Group Discussion Contest : February 9th To 17th February 2012

@Sandhya

Wearing dhotis per se is neither a symbol of lack of modernity as Mr. Chidambarm would vouch for me- nor wearing trousers necessarily confirms one to be very modern in his thoughts and actions!!

I am saying about the convenience of using pants and shirts (not about symbol of modernity) My father still uses only dhoti, no pants :) . Sure, pants and modern dresses are more convenient to use, than dhoti and sari. So, we accept their dress code. If we are able to bring such good changes in us, why are we finding fault in dedicating a day for our loved ones?? That's what I am asking.

As I mentioned earlier, there is nothing wrong adapting to things, which are good in any culture weather dress, habits or manners, and leaving the bad even if those are part of our own. This is a global village now, this world and narrow thinking would not take us any far.
Why, even the language we are using here is not our own but we are doing it. Where do you think we would stand today if we had stuck to some of our own traditions alone? DO NOT think for a moment our traditions are not good but if we must compete with modern day world, we shall have to flexible and adapt good parts education, from wherever we get it
I know there are many countries in the world that use their own languages, cultures, education systems and products. However, they too are open to any thing good when it comes to accepting good things with open arms.

sandhya you are right. When we are opting other culture in wearing modern dresses, using modern good and celebrating newyear, mothers day , fathers day and all then why cannot we celebrate valentines day. Most of the people are opposing it. In andhra if sevasena people find any couple going out on valentines day they are performing their marriage. This is really bad. Loving others is not compulsary to marry them know. I realy oppose for this kind of behavior of BJP people

Our Indian society can't accept relations before marriage. I think, this is the main reason for this kind of behavior.

According to western culture, they don't stand still in one relation. One person can have more than 1 affair at the same time also. Indians can't accept this. I think, many fear that, while imitating such celebrations of west, people may also try to accept western culture...ie......easy breakups and also accepting more than one person in life

Also due to the infidelity of western relationships, many elders of India can't find this day, true expression of love.They think, it is only a fake. That may also be one of the reasons why they are protesting it.
What do you say? I want your opinion also.

Marriage as an institution in India has survived in India so long because of its belief in the purity of relationship which our ancestors quite wisely thought to be an essential ingredient in the stability of our society.So we need not look to Western models here.After all what it has given to us - divorce,broken homes,cruels lives for their children turning to drugs and other forms of destructive addiction.A stable marital relationship demands some degree of self discipline and sacrifice on the part of both.A relationship which is devoid of love,trust and honour is destined to end.And there could not be any two opinions on it! A divorce is and ideally should be the last choice but a walk- out based on use and throw or breaking relations at the drop of a hat is the contribution of the West! Promiscuity in marital relationship too a great extent has been the gift of the West.

India has greatly benfitted from its culture and broad outlook from time immemorial by adopting and adapting to new ideas.If I am to remember what Gurudev Rabindra Nath Tagore termed 'India' as the great ocean of humanity! One need not bring any artifical yardstick of old or new in terms age in deciding this debate.What is clear to an intelligent young is equally clear to an elderly old! Whatever is good would stay and whatever is bad would be forced to go by Father Time!!

Love in life is such vital process that it counts and matters in every moment of our lives and while its presence makes our moments so lovable and lives so worth-living that it's open to debate if any particular day of the year may be celebrated when life itself is celelbration of love!Unfortunately commercial forays into domains of some of our most sacred and pure pleasures have made things appear a little bloated!!

That exactly is the point, you see while this day was not popular here in our country a couple of years back, we were still loving our relations according to their merits. We were still considered as most loving and caring people in the world. Just what do we think has been changed since the day has taken over as love/heart day symbol. This is greeting cards and chocolates those have replaced our traditional gifts pattern and the way we are showing-off is total amazing, for me at least. But I am sure I shall also be used to such shows as I have become to rest of them all.

Traditional Indian culture does not allow male or female to express their love for each other openly in public. If someone do so, they are considered as immoral or indesciplined people.
Presently, Indian culture has moved much forward. Indians are no longer considered as backward or mean. We have started adopting western culture and traditions. Many Indians obviously prefer to live like their ancestors. However to some extent they are also habituated with western culture too.
Valentine's Day is popular in foreign countries. This day has become famous in India also. Love is such an emotional expression which people can't hide or avoid it. If we can express our love to our lover on anniversaries then we can also express our love on Valentine's Day. Many people take their lovers out for dating or loves to enjoy party, etc. People exchange gifts and roses. Red rose is the only flower which is the symbol of love and passion. Demand for rose increases on this day. One day to express and feel love can be enough for us to spend whole year with lots of duties and hard work in this busy world.
According to me, V-Day must be celebrated by all lovers in the world.

