In an interview Anita Desai observed that Indians move back and forth between the ancient and the modern with great ease.
I have observed men and women who hold liberal views on life, quite modern in their outlook, but relied on traditional devices to cope with the pressures of living.
The Indians living in the West, primarily those in America, sorely miss the divine invocations in their daily life. Before undertaking a project, a job or moving into a new house, for example, they need to perform a pooja, the ceremonial offering of prayers following all the rites it entails. The priests come over from India, all expenses paid for by the community there, and perform the necessary rituals in accordance with the traditions. Hundreds of gallons of milk flow down the drain while propitiating the Gods and the educated Indian, expatiating tirelessly over poverty and lack of opportunities in India, does all that without a twinge of conscience.
When troubles occur in the family or in the workplace, where they are unable to get along with spouse, children or colleagues, they turn to the family soothsayer or the latest popular fortuneteller who mediates with the Gods in their favour and asks them to wear a goodluck ring, eat the sacred ash mixed in food, or chant a prayer daily at a certain time of the day. The tarrot cart reader, the palmist, the face reader or the interpreter of horoscope - all these and more of their kind abound in India, accessible to all and sundry at little or no fee. They are consulted by the family members on behalf of their sons and daughters and brothers and sister living abroad. Much waiting precedes the revelation of fortune and much communication follows it as it is conveyed across the globe. Sanctified ash or prasad (sweets made sacred by the priest) from the favorite or popular temple are air-mailed after the ritual offerings of prayers and money to the Gods.
Compact Disks replaced the printed text of the sacred Sanskrit chants of the Vedas. As English is used everywhere, from education through workplace to reading and writing, it is not possible for Indians living overseas to read in their Indian tongue. It is easy for them to hear it chanted over a record player, even if they are ignorant of its meaning. A recorded voice is as good as a live one, though they always prefer a living voice in real time assisting them while performing the rite. But time and non-availability of priests limit and confine their religiosity.
Their modernity is also a little mixed up, not just with the traditions, but somewhat skewed by their awe of the Western way of life. While in India they point out the lack of clean facilities, the mad rush on the roads, the disorganized way in which life is lived here; they talk about the law enforcement abroad, the great cities and the opportunity for aquiring wealth and living decently. Here is there is poverty, corruption, lax laws, overcrowded streets, insensitivity and utter disregard of others. There it is fast cars, fast foods, fast rise in income levels, wide and clean roads, machines that do most of the work and allow more leisure to their owners, and above all they all speak English, still a sign of literacy and good education to millions in India. Modernity is wearing latest fashion, amassing wealth, enjoying the pleasures of life easily without a bad conscience, aquiring possessions and working in MNCs, speaking and living like the natives.
But all that does not guarantee a smooth assimilation; there is friction due to the notions of race and cultural differences. So they form communities to redress the inequities, fight for justice, keep ties with the Old World (India) to fall back on in times of crisis and also avowedly to carry on the rich cultural heritage of their glorious and hoary past. Their awe of the western way of life is diminished not an iota, for they made their name, fame and fortune in the promised land.
In spite of the great differences in their manners and way of life between their country of origin and country of choice, they move back and forth with ease. They discard their western garbs for the traditional sari or churidar, leave behind the pasta and the Subwayy for the laddus and poories, eschew their stylized holidays for the pilgrimages, put aside their electronic toys for gossip among the household.
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