elaborate clothing was no luxury, but a matter of survival and dire necessity - Indian (or African) semi-nakedness came as a shock - on the one hand it appeared to them as a mark of abject poverty and social backwardness - and on the other hand, it challenged deeply internalized moral values where exposure of the naked body was seen as prurient and titillating. Today, throughout the planet, it is the dress-code of the Northerner (with its dark suits, ties and dark leather shoes) that has become the "respectable" norm. That this fully-draped attire is at odds with the Indian (or Indonesian or African climate) and entails an unnecessary level of office air-conditioning is tacitly ignored.

Having to adopt the Northern dress-code is perhaps a relatively small sacrifice. But it is emblematic of a larger problem - that even as post-colonial societies have missed out on some of the most advanced cultural trends that shaped Western civilization, they have nevertheless accepted Western leadership in defining and shaping less critical cultural mores, even when those mores conflict with their natural environment.

Today, it is the unquestioning and mechanistic imitation/adoption of the Western lifestyle that is contributing to new and more serious distortions.

For instance, one of the most important inventions that has propelled urban growth in Europe (and the West) has been the invention of electrically-powered water-intensive indoor plumbing and sewage management. For Europe, where open-air bathing and washing was virtually out of question for much of the year, this was a very significant invention, and led to dramatic gains in urban health and living standards.

Although even in Europe, this involved serious environmental costs (that have yet to be adequately dealt with), it did not lead to the kind of environmental and social stresses seen in India (or in other water and energy-stressed societies). At home (and in the lands they were able to colonize in the Americas or in Australia and Africa) Europeans (or European settlers) did not have to worry about the efficacy of their water and energy intensive urban societies. Possessing lands with plentiful rivers and water from melting snows, and having access to the energy resources of many other small nations, (and having controlled population growth with very restrictive immigration policies where necessary) Europeans have not had to question the sustainability of their present urban solutions.

But in many parts of Africa, the Middle East and India - this Western-developed water (and energy) intensive system of personal hygiene (and agriculture) is putting intense (and unbearable) pressure on local resources in the dry sub-tropics, and to date, has been possible to implement only with grave inequities. In many formerly-colonized nations, a significant proportion of the population enjoys neither the benefits of modern plumbing nor the traditional benefits of nature (as it may have in the past) - when there was much greater access to natural water bodies (which have either been overused, or severely polluted) - or are simply not to be found in the large urban agglomerations that have developed around the old colonial towns.

A related problem is how the elites (and other upwardly mobile sections of society) have also been in a rush to imitate Western housing and transport solutions that are highly energy intensive and are environmentally unsound in the densely-packed hot-climate cities of the Indian and African interior. Although the car offers individuals unparalleled convenience and scheduling liberty - at present, an automobile-based transport system seems sustainable only in a highly unequal world.

The West (where car-ownership is a norm) must constantly plunder and expropriate the oil-wealth of other countries - and countries that are unable to join in the plunder (or in fact, have been victims of plunder) can provide the automobile only to a small fraction of their populations - and that too at great cost to air-quality.

(Car-based transport also requires wide cemented roads that turn into heat traps - not a problem in cold countries - but a serious added burden in the already sizzling cities of the Indian plains. Large roads also mean that homes must be built relatively further apart, whereas traditionally, homes in the towns of Northern India (such as can be seen in Rajasthan) were built relatively closer so as to limit exposure to the hot summer sun.)

Western cities with their broad avenues certainly look very attractive, and they work admirably for the Northern climate, but they can be extremely discomforting at the height of the Indian summer. The net result is that barring the few who can afford the air-conditioned car - most Indians must live with a solution that isn't ideal for Indian conditions.

It is the same with modern housing. Whereas traditional builders in Iran and in the Indian (or Arab) plains utilized special techniques to keep homes cool in the hot summers (such as cooling towers in Iran, or double walls and shaded inner courtyards in India and elsewhere), modern town planners and architects have discarded many sensible cultural traditions only to make urban living require more energy-intensive artificial cooling.

Although there has been no dearth of alternatives to the Western urban model in India, these models have either not been given a fair chance, or else, they have yet to prove their viability in large urban settings, nor do they seem to offer the same degree of convenience that Western solutions have provided. In addition, Indian town planners have been generally poorly trained, and at best, have only imitated and improvised. Rarely have they been able to innovate or harmonize their schemes with the peculiarities of the Indian environment.

By and large, it must be acknowledged that Indian municipal architects, construction engineers and planners have yet to make any substantial or original contributions to modern living that can be economically reproduced on a massive scale even as they offer qualitative improvements in living conditions that fit with Indian climactic patterns.