Indians celebrate World woman's day, May day, Friendship day, Father's day, Mother's day and of course Fool day :laugh: . Then what is the problem with this 'Valentine's day' only?
Is it because, according to Indian culture, most parents or family don't allow their children to have lovers and they want them to be settled with arranged marriages only? I think this is the reason why so many are there to protest this day, in the name of love.
I think if it was named as a husband_wife day, then nobody will find a problem with this.
What do you say?

More things to say. But let anyone say his opinion on this point. :)

Sandhya, on Valentine's Day, husband can express his love to his wife or vice versa. There is no rule book or law which says that you can't enjoy this day with your wife and person should be unmarried or single. Yes I agree many families are against celebration of V-Day, the reason behind this is to remind their son and daughter, their limits before marriage. Afterall they are Indians. One should not forget their identity, culture and caste.

Indians celebrate World woman's day, May day, Friendship day, Father's day, Mother's day and of course Fool day :laugh: . Then what is the problem with this 'Valentine's day' only?
Is it because, according to Indian culture, most parents or family don't allow their children to have lovers and they want them to be settled with arranged marriages only? I think this is the reason why so many are there to protest this day, in the name of love.
I think if it was named as a husband_wife day, then nobody will find a problem with this.
What do you say?

More things to say. But let anyone say his opinion on this point. :)

Sandhya, on Valentine's Day, husband can express his love to his wife or vice versa. There is no rule book or law which says that you can't enjoy this day with your wife and person should be unmarried or single. Yes I agree many amilies are against celebration of V-Day, the reason behind this is to make them remember their limits before marriage. Afterall they are Indians. One should not forget their identity, culture and caste.

With due respect Devyani, the scenario is changing fast in our country as well especially in the cities where I live mostly these days, Delhi and Bangalore. There is no such thing as parents making any restrictions on their children regarding mixing up freely and celebrating the way they prefer. So that is not an issue any more.

Discussion has passed that point Devu.....
A lot more things have talked after that also. We have passed Sivasena's objection points also, a few hours back. Have you not reached there yet? :laugh:

What we call a 'global culture' is a shapeless mass! It's extremely important to know who are driving this so-called culture.Multi-nationals,trans-nationals which are creating a consumerist society and these corporations have made their banks sick.If one cares to look at the genesis of the current economic trumoil of Europe,my point would clear and validated.Mercifully,our banks have survived this crisis,thank god, these have not followed the so-called Western model.Many may raise their eye-brows as to what it has to do with Valentine Day.My answer is that it is an apt silencer to those who jump headlong into whatever bears a foreign tag!!

Can you explain it something more? i can't get all of its ideas.

Can you explain it something more? i can't get all of its ideas.

what I feel sandhya he simply says that if the valentines day is getting all this popular this is due to multinationals like cadbuxxxx and archxxx are making their all out aggressive marketing campaigns to sell more. Without they doing this, this would not have become so popular and then all this makes consumer spend more. This lavish spending is making financial health of people and countries ill.

Every businessman is selling his product. Even the Indian private banking sector is not aiming to help or serve people. They want to sell their products to earn profit to their company. Many insurance policies are introduced by different banks, saying, to help its customers. But what actually happening is, they hide many of their taxes in the first premium itself, thus company getting its profit in the first term itself. That's all.
I know it well because my husband is a private bank employee and he knows how to sell his products :laugh: :laugh:

So how can be blame foreign companies like archies only? :whistle:

@Sandhya

My reference to European debt crisis which was preceded by subprime mortgage issues in the USA was obviously indicative of a crisis in culture in these parts of the globe to which a section of Indian people always look for inspiration.The crisis was so grave that even the President of the USA had to blame the greed and lack of morality of these corporates!!! The Indian culture always advised moderation and temperance.We already see how some notable European nations are being forced to pay the price of living beyond their means.It doesn't look like Greek which produced the phiosopher of the calibre of Socrates,ironically is at the centre of this crisis,would be free from this life-threatening crisis before another few decades!

As I have repeatedly maintaining that there is absolutely anything irrational- in fact it is perfectly rational - to be open on receiving and adopting,adapting and finally assimilating any custom,practice,idea or whatever it is.And our country is a living proof of this composite culture.What one has to guard against is uncritical and aping acceptance.If our early generations wore dhotis or ate something ,those were all shaped up by climatic suitability and rational considerations.

I agree to Mr. Chinmoy's view that the multinationals promote the occasions like Valentine Day for commercial purposes. Valentine Day has not been adopted in natural course but artificially boosted by advertising and printing industry. In fact, even the traditional festivals like Rakhsha Bandhan and Karwa chauth are commercialized.

I agree to Mr. Chinmoy's view that the multinationals promote the occasions like Valentine Day for commercial purposes. Valentine Day has not been adopted in natural course but artificially boosted by advertising and printing industry. In fact, even the traditional festivals like Rakhsha Bandhan and Karwa chauth are commercialized.

