Hegemony refers to the dominance, leadership, or overwhelming influence of one group, country, or social class over others. It extends beyond physical force and often shapes culture, laws, and beliefs in ways that allow the dominant power to influence and reshape cultural norms. Hegemony is not limited to military control; rather, it involves cultural influence, whereby the dominant group’s worldview becomes widely accepted as “common sense.” In such systems, people comply not only out of fear but also through consent and acceptance.

The global spread of American culture can largely be attributed to the United States’ emergence as a dominant global superpower following the Second World War. Through economic strength, technological advancement, and media supremacy, the United States exported its cultural norms across the world. American cultural industries, including Hollywood films, music genres such as rock and roll and hip-hop, and modern streaming services, continuously produce content that circulates globally, spreading American values, language, and lifestyle patterns.

Multinational corporations and the capitalist economic system have further promoted consumerism, making global brands such as Apple, McDonald’s, and Coca-Cola widely recognized and adopted. American culture is often associated with ideals of individualism, liberty, prosperity, and material success, which many societies find attractive and seek to emulate. Hollywood productions, technological innovation, and global corporate branding have made American lifestyle choices aspirational and closely linked with modernity and high consumption.

Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the global political order shifted toward a unipolar structure in which the United States exercised considerable influence worldwide. This influence operates through multiple forms of power. Hard power refers to military strength and strategic capabilities. Structural power is exercised through international financial institutions such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank. Soft power is expressed through culture, technology, media, and globally recognized brands. However, contemporary scholars increasingly argue that the world is gradually moving toward multipolarity, where several major powers including the United States, China, the European Union, India, and others share global influence.

The 2026 United States-Iran conflict represents a contemporary example that reflects aspects of American hegemony in West Asia. The conflict began on February 28, 2026, involving military strikes by the United States and Israel on Iranian targets, and hostilities have continued across the region. Iran responded with missile and drone strikes targeting United States military bases and infrastructure in Gulf states, as well as energy-related facilities. These actions have threatened regional shipping routes and demonstrated Iran’s military capability to both international observers and domestic audiences.

The conflict has highlighted the strategic importance of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical maritime chokepoints through which a significant portion of global oil supply passes. United States military actions have included targeting Iranian energy infrastructure and escorting commercial vessels to maintain the free movement of oil shipments. The United States maintains a large network of military bases across Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries such as Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. These installations support monitoring operations, regional security, and the protection of energy supply routes, while also countering the growing influence of rival powers such as China in West Asia.

The economic costs of the ongoing war are extremely high, potentially amounting to billions of dollars each week. The conflict has generated widespread regional instability, disrupted global energy supply, and increased geopolitical tensions. Attacks and military incidents have affected multiple Gulf states, including Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Lebanon, and the United Arab Emirates, raising concerns about the possibility of a broader regional war.

Oil and fuel prices have risen sharply due to disruptions and uncertainties surrounding Middle Eastern oil supply. The Strait of Hormuz remains a highly sensitive zone, and any threat to its functioning significantly impacts global energy markets. The resulting increase in oil prices has placed pressure on national economies worldwide and contributed to fears of inflation and economic slowdown.

The conflict has important consequences for India, which relies heavily on oil imports from the Middle East. Rising oil prices directly affect the cost of petrol, diesel, and aviation fuel. This increase leads to higher transportation costs, increased airline fares, and inflation in essential goods and services. Economic pressure may intensify if the conflict expands to involve additional Middle Eastern countries, further disrupting oil supply. In addition to conventional warfare, the possibility of cyberwarfare and proxy conflicts involving militia groups and cyber networks linked to regional actors adds further uncertainty to the situation.

Overall, the 2026 United States–Iran conflict represents a significant geopolitical challenge that places pressure on American resources and regional stability. The prolonged nature of the conflict raises important questions about the sustainability of long-term military engagement and the evolving structure of global power. While the conflict demonstrates the continued influence of the United States, it also reflects the complexities of maintaining hegemony in an increasingly multipolar world.

Conclusion

The war with Iran has opened another front in an already volatile region; it has revealed a fundamental tension in American foreign policy during the mid-2020s. The United States still possesses the military reach, industrial strength, and wide alliance network of a global superpower. However, this conflict has demonstrated that even a superpower must make careful choices among competing theatres of conflict, strategic priorities, and international commitments. Washington is being reminded that possessing power does not necessarily mean having unlimited freedom to act.

