TRADITION VS. MODERNITY

Once our English lecturer conducted a debate on the topic- TRADITION vs. MODERNITY ’, and the never ending tug of war between the old and the new the past and the present, was brought to the fore yet again. Surprisingly more and more students rather most of them were in the favour of TRADITION. Hey! Don’t get me wrong, I’m not against the TRADITION but still feel that MODERNITY is better. I feel that what we require is a perfect blend of both TRADITION and MODERNITY. I wanted to show how modern age is not as bad as everybody perceive and that TRADITION is not as perfect as is the prejudice. So this is what I said when my turn came:-

Hello friends I am here to support, the new, the present, I m here to support MODERNITY. But before entering into the debate proper I would like to clear the meanings of the two key words involved. According to oxford dictionary:

TRADITION…. Passing of beliefs or customs from one generation to the next, especially without writing, any long established method or practice etc.
MODERNITY…. Being of the present or recent times, of contemporary style of art, fashion etc., especially one that is experimental and not traditional.

And now that we are lucid with the exact meaning of both TRADITION and MODERNITY, let me take you all a few centuries back and present an example that poignantly explains that we in modern age are much more happier than our ancestors –
Had mankind chosen TRADITION over MODERNITY we would’ve still been stuck with the age old belief that earth is flat and that the sun revolves around earth and not that it round and revolves around sun as Galileo had discovered and propounded. It is also a well established fact that the acceptance of a new idea over an age old belief comes with a painful price. In the instance sited Galileo for attempting to spread his then radical (now rational) ideas had to pay a heavy price- indeed his life.
Human history is beset with numerous instances when long held beliefs have shackled enterprise and progress, hindered path breaking thought, and stunted development. We in India are beset by several, social evils which continued to escape elimination and are still rampant even today in large parts of our country, primarily because sizeable sections of society still cling onto them in the name of TRADITION. To name a few- the caste system still being very much in vogue, the occasional news we hear of the barbaric practice of sati, the horrific system of dowry and bride burning, baseless superstitions, the utterly inhuman practice of untouchability – are all results of our society’s stubborn resistance to change and refusal to accept reforms.
Advances made over the years in science and other realms of knowledge have greatly contributed not only to the material progress but also to the alleviation of human misery. Thus I think we can attribute such progress to MODERNITY as opposed to TRADITION.
The key stone of MODERNITY as I understand is logic. A questioning attitude a probing mind and an eternal quest for knowledge are, I believe the fountainheads from which MODERNITY springs forth. MODERNITY has brought tolerance towards acceptance of views even if they don’t match with ours and rationality in thoughts, in deed, and in action.
Today women are not confined to the four walls of kitchen, today girls are not only equaling but even bettering boys in all walks of life, female feticide and infanticides have decreased if not eradicated. Every body is free, be it a Brahmin or a dalit everybody is equal according to modern constitution. All this has happened because people have started realizing the importance of MODERNITY. Lets hope that soon all other ill elements of the society are also eliminated not just virtually but actually. And this can happen only if we stop adhering to our TRADITION so seriously, start thinking liberally and start moving with the time….......