Urban Indians (especially those with means) want all the comforts that the West has to offer, but they don't wish to consider the cost that it may entail, or the constraints that might apply in the Indian situation. So even as India has been liberated from the most extreme injustices of colonial plunder, power is now in the hands of an Indian elite that has unwittingly entered into a complicated trap - where if it is to live well - and "enjoy" modern comforts using Western solutions - it can only do so in a way that ignores the needs of the Indian masses (and essentially disenfranchises them).

In this sense, unthinking elite-driven "Westernization" even after the political termination of direct colonial rule in an unequal society, has the potential of turning into a divisive and perhaps destructive process - pitting the elites against the broad masses not only in India, but in much of the developing world.

It is little wonder that this process of "Westernization" (in terms of lifestyles) is generally accessible only to the English-speaking elite which is becoming strongly averse to any equalizing currents in society. And for that reason, it is also becoming incapable of leading any real cultural regeneration of modern society.

Even as this assertive elite eagerly seeks to imitate Western consumerism, it has little interest in learning from the best of Western philosophy and high culture (such as embodied in the music of Mozart's late symphonies, Beethoven's Eroica, the piano (and/or orchestral) scores of Chopin, Liszt, Schumann or Brahms, the ballet music of Tchaikovsky or Khachaturian, or sections from the operatic scores of Berlioz, Verdi, or Wagner).

As is typical in many other nations, the Indian elite appears to be less and less attracted to high culture - (whether Indian, or foreign), but more and more drawn towards all things vulgar and profane. And rather than seek alternatives that could make things fairer for all Indians, middle-class admirers of the Indian elite prefer to simply look the other way.

Whether in theory or in practice, the Indian elite has exclusively embraced the business of business - it can crunch numbers, it can market and trade, it can hire, train and supervise scientists and engineers - so that they may dutifully serve the needs of foreign investors.

But in its race for profits, the Indian elite is relatively unworried as to whether any particular new technology will ever be effectively used in India, or will ever be generally available to the Indian masses. It is unperturbed by the co-existence of all manner of contradictions: the shiny new glass and chrome office adjacent to a pathetic slum - the new Mercedes Benz next to the stray cow or mangy dog - the gala wedding banquet overlooking a heap of garbage (or uncollected construction rubble) piled high against the next wall - - the imported cologne and perfume shop adjacent to open drains overflowing with untreated sewage - the privatized electric company that has automated billing but inanely bureaucratic record-keeping and manual bill-collection.

In its rush to appear chic and modern, the Indian elite has yet to consider that environments can often matter more than individuals. That fresh air, clean water, reliable water-supply and electricity can all matter more than that fourteenth or fifteenth new car model.

The Indian elite has shown very limited interest in determining if there could be solutions that might ameliorate the perennial problems of water and electricity shortages - especially since developing alternative methods of managing water and generating electricity might require a special focus, and perhaps, some interim sacrifices that some may be unwilling to make.

In contrast, it should be noted that radical egalitarian currents were far more influential in Europe of the colonial era. Europe's greatest philosophers and music composers of the 19th century were driven by a strong sense of egalitarian fairness and justice that had a powerful impact on the social milieu of Europe. Although such currents had little effect in diluting or controlling the European momentum towards imperial expansionism, Europe's advanced cultural intellectuals did however succeed in propelling significant internal social reforms.

In practical terms, this meant that to a much greater degree, new inventions were also put to the service of the masses. If the rich had their private cars, the masses were provided with an extensive system of underground (and over-ground) trains and buses to get around. In addition to food and clothing, home heating and indoor plumbing also came to be seen as basic necessities - and when societies failed to provide them, socialist revolutions (or pressure from socialist parties) ensured that heated homes with running water eventually became available to every working family.

But in the former colonies - liberation has not gone far enough. The urban elites of the former colonies have the same desire for good living as their European counterparts, but without the ability to plunder other lands, or the ability to export and settle their excess populations in other lands, they are in no position to comfortably share the gains of modern technology with their masses.

Having become exceedingly cynical (or pessimistic) that their masses could ever enjoy the comforts of modern living - the intellectual elites have generally turned their backs on philosophies of progressive social change. And even amongst those that appear to give lip service to one or another type of radical position, there are many who do so in a way that is subversive to the point of making the radical currents they claim to avow - irrelevant, impotent or just plain unpopular. (This is not to say that there are no real votaries of social change in India or elsewhere. But at present, they are yet to make any lasting impression on the urban scientific and cultural intelligentsia).

Even the few environmental groups who have found cost-effective and relatively environment-friendly alternatives to pressing urban problems face difficulties in getting sufficient attention. While some of their alternatives appear practical only in villages and in smaller towns, there are things that could be implemented on a much wider scale. City governments could make water-harvesting structures and solar units for water heating, purifying and lighting mandatory in all new building; the centre could provide more research funding and practical support for wind and other energy alternatives; state governments could encourage bio-fuel plantations and emphasize mass transit.

