So Many Questions – So Little Time

Question Round #3 by Ron Pompei

Dear reader and Ron.
The third question I answer from the beach of Palolem in south of Goa. I have gone out of town, Mumbai, for the weekend as my mother, Jane and my sister, Sarah came down from Copenhagen last week.
On the beach I have discussed the three interesting questions from you, Ron, with Jane who is an inspiring and experienced woman. She is a good observer and her fresh eyes gave me another perspective of India and what we are all curious to learn and understand.

I had to chose one out of the three questions – so little time…
I chose the question where I felt I had the information at my fingertips:

Will India achieve a true global consciousness that recognizes the unique contribution of all cultures?

During the past two months I have experienced nothing but a positive curiosity from the people I have met; which country I am from: what I am doing in India; my culture; what kind of school I go to; how the weather is in Denmark etc. I have experienced this with the business people I’ve been working with and the many people in their networks to whom I have been introduced. Also the waiters in the restaurants I eat, the english-speaking taxi drivers and the women on the beach selling their jewelry and saris. Generally Indians have a natural interest in learning about new cultures in other parts of the world. The country’s history and geographical location may have something to do with this. It looks both east and west to find inspiration; politically, economically, religiously and culturally.
This is fascinating, though also a bit worrying; when my Indian business partner and friend tells me how he has experienced being turned away from a restaurant while they allowed white people to enter and the fact that the most sold cosmetic product in India is fairing product – for bleaching the skin. In India there is obviously a racism towards Indians and some prestige and status in being white. White is power?

Regarding the contribution of cultures within India: this country has struggled for centuries under the rule of several different foreign powers, as well as the ancient cast system, countless numbers of languages, dialects and religions which even today continue to divide the people. So it is little wonder that they find it difficult to be confident of their own identity. However, in this multicultural society there are lessons in tolerance and diversity that the west could well do to learn.

Looking at west today, past and present, I find precious few examples of achievements in the field of true global consciousness that also recognizes the unique contribution of all cultures?

The West has a tendency to look down on other cultures, not acknowledging the beauty of diversity. In my own country, Denmark, Dansk Folkeparti (The Danish Party) is a good example. A steadily growing political party whose politics express the shocking principle, ‘Denmark for the Danes’!  In their opinion, nobody from ‘the outside’ should be allowed to influence Danish culture and traditions. And they call this ‘tolerance’ which was a core value they used in a big campaign just a few months ago.

The war against terror is another example of how western people and government are shit scared of the outsiders with different culture and insights -  they work on getting everybody to feel scared together with them – and airport security is a joke. Thank-you, West for making us feel safe!

I see India trying to keep up with the rest of the world in the arms race. India spends far more money on building military defense, including developing nuclear weapons, than building a better social system for the billions of poor people suffering. Along with India’s economic growth emerges the threat of a new superpower, and it is mutual. Nationalism is unavoidable. Everybody wants a piece of the growing economy-cake of India and everybody knows it. The nationalistic ruling parties and a common wish for one leader to bring the country together to make it stronger. An Indian Hitler, as the next leader, I heard a young Indian man say.

So what will it take for India, along with the rest of the world, to achieve a true global consciousness that recognizes the unique contribution of all cultures? Time, education and enlightenment – I think!  Bringing the world together with all its diversity, in peace and harmony takes time and more people like the majority of Indians, the Kaospilots, Amrit Gangar, my mother, Sarah, you and I. The world will be a better place.

Enlightenment in the west, about India is, in my opinion, every bit as important as educating India about to so-called developed world in the west.