A public display of affection (PDA) is an act of intimacy between a couple that which they display openly. Hugging, kissing, or holding your partner’s hand in public are some examples of PDA. Sharing a private intimate moment in a public forum such as social media can also be a form of PDA.

In our society public displays of affection is often looked down upon due to our cultural and traditional norms that underline modesty and privacy in personal relationships. In many parts of India, there is a strong emphasis on conservative values and respect for traditional behaviour. Public displays of affection, such as kissing or hugging in public, are often considered brazen and may be seen as a violation of cultural norms. Additionally, the influence of religious and societal beliefs plays a significant role in shaping attitudes towards public displays of affection in Indian society.

75% of men think kissing without tongues in public is acceptable, but just 62% of women agree. Young people are significantly more likely than older groups to be comfortable with it  eight in ten (78%) 18 to 24s are fine with a public kiss, compared to six in ten (58%) of those aged 55 and above.

Public displays of affection (PDA) are generally not as common in India as they are in some other countries. In many parts of India, there is a strong cultural emphasis on modesty and caution, particularly in public spaces.

A lot depends on your upbringings. If we grew up in a family where our parents were affectionate and demonstrative with each other, we may see PDA as normal and acceptable. On the other hand, if we grew up in a family where our parents didn’t display their affection openly, were distant or divorced, we may see PDA as undesirable. It’s important to be mindful and respectful of others’ boundaries and comfort levels when engaging in PDA. Ultimately, whether PDA is considered good or bad is subjective and varies from person to person.

I go for evening walks. And I stay in an area with lots of schools and colleges. During my walks in evening, I witness a lot of younger as well as older couples occupying garden seats engaged in kissing, inappropriately touching each other, hugging inappropriately in public. I look in other direction because I feel uncomfortable watching PDA. Some elderly couples in their 40s and 50s are involved in adultery, it shows from their body language. It is practically impossible to act natural in such situations. I avoid going for walks in such places, especially of walking near the affectionate couples.

Is public display of affection banned in India? Under section 294 of the Indian Penal Code, causing annoyance to others through “obscene acts” is a criminal offence with a punishment of imprisonment up to three months or a fine, or both.

Some people may feel uncomfortable witnessing intimate behaviour in public, as it can intrude on their personal space or make them feel awkward. Cultural and social norms also play a role in shaping attitudes towards PDA, with different societies having varying levels of acceptance for public displays of affection.

Some partners do not have compatible preferences when it comes to PDA. For example, while some people are comfortable being openly affectionate with their partners, many people are more private with their relationships and prefer to not be affectionate in front of others, due to their upbringing, family culture, or social norms. 

All couples are not the same. Some dislike PDA because it feels like their relationship is being put on display for others and that makes them uncomfortable. Some people don’t like attention of other around them and they don’t like being forced to kiss the partner in a non-romantic setting. Some people don’t like being touched intimately in public settings because it feels a bit like showing off to other people and that looks crass.

Having different values and upbringing or preferences around PDA can harm the relationship, particularly if one person is trying to be affectionate and the other person is rejecting the advances, which could be combined by the public aspect of the interaction. Many people fear the consequences of damaging their reputation both socially or professionally, especially when PDA could be easily photographed and shared on social media.

Food is a symbol of our culture on a wide scale. Each one of us is raised eating the food related to our culture, we get recognized in other countries who we are based on our food habits. Food gives us national identity. Food is not only associated with happiness and health, but it also becomes what we seek throughout our lives. In challenging times food comforts us. Food culture globally is influenced by factors such as the local landscape and weather. For this reason, they vary in each country.

Cooking leads to healthier relationship with food; when cooked at home, it tends to be cheaper than eating out. When family members and guests compliment the food cooked by you the feeling is very satisfying. 

Food is integral part of our life. Sharing food with those we love is part of what makes us human. Globalization has made the world a global village. As the world grows smaller, it’s become easier to enjoy food from different countries, and many cultural traditions have developed around the celebration of food at religious holidays and family gatherings. We connect with our culture or ethnic group through food patterns. Food is often used as a means of retaining cultural identity. People from different cultural backgrounds eat different foods. The areas in which families live and where their ancestors originated influence food likes and dislikes.