For instance, in Africa - (where there is much more land per capita than in India), it is likely that if bio-fuels were developed to their full potential, they could provide enough energy to power all the buses required for urban transportation. Wind and solar power have considerable potential in sparsely populated arid regions of sub-Saharan Africa. An enlightened Indian government could try and interest African countries in suitable joint ventures that could be of mutual benefit.

But one of the greatest tragedies of colonization (that has only been exacerbated in the last few years) is the almost complete breakdown of social solidarity - both within nations, and between nations.

Colonization succeeded through the cultivation of local elites who could make a complete break with almost all prior social obligations. Such elites were trained to be loyal to colonial goals - but disloyal to their fellow citizens. They were encouraged to focus on just their own narrow self-interest, and that too in a very sectarian and individualistic manner.

This is not to say that sectarian currents were absent in pre-colonial societies. Caste and religion have the potential of developing along strongly sectarian lines, and it cannot be denied that many older societies (India included) have been plagued by the ills of social segmentation and stratification. But it is also notable how such divisions were cynically exploited by the colonial authorities, and were exacerbated by colonial rule.

It is especially important to note how in the past, some of India's most enlightened currents have stressed the interconnectedness of human existence and emphasized the relationship between individual happiness and collective social consciousness:

Take for instance this shloka from the Atharva Veda:

All have equal rights to food and water. The yoke of life is placed equally on the shoulders of all. All should live together in harmony, supporting one another like the spokes of the wheel in a chariot that connect its rim to the hub.

Or consider these two Buddhist quotations:

But, today, especially because of the American influence, the Indian elite and its many supporters have conveniently forgotten India's roots in a once more collective tradition.

Although it was inevitable that notions of collective solidarity would become severely eroded with the development of caste, class and other sectarian elites, the notion of inter-connectedness survived to some degree. Today, however, the only social value that some liberal sections in the elite are willing to accept is the notion of abandoning sectoral discrimination - such as that which arises from religion, or gender.

Yet even as some appear to recognize that the society of tomorrow must not discriminate in the old ways - the will to change is still weak - and there is insufficient social pressure on those that use the weight of past privileges to violate the precepts of equal access, and equal justice. Even as many may accept that in principle Indian society must offer equal opportunity to every child in India - there does not appear to be the political will to reshape society in a way that actually delivers on such a promise.

Instead, Indians (as in other English-speaking nations) are treated to a daily dose of hype by much of India's English language and vernacular press. IT "superpower", BPO "leader", "India Shining", and all manner of other childlike superlatives are employed to describe the Indian condition - as if to compensate for a reality that is far more drab, discomforting and distressing.

India may well "Shine" one day. But it is all too clear that such a day is far down the horizon. It may arrive when the Indian nation is able to provide each child with the same opportunity to a decent and fulfilling existence. It may arrive when genuine hard work and worthwhile social contribution begets fair and just rewards - that might be the day when someone might legitimately claim that "India was Shining". Until then, such slogans will reflect nothing more than political hype - cheap election stunts - that will be perceived as insincere bluster by the millions of Indians who suffer all manner of deprivations and indignities in their daily existence.

But unfortunately, the mainstream Indian press is nothing but a reflection of the sorry state of mainstream Indian culture - where making false promises is the order of the day. Whether it is the politician pretending to be honest and different, or the activist who promises to change the world, or the businessperson promising better value - the lack of sincerity is distressingly evident.

It is little wonder that it has become a challenge to find new Indian artists with a sense of beauty, or Indian pop singers with a genuine sense of melody. There is hardly a young cine-world singer who can remain in tune while attempting to sing something poignant and moving. Many things can be feigned - political speech is especially vulnerable to deceit and deception - but humbuggery in the fine arts is much harder to hide. The artist who lacks a sense of fine line and color - or the musician who can't compose a touching melody - or the singer who has a hard time holding a sensitive tune - these are all unmistakable symptoms of an India in severe cultural decline or denial.

Yet, there are also small signs of hope - and these are to be found not in the most expensive galleries of Delhi or Mumbai or in the Bollywood extravaganzas - but in the humble craft Melas where one can get a little glimpse of honest ingenuity. It is in the creations of the Jaipur jeweler or potter, or the Madhubani artist from Bihar, or the Adivasi sculptor of iron and bell-metal from Jharkhand or Chhattisgarh, or the Batik or block printer from Kerala or Rajasthan, or the Kalamkari artist from Karnataka or Andhra, or the embroidery-maker from Kutch - that art in India appears to come alive.

It is such artists and artisans who hold the torch for Indian culture. From Kashmir to Tamil Nadu - from Haryana to Assam- it is India's humble craftspeople who still embody hints of a wonderful aesthetic spirit - it is they who still retain their integrity. The Indian elites may no longer have much to say, but India's village craftspeople still have something important and worthwhile to say. Who will open their hearts and minds and listen?

Related Links:

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Human Welfare, Economic Development and Civilized Society

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Last updated: Mar 5, 2004