[D-TO-D] Whose duty is it anyway?

Few days back in a general coffee table discussion with a friend, a topic came up that whether we will be able to pass our culture, our language etc. to our future generations or not? Whether we will be able to teach them a very basic thing as our own mother tongue or not?

I feel answer to this question is not very simple. Infact, answer lies in the question, that, are we ready to keep our culture alive? Are we ready to take initiative in upholding our family traditions, values, language and culture? And most important do we really feel the need to do so?

According to me, answer to the last question will answer all other questions. If we will feel the need, then first we will ourselves take initiative to learn & explore and then teach & share with our future generations. Four basic things – LEARN, EXPLORE, TEACH & SHARE together make “LETS”. The moment you will feel the need, “LETS” will on its own come the next moment.

If I don’t have respect for my culture, my traditions, my language, it’s obvious that I will never feel the need to pass it on ahead. If I want to teach my kids my language, then how much do I know my language? Or rather how much do I respect my language?

But, is it really important to pass our culture and heritage ahead?

Well I feel YES! It is not only our responsibility, but our moral duty to let our heritage survive. If we let our roots die, then even our downfall will not be far away. We must not refuse to acknowledge the fact that there is bound to be a problem in absence of lack of culture know-how. Rebellious attitude, lashing-out, increasing crime rate etc. are some of the most commonly faced problems.

My teachings tell that, traditions give the ability to take moral values and translate them into concrete actions. I feel it is our duty to showcase our unique culture to our generation next for preservation. We not only need to pass down our culture to the next generation, but also teach them to respect and cherish our past, honor their roots.

I feel the need to pass down the traditions and customs that I have learned from my elders to my generations to come and that is the reason why I follow them so religiously with great respect. I would not like my future generations to grow in an environment of cultural gap. They should not view us as foreigners.

Our traditions are dying today not because the generation next doesn’t want to learn, but because we don’t want to give up a few minutes of our time to teach them about our culture. Due to a lack of devotion to our traditions, a lot of our religious culture is lost. A small insight reveals for us to see what remains of the old culture, what's in it that is still valued because it can still nourish and enrich us. And this insight is the motivation to move ahead.

When it comes to language, I understand that mother tongue may not be used as literacy language, and moreover not knowing mother tongue will not hamper academic or professional growth in anyway. But there are certain things which are above literacy, academics and growth. Speaking own mother tongue gives a sense of belongingness. Moreover, it helps to keep cultural identity and heritage alive.

It's not an easy choice ….. We need to have recognition of the connections we need to share with next generation. We as elders should know what we have to teach and how we teach and they both should be profoundly influenced by our vision of the future. Which means even we need to give our own personal vision of the future much conscious thought.

Even though we observe the world changing all around us, but our instincts still tell us to think and act as if the future will be pretty much like the past … and as if our own personal experience will provide a useful guide for our children and our students.

It is important for our children to understand the past.

I don’t deny the fact that it is all the more essential for us to teach children about the world of the future… the world in which they will live 50 years from now. But, it's even more important that they understand the world in which they are living today and about the past world that has formed the basis of the present world. Past forms the basis of a strong future. One can’t master vocabulary without knowing alphabets. Designs & Architectures of the buildings may change, but placement of foundation never changes.

If we say that we don’t want to pass on our heritage ahead implies that we don’t appreciate our own life and so do not want to see it getting reflected.

To conclude I would say that learning & then teaching our culture and our heritage to future generation is nothing but a blend of somber reflection and celebration for the future. It will be recognition to our older generations, a salute to their teachings and valuable souvenir of the generations to come.

Choice is completely ours – a true life or a superficial life??