Food culture consists of collective habits, rituals, beliefs, values, lifestyle, and practices around producing, procuring, and intaking food. The history of food defines our connections with our families, friends, and country at large. Food history is an interdisciplinary field that examines the history, the cultural, economic, environmental, and sociological impacts of food and human nutrition. It is distinct from the more traditional field of culinary history, which focuses on the origin and recreation of specific recipes.

If you are in Thailand, do not use a fork to push food into your mouth. Thailand offers a variety of delicious cuisines. One is spoilt for choice when it comes to the vast array of food items that are found in almost every nook and corner in Thailand. Just remember one thing – in this country, it is considered rude to use a fork to put food into your mouth. The people here believe that the fork must be used only to push food into the spoon. You can then use the spoon to eat the food.

Pakistanis will often use their hands to eat rather than cutlery. However, it is considered bad etiquette to pass, serve or spoon food to one’s mouth with the left hand. It should be used to hold the plate or assist the right hand in serving food. Pakistanis often offer their guests additional helpings of food.

In Vietnam, during the meal, make sure to pass dishes to another person using both hands. When getting a serving of food, place the portion in a bowl or on a plate. If eating from a bowl, lift the bowl close to your face and not let it sit on top of the dining table as this will be considered an act of laziness.

In the Middle East, never use your left hand while eating. Make sure you do not eat with your left hand while you are there. This is primarily because people in the region associate the left hand with other functions such as washing, bathing, and using the restroom. So, if you reach out for food or eat with your left hand, it might seem disrespectful and unhygienic.

Indian cuisine reflects an 8,000-year history of various groups and cultures. Indian food is heavily influenced by two religions – Hinduism and Islam. It is influenced by cultural choices and traditions. Historical events such as invasions, trade relations, and colonialism have played a role in introducing certain foods to this country. Trade with British and Portuguese influence added to more diversity in Indian cuisine.

Food portrays culture of a country.  Food brings people together. The French know this better, and they cherish the time they get to spend with each other over a meal. In fact, UNESCO declared French cuisine a “world intangible heritage”. The French believe that taking a meal should be done in the company of others to relax and enjoy the meal. That applies to workmates, families, and any kind of foodie event. Usually, a French meal will take at least 2 hours and is pretty much always accompanied by wine or cider depending on which part of the country you are in.  

World intangible heritage also involves oral traditions, performing arts, social practices, rituals, and festive events, knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe and traditional craftsmanship.

Cooking engages our senses, it activates memories. The aroma of a dish can remind us of our grandparent’s house, or a favourite restaurant during a vacation. Food allows us to immerse in these memories. Also, cooking is a therapeutic way to relieve stress and boost mood. When we cook, we are constantly focused, prepping ingredients, stirring the ingredients, adjusting the seasoning, and monitoring the cooking process. All of this is helpful to divert any stress or anxiety. It is like meditation, with tastier outputs.

When we visit any cultural-based festival for instance a Russian festival, Malaysian festival, or an Italian festival we find that food is the festival’s focal point. This is because eating food is a social act, also, eating is part of how we become human. It is as important as speaking and taking care of ourselves. What we eat, makes us the kind of human we are.

For example, in Japan slurping is showing appreciation for food. It shows you loved the meal. Often, in many countries, making sounds while eating is considered ill-mannered. And slurping is a big NO. However, in Japan, slurping noodles and soup is considered acceptable, many believe it improves its flavour. Additionally, it is meant to express that the dish is being greatly enjoyed. The middle of the table is the most honoured position, and the second most important person seated next. The host sits at the middle of the table on one side, and the honoured guest in the middle on the other side, opposite the host. The honoured guest sits on the side of the table farthest from the door.

Italians don’t pair fish with cheese The Italians are known for their love of food and are famous for their cheese like parmesan cheese and mozzarella. However, never ever try to mix cheese and seafood, while you are there. It is considered a culinary disaster in Italy.

In South Korea, when people assemble for a meal, they wait for the eldest person at the table to eat first, before the others join in. This is believed to be a great sign of respect for the elders.

In China, you must not leave your chopsticks upright in a bowl. This is offensive as this is a common practice during funerals when the Chinese make offerings to the departed soul. It is also considered rude to place your chopsticks pointing in someone’s direction. Finishing the food on your plate is considered rude in China. Even if you find the meal delicious, it is important that you leave a small portion behind. This is a way of complimenting the host that he has fed you enough. 