Yes Sir.
Let me quote something more.
Let us see a festival season and we are going to a temple, church or mosque. What will we see more? Religious ceremonies or small shops????
People will be more concentrated in buying things rather than praying and watching ceremonies. Isn't it? i.e. Even our sacred places are not free from the hands of 'profit making businesses'. Am I right?
Another example relating to this. You all know Attukal is famous for its Pongala where more than 3 million women gathers every year, on that day, at capital city of Kerala. If we go there before the festival season, streets will be calm. But as soon as the 10 day ceremony starts, we can see 100's of beggars in every street leading to the temple, most of them don't have even legs and hands(both).
At early morning itself, we can see them sitting on roadsides near temple. But at night, we can't see even a single beggar wandering around. How it happens????? Large business groups are there, who import beggars for this special occasion. At night, they will carry them back.
What I am saying is, even God has not been left alone :laugh:

Friends celebrations are done to make near and dear ones happy. Just to do so, we find out reasons and starts celebrating. This millenium is business era. Businessmen are looking for more and more profits and wide spread business. Being human beings, we can't avoid all as we live in society. How do we celebrate? What do we celebrate? Such question hardly matters. It depends on us. Few people care for what society will think.
Friends, with rise in abnormal price level, people has grown habbits of earning more and more, any how. Everything becomes economical.
A simple couple would prefer to enjoy V-Day as simple as possible while others would prefer to party hard all night.
According to the topic of discussion, V-Day should be celebrated by people in the way they feel the best. It has nothing to do with society, nationality and customs.

I agree to Mr. Chinmoy's view that the multinationals promote the occasions like Valentine Day for commercial purposes. Valentine Day has not been adopted in natural course but artificially boosted by advertising and printing industry. In fact, even the traditional festivals like Rakhsha Bandhan and Karwa chauth are commercialized.

Yes Sir.
Let me quote something more.
Let us see a festival season and we are going to a temple, church or mosque. What will we see more? Religious ceremonies or small shops????
People will be more concentrated in buying things rather than praying and watching ceremonies. Isn't it? i.e. Even our sacred places are not free from the hands of 'profit making businesses'. Am I right?
Another example relating to this. You all know Attukal is famous for its Pongala where more than 3 million women gathers every year, on that day, at capital city of Kerala. If we go there before the festival season, streets will be calm. But as soon as the 10 day ceremony starts, we can see 100's of beggars in every street leading to the temple, most of them don't have even legs and hands(both).
At early morning itself, we can see them sitting on roadsides near temple. But at night, we can't see even a single beggar wandering around. How it happens????? Large business groups are there, who import beggars for this special occasion. At night, they will carry them back.
What I am saying is, even God has not been left alone :laugh:

@Sandhya

In the name of God so many things were done,are done and will be done.Perhaps no part of the world is free from it.There were times in our history which is termed 'Dark Ages' when religion degenerated itself into instruments or devices to promote sectarian causes on caste,creed and so on. Ultimately a few saints and sages burst on the scene and saved things for us. I have vivid memories of how things were at a pilgrimage centre as I spent some years of my childhood.And my aversion to ritualistic organised religion grew from my experinces as a kid!

Here again we,the people, have to awaken ourselves to the immoral and shady activities of some of our fake gurus!

Today being the concluding,time has come to offer my concluding comments.As has been observed by many I join them in my approval that there is nothing intrinsically in merit not to accept any positive,beneficial,enriching ideas irrespective of their sources.If Swami Vivekanada enriched and extended the cultural boundaries of the globe so did Sister Nivedita ( Margaret Nobel- his disciple). Mother Teresa defined and redefined what service to humanity is.If Sir Albert Einstein invented the theory of relativity,Prof.S.N.Bose helped him to develop it! So cultural exchanges and interactions are bright features of a thriving civilization.

Love as I already described to be the truest of all emotions but I don't believe this lofty concept stands on physical beauty alone or any expectations to be requited with paraphernalia of glittering cards and expensive gifts- If St Valentine is the latest in the pantheon of God of love I have nothing more or less to say! If this day truly inspires love- not an emotion which is purely driven by carnal desires and ends before it blooms to its full glory! Love has been celebrated in our literature,religious works and folklore and we have icons,legends in good measure and if still one looks beyond that's perfectly in order sans vulgarity and undesirable media blitz promoting crass commercialization.

Thank you all and here I conclude!

Good summation Chinmoy! Come on guys, today's the last day of discussion, post your concluding views quickly!

Good summation Chinmoy! Come on guys, today's the last day of discussion, post your concluding views quickly!

I did read every comment posted by ChinmayJi on this thread and I do agree with him on almost every point. That in fact is the best observation of the things going around these so called 'days' marketing strategies is the only driving force behind all these 'days' getting so popular so fast.