India: The Ram Culture …

India is a melting pot of races and cultures. It is likely that due to the diversity of cultural experiences, a unified all pervasive Indian-ness may not be generated or clearly visible. However, due to sharing of a set of cultural experiences at national level, the likelihood of a common behavioral characteristic values which Shri Nehru called as ‘’ Mark or Impress of India’’ can’t be ruled out. Indians have frequently given surprisingly similar characterizations of their outlook to life, attitudes and dispositions, irrespective of their caste, religion or state.

Hindu religion fosters in its people, the characteristics of dependency, non-materialism, and other worldliness. This makes them mild, passive, dependent, and low on aspiration. Need for achievement is not encouraged by Hinduism, which explicitly teaches that the concern for earthly achievements is an illusion. Joint family and caste system have been responsible for ingraining reluctance to take decisions and evade responsibility. Kostler in his book ‘’The lotus and the rabbit’’ held that out of the womb of Indian joint family, only Yes-men could emerge.

The nature of familial interaction develops in a person an acute sense of dependence. The individual shows over-conformity and is overly submissive to parental authority. This minimises the opportunity for personal initiative and inculcate in the individual, a clear sense of subordination to social and religious sanctions. The pattern also typifies the relation political leaders maintain with their followers. Loyalty and conformity are expected and not much emphasis is placed on competency and efficiency. People want to avail power without responsibility. Indian show the preference for personalized relations. People, objects, ideas and relations are arranged in a typical hierarchy in the Indian mindset.

Also Read; Education and Human Values

The Indian psycho-structural conditioning is influenced by religio-philosophical thinking of Hinduism. Samskara interacting with Hindu ideal of moksha evolve a sense of passivity.

Hence its not strange to conclude the cause of Indian laggardness, as far as economic progress is concerned.