The Transforming Traditions of India

Keralam , the Gods own Country is known for its traditional and cultural high values. There are times when you say that you are from India or from Kerala, the listeners appraise your home state a lot without even you do any marketing. Yes this is the place where all the religions have their freedom to live like humans and contribute to the community. They celebrate Onam , Christmas , Vishu, Easrter, Ramdan, Id and respect each other. There are traditional and religious values to each of these festivals. They have their own identity. There are traditional dances like Bharathanaattiyam , Mohiniyaattam, Koodiyaattam, Margam Kali, Thiruvaathira Kali etc.

Being an Indian, and a Keralite, it was heart aching to watch one of the TV award shows yesterday. India is known for its traditional and cultural high values. This TV channel ,competing with others in the region has been telecasting many popular shows across the Globe. Started more than a decade ago , its growth and global coverage is tremendous. Above 2 years I have been watching how this Private Television channel is evolving. They introduced the most popular reality show in India an year back and have been covering all the sensational and political news everyday. They uncovered many illegal dealings of the ruling governments and the saddening pictures of evacuation processes ordered by Govt bodies and the illegal resorts in the High Range region. I do agree they are doing a great job in all these issues.

But are they really a threat to the Children and youngsters of India and especially children in Kerala? I know many Malayalee NRI's living in Europe , Gulf and the USA send their kids back to home for the sake of teaching the cultural values and the traditions they have inherited from their ancestors at least until the age of 18. Is it a risky business now? Is the transformation to the Indian culture happening too fast? Yes I support the change that is happening and it is needed ! But is that risking the future of our Identity?. There has been a big change in the way the media penetrating to the common public. About 10 -15 yrs back people living in states like Kerala relied mainly Radio and Theatres for their entertainment. And the year around multiple festivals were most awaited by families to have some good time together. But the introduction of TV in every home in the recent years changed the scenario. Now Festivals are commercialised. The Festival season is the best time to have quick bucks for big brands and TV channels. TV channels influenced people a lot in the form of months and years long Mega Serials, Chat Shows, Music and Film Festivals. As more and more people inclined to private channels the broadcasters reaped the benefits and kept the National Channel like Doordarshan out of the sight. But I think it is a scary situation now and these profit oriented channels are gripping the youngsters of Kerala and India as a monster. Their ultimate aim is to have complete monopoly in the business they are doing. And they claim that they do it "With Truth, With out Fear, Round the Clock". Yes they do it without fear all the time but do they do it for right intention?. They have Mega Stage shows every week to celebrate some occasion. Earlier years these shows were less frequent and the quality of the programs were reasonably good comparatively.

These years I have been observing that this Channel give much more importance to western culture and promote and do special coverage for Valentines Day and New Year Celebration Parties and even wine toasting. They even have shows to exchange romance filled "Love Messages" and calculate Love Factor. Is this what they are thinking as "Maadhyama Dharmam"? I am not saying that whatever they are telecasting is damaging the culture and tradition. They do have programs to debate most sensitive issues like Aravana Paayasam, Kannur Riots, Illeagal Mining, Global Warming, and Party Conferences.

The focus of this post is to do some eye opening to the above said Channel and other Private Channels telecasting from Kerala. The center point for this is a TV Award Show telecasted by Asianet TV Channel across the globe on March 15, 2008. Their recent Mega Shows from Asianet are very much filled with western and other Bollywood "Masaala" dances. I believe they have started even importing foreign dancers to perform Half Naked or even vulgar dances that is not even appropriate for Kerala or Indian Family Rooms. It is quite strange that the vice president of Asianet Mr.Sreekandan Nair airs a show called "Nammal Thammil" wherein there is a debate on changing cultural values in modern Kerala. I believe he is trying to send a message to the youngsters and the Children in Kerala about the good and bad about adopting western trends and culture through this program. But the Asianet TV Award 2008 was opened by his speech and minutes later I could see a dancer(assume she is from Middle East) performing a form of Belly Dance that longed for 10-15 mins. I thought it was just an attempt by Asianet to show something different to Malayalee who is familiar with Kathakali or Mohiniyaattam. The dancer must have entertained the audience by moving her hips and body for some unfamiliar music played. But that was not it ! Asianet aired the dancer's performance 2 more times during the show later but each time with lesser clothes as if someone from the audience demanded a performance again and again! So are they trying to send this message to the highly literated Keralites that any of the Traditional Dances are no more enjoyed and this new form of Belly Dance or if I say in pure Malayalam "Ariyaattam" or "Nidambaattam" replacing the Mohiniyaattam or Thiruvaathira ??. Alas ! Shame on me if that is the case! I would say that they are bringing back the Cabre Dance of 70's or 80's to our family rooms where in those days they were performed in top rated five star hotels and were enjoyed by certain class of people. I would request Asianet to not to spoil the youngsters of Kerala by exposing them to the alien cultures like this. I recently watched a news Asianet aired , where the culpirit was a Pickle company based in Kerala that distributed packets of pickles with Drugs in the ingredients mainly in stores in the School areas. Thanks for uncovering such a news , but be aware that your Megashows filled with sexuality and nudity would influence more adversely than those pickles the kids and youngsters in Kerala. And no one will dare to send their kids back to home to educate them on Tradition and Culture as there won't be any difference in raising them in West or back at Home. And I am surprised why none of the political parties , incluidng CPM, those who claim as traditionalists, or BJP those who uphold religious and traditional values do not even notice or protest against these type of damaging shows. I remember the protests by Shiv Sena, when a beauty pageant was organised by Amitabh Bachan's ABCL corporation in Bangalore and their enthusiasm to stop the cricket matches between Pakistan and India couple of years ago ! Why there is no one to monitor or regulate any of these shows happening every now and then. Or are the politicians scared of the so called " Media Syndicate" ! Mera Bhaarat Mahaan !!