In Chile, people try to eat almost everything with a fork, spoon, and knife. Even if the food involves items that can be enjoyed more with the hands like chicken drumsticks and wings, it is customary to use a fork and a knife. Here, people believe that food should never be eaten with one’s hands.

If you are in Russia, if you put your hand on the lap while eating, it is a bad manner. You can put them on the table or anywhere else but not on the lap. So, think before you eat, when in Russia.

In Tanzania, being on time for your meal is an insult to the host. If you want to be polite, show up late and they will appreciate the gesture.

The history of the country also has an impact on the food culture and traditions of the people living there. In United States, you can easily see how layers of food culture have created the melting pot of cuisines that exists in the USA today. American cuisine is influenced by Europeans and Native Americans in its early history between 1492 and 1800. Colonisation brought European ingredients and cooking styles to the America. Today, there are several foods that are commonly identified as American, such as hamburgers, hot dogs, potato chips, macaroni and cheese, and meat loaf.

Conclusion

People connect to their cultural through food recipes and patterns. Food is a means of retaining cultural identity. People from different cultural backgrounds eat different foods. The upbringing and part of globe in which families live and where their ancestors originated influence food like and dislikes.

As humans, as organizations, as products, as services and as nations each one makes an effort to create an identity of its own because Identity provides meaning, harmony and purpose in our life. It evolves as we grow through lifecycle. Without identity, it’s almost unfeasible to create meaning and purpose.

A corporate identity or corporate image is the manner which a firm or business presents itself to the public and all stakeholders. Creating a suitable identity is a primary goal of the corporate communication. For positioning a brand in customers mind having a robust and recognizable brand identity is essential for distinguishing it from other products in cluttered market. The identity needs to be crafted in a certain way using particular elements of that brand such as the logo, tagline, tone, or colours, packing, ingredients etc.

Brand identity is the meaning of the brand which the marketer projects and its efficacy can be measured. In 1996, Jean-Noel Kapferer, a professor of Marketing Strategy at HEC Paris, came up with the idea of representing brand identity as a hexagonal prism, with each side standing for one of these essential elements: Physique, Relationship and Reflection are the external factors of a brand whereas Personality, Culture and Self-image are internal factors. Successful brands are the ones in which all of these six facets are carefully intertwined and aligned. Kapferer’s brand identity uses traits of human being for a metaphor of a brand.

Physique: The first facet of the brand identity prism refers to the underlying physical characteristics of a brand. Physique portrays the form, size, and development of a product. The physique of a brand turns abstract and elusive characteristics into something visible. The physique helps consumers get associated with the brand initially. When you see the iPhone of Apple you get attracted to its elegance, style, and aesthetics.

Personality: it is the combination of characteristics or qualities that form an individual’s distinctive character. This element is about the character of a brand. Brand personality is developed by attributing human characteristics to it because consumer can relate to the brand easily. Toyota Innova has built a reputation of being rugged, dependable, comfortable, highest level of safety. Brands hire celebrities to endorse the product’s personality.

Relationship: It refers to the relationship between a brand and its customers in terms of what the consumers, think, feel, and how they pursue the brand. Favorable relationship helps managers and stakeholders understand how to create favorable brand approach to drive brand loyalty, repeat purchase, customer lifetime value, customer advocacy, and communities of like-minded individuals organized around brand. The approach adopted by the marketer is important in terms of which human traits describe this relationship.

Netflix – the video streaming company is known for its obsession with customers; Netflix collects a huge amount of data on customers to create hyper-personalized recommendations. It uses that data to help customers find their new favorite shows and to create award-winning original content that is exactly what customers want to see.

Culture: It can be defined as the inherent DNA that runs into the organization. It consists of the values, expressions and interactions the organization creates with the customers, employees, and all stakeholders at every point. The culture consists even of country of origin, the nation where a product is produced or branded. For example, all over world, people favor cars produced in Japan for its culture and values and its demographics. Honda, Mazda, Nissan, Toyota are respected brands in world of automobiles.

Nevertheless, Kapferer also gives another insight on culture; he says that some brands have managed to capitalize on false origination than its original; famous American brand ‘Mars’ has made Dutch people believe that it is originated in their country, Mars has got adjusted to the Dutch culture and values.

