PANCHAYATI SWARAJ
Second Freedom; when my village becomes self-responsible
SixFreedoms...3Cultural...3.3Traditions
3.3 Traditions
The village must ensure that it upholds and provides continuity for its traditions and at the same time have the flexibility to gel with the present age and times. It must take up those activities that have been transferred through the generations and ensure patronage for them. This includes traditional sports schools, temple festivals, art forms, festival rituals, conflict resolution methods, temple dances, storytelling, dramas and other activities based on the scriptures. Upholding the traditions also relates to the values a village cherishes with respect to a host of things like marriage customs, the elderly, women, children, spouses, teachers, guests, monks, government agents, etc. But even while traditions are upheld, human rights must also be protected.
Relevance:
In our rich, intellectual past, there have been outstanding philosophers whom modern Indian intellectuals
...
fail to recognize today. Their inputs into the traditions of India are invaluable and
need to be preserved and studied.
Those things that enrich life are usually converted into elements of tradition and culture and are transferred down from one generation to the next. They usually serve in improving the quality of life. They induce better skills in the ‘art of living’. They improve human interaction, and they aid in holistic education.
By cutting off the negative traditions that are in violation of the constitution of India, the rest need to be preserved and encouraged so that Indian-ness can be lived and experienced in its complete wholeness. Therefore, being aware of the pitfalls, the villages must do their best to uphold their traditions the best they can.
Those things that enrich life are usually converted into elements of tradition and culture and are transferred down from one generation to the next. They usually serve in improving the quality of life. They induce better skills in the ‘art of living’. They improve human interaction, and they aid in holistic education.
By cutting off the negative traditions that are in violation of the constitution of India, the rest need to be preserved and encouraged so that Indian-ness can be lived and experienced in its complete wholeness. Therefore, being aware of the pitfalls, the villages must do their best to uphold their traditions the best they can.
Detailed Rationale:
In the Indian subcontinent, there is a rich diversity of traditions from time immemorial.
...
These traditions hold in them the wisdom of the ages. These traditions serve to complete the
‘education’ of even the illiterate. These are therefore an integral part of the soul of a nation.
Many times, it is difficult to point out the reasons for certain traditions being transferred down,
but even in such cases, the one who experiences the tradition knows its value and therefore
wishes to transfer it to the next generations. Elements of tradition and culture also define the
modes of interaction which a community develops, and they help in smoothing out the
relationships which members of a community share with each other. If a particular group/community
has survived for a long time, then it can be taken for granted that there are
very sound elements of culture within that group/community. In such a case,
every effort must be made to support the culture.
There is a need for caution though. There is always the possibility of certain practices accidently or deliberately being passed down as traditions but which have their origins in diabolic intentions. It is also possible that traditions that were started with very noble intentions got degraded in due course of time. Therefore, one must not take everything as being perfectly correct. It is a difficult balance, but it can be handled. It has to be resolved with great thought and deliberation; mostly on case-by-case basis.
For resolving this, human rights can be taken as a benchmark. If there are traditions which are not in conflict with human rights, then they can be preserved. If, however, there are some others which conflict with human rights principles, then there is a need to resolve them. In these instances, taking the stand that human rights are correct may also be as wrong as taking a stand that the traditions are correct. For example, we have seen how eastern traditions encourage people to do their duty; almost opposite to this, human rights traditions ask people to fight for their rights. It is known to Indian civilization that when a community is duty-based, that community prospers. Any community that is rights-based ends up with selfishness at a mass scale; such communities are weak. This issue has not been resolved at the global level as of yet, and so, conflict can be expected. However, keeping the wellbeing of one another above everything else, these conflicts can duly be resolved.
There is a need for caution though. There is always the possibility of certain practices accidently or deliberately being passed down as traditions but which have their origins in diabolic intentions. It is also possible that traditions that were started with very noble intentions got degraded in due course of time. Therefore, one must not take everything as being perfectly correct. It is a difficult balance, but it can be handled. It has to be resolved with great thought and deliberation; mostly on case-by-case basis.
For resolving this, human rights can be taken as a benchmark. If there are traditions which are not in conflict with human rights, then they can be preserved. If, however, there are some others which conflict with human rights principles, then there is a need to resolve them. In these instances, taking the stand that human rights are correct may also be as wrong as taking a stand that the traditions are correct. For example, we have seen how eastern traditions encourage people to do their duty; almost opposite to this, human rights traditions ask people to fight for their rights. It is known to Indian civilization that when a community is duty-based, that community prospers. Any community that is rights-based ends up with selfishness at a mass scale; such communities are weak. This issue has not been resolved at the global level as of yet, and so, conflict can be expected. However, keeping the wellbeing of one another above everything else, these conflicts can duly be resolved.
Success Stories and Action:
(Share examples of villages that have succeeded with this freedom.
Click here for feedback.)
The Indian nation, having enacted unto itself a constitution, has set course along a particular path.
This requires the concerned stakeholders to review the traditions that are used in a village
in the light of what the nation seeks to achieve through its constitution.
Without damaging what is inherent to the soil, there is a need to move away from that which
violates the constitution.
But this needs to be done while considering certain important truths:
● The literate—from KG to PhD—are not necessarily wise.
● All scholars of ancient texts are not necessarily wise.
● All those who wear saffron and other holy colors are not necessarily wise.
● All those who have worked themselves into positions of political authority are not necessarily wise.
● Actors and sports stars are not necessarily wise.
● All those who have economic power are not necessarily wise.
The truly wise come few and far between and take the nation by storm. While a virtuous and scholarly head of an organization (or nation) struggles along with the members of his team, a wise man wins the hearts and minds of the masses who are marching with him. Traditions are set by the likes of these wise men. To search and find such people, and to follow them, has always been the highest aspiration in the Indian subcontinent. The value of this should not be lost on the administration of a village.
.
But this needs to be done while considering certain important truths:
● The literate—from KG to PhD—are not necessarily wise.
● All scholars of ancient texts are not necessarily wise.
● All those who wear saffron and other holy colors are not necessarily wise.
● All those who have worked themselves into positions of political authority are not necessarily wise.
● Actors and sports stars are not necessarily wise.
● All those who have economic power are not necessarily wise.
The truly wise come few and far between and take the nation by storm. While a virtuous and scholarly head of an organization (or nation) struggles along with the members of his team, a wise man wins the hearts and minds of the masses who are marching with him. Traditions are set by the likes of these wise men. To search and find such people, and to follow them, has always been the highest aspiration in the Indian subcontinent. The value of this should not be lost on the administration of a village.