Of Modern Traditions!!!

In India, there is sometimes a trade-off bewteen tradions and practicality. These trade-offs can cost a lot at times.There is Anger and frustration at the end of it. Is it worth it?

Indian traditions have always been a binding factor. We owe a lot to these traditions. In fact they are the core of our so called Value system. Yet, sometimes the same traditions demand too much of a person. There are two friends of mine. A Man and a woman. Well...yes they were in love with each other and were highly committed. The girl is getting older by "Indian standards" for her marriage. She goes after the guy big time and pressurises him. The guy has an older brother who is still unmarried and this guy cannot get married till his older brother does. What happens next is sadly a common story in India. The Girl gets no further extension from home and the guy cannot get married due to old traditions. Its worse than a Catch-22. They Break up.

Wish parents could understand. Wish the society could. In this case, wish the older brother was sensible and practical enough to make the guy's parents understand that it was okay for his younger brother to get married first. Wish the girl's parents could wait a little longer. But then its never an easy situation with parents always vouching for arranged marriage over love marriage in India. When its love marriage, even the most accomodating parent ceases to budge and give room for practicality.

So whats the solution? I wish I had known. When it comes to marriage,families reunite...families get bigger. You see uncles and aunts you had never seen and spoken to. Huge egos are at stake. The boy and the girl feel as if marriage is the biggest event and the sole purpose why the parents are on this earth. Rest all seems inconsequesntial.

I am a great believer in Indian traditions. I am fsacinated and am in awe of them. The reason being that every tradition has a meaning to it and every individual finds his own element in each. Yet some can change lives for worse. There has to be a point where one needs to thing from the head and not from the heart. I just hope that we the current generation think more pragmatically when required and imbibe the same into the next one.