Local Culture and Why it is loosing ground.

The following idea took its concrete shape in a discussion with my dear friend Nazish Bin Sadruddin on the 20 May, 2004. Nazish usually expresses his reservations about my ideas, which probes me to think even more clearly and come up with responses to his reservations. But on this occasion he did not have any reservations, which was surprising and encouraged me to pen down this idea, before I forgot it in the routines of everyday life. I don’t think I have heard or read this before, but the absolute simplicity (read common sense) of the argument leads me to think that most probably it might have been thought of and expressed before me (as this is what has been happening to me all my life). Anyways, enough of the introduction crap, lets get to the idea straight.


There are few civilizations in the world, which can boast, of 4000-5000 years of history behind them. This long history gives birth to a culture, which is essentially the best practices, drawn over the thousands of years of trial and error experiences. Techniques for survival as well as preparing accessories are developed crudely first, but then undergo improvement for thousands of years. These tend to be essentially local in nature, as they were developed in the local context, addressing the local needs, using the locally available resources. Some however might have been brought to other areas through travelers (traders, soldiers and slaves etc). But many might not have been feasible in the new environment because of the different conditions as well as the difference in the materials as well as the different need or motivation behind the technique. Many might have evolved to suit the local environment.

Take the example of the local farming methods or even crops. Or maybe the techniques for starting a fire, or desert survival (e.g. Apache Indians in South America). (One or two case studies here would provide greater insight).

We see today that the value of culture, especially in societies with a rich cultural history, is fast declining. I believe one of the major reasons for this debacle is that the advent of the global media and a powerful Western notion of “modernity” have quite drastically changed the local (especially perceived) conditions. There have been changes in the climatic and physical (e.g. preferred diet) conditions as well, which in the first place gave birth to this culture. Thus as the pre-conditions which begot the culture and were essential for its survival are gone, so does this seem to be an alien or archaic culture. It is just as a fresh water fish has some how been conditioned to live in a salty environment (the salt being the values and concepts originating from the other influencing cultures), now finds the fresh water environment alienating.

Take the example of the western imposed modern culture throughout the world. Today from Rome, to Athens, to Calcutta to Beijing to Tanzania to Lahore; Coca Cola and Mc Donalds are household names. The preferred daily apparel of most middle and upper middle class youth is jeans………

The question whether the past few generations undergoing this change (that is forgoing their culture in favor of a highly “modern” culture) in response to this change in the environment is a bane or a boon still remains to be answered. The proponents would argue that the local culture itself was an answer to the prevailing conditions, and as the prevailing environment has changed, the current generation is very well adapting to the new enviornment