Reflection: There is a subtle but sizeable difference between self-image and reflection. While the former is about the customers’ idea of self, the latter is how brands pursue their audience. Reflection can be described as a set of stereotypical notions of a brand’s customer base, used for promotional purposes, and highlighted in ads and commercials. It is a new framework to help brand owners and advertising agencies to understand and communicate brand identity more effectively. Brand Reflections is especially useful for branding by marketing agencies to accelerate the positioning process of a brand in a certain segment. Brand reflection represents the distinctive class of users of a brand.

For example, in an Indian man’s wardrobe, his suits have a special place; nicely dry-cleaned, neatly hung and properly matched with accessories from top to bottom. Among many other brands, at least one of the suits in the wardrobe is a Raymond suit. The tag line “Complete Man” suits the Indian man’s psyche. The Complete Man describes a beautiful soul and a quintessence of individual spirit beyond gender specifics.

Self-image: Is about how customers of a particular brand see themselves; the brands get the benefit from incorporating the unique association created by the customers into creating its own identity. Most youngsters like to be tagged as “cool”, “stylish”, “vibrant” etc; they therefore choose brands which help them ascertain those tags. A research on brand identity has found that people who struggle with identity disorders gain real insight into themselves by choosing the “right” brands. Perfumes help consumers to boost their self worth. Arpege Lanvin a famous French perfume which is used by stylish and classy women. It is known for restoring feelings of self-worth in many women for decades. Its catchy tagline “No bottles to break – just hearts” says it all.

Touching the feet of elders is a very common gesture in the Indian tradition and it is an age old custom of showing one’s respect to elders and those who are spiritually accomplished. This is something that is taught to young children in Indian families. The main reason behind this gesture is to bow down and show respect to the elder.
The person, whose feet are being touched, blesses the young person touching feet with long life, good luck and wisdom, as an acknowledgement or appreciation in return. The act of bowing in front of elders, teachers and spiritual gurus makes the person seek blessing by feeling humble, softer and human. It kills the ego and pride when you bend or bow before somebody.

Just try touching the feet of the person you hate the most………… Do it and see the change within you. Why do we touch the feet, why not some hands or head? Feet are the foundation of the body. The entire weight of a person is borne by the feet when he/she stands and moves about. We humans are gifted with the ability of being able to walk with our two feet. When we bend down and touch the feet of our elders, our ego automatically pacifies for those few seconds; we show our respect for the person’s age, for his wisdom or insights, accomplishment and experience. It is one of the most enlightening gestures.

Usually, those that command the padasparsh (touching the feet) include spiritual masters, teachers, grandparents, parents, elder brothers, in-laws, and senior citizens. Usually, these people have accumulated a lot of virtues, understanding and experience. Their maturity enables them with a good insight into the truths and realities of life. The thoughts, vibrations and the words which come from them are very powerful hence greatly benefiting those who seek their blessings.

There is an exact way of touching the feet of elders. The person touching their feet must bend down in front of them with the back hunched and hands stretching forward, usually, when the hands are stretched to touch their feet. When the hands touch the feet, there is a closed circuit establish between those seeking the blessings and those blessing them. The result is a highly positive energy flowing from their feet to the person seeking blessings which transfers a lot of goodwill and healing energy. Also, the person whose feet are touched usually stretches his or her hands to touch the upper head of the person with a gesture of blessing. This connection forms yet another circuit again transferring energy and blessings.

It is believed that every time you bow, you receive a blessing; when the person whose feet are being touched raises the right hand in a gesture of blessing, often blesses with words such as “Ayushman Bhava” which means, may you live a long life, “Yashasvi Bhava” which means may you be successful, “Sukhee Bhava” which mean may you be happy etc.

A person’s feet are unclean, despite this fact it’s done because the person has walked this earth longer than you and gained wisdom through experience that you can benefit even from the dust stuck to their feet. Some families practice the gesture of ‘padasparsh’ each day as a part of greeting elders. However it assumes importance at the time of festivals and religious occasions, weddings etc. Do you know that it activates the seven chakras in body? Shraddha (faith) reduces ego, it increases Karuna (compassion) in heart.

This practice is sadly vanishing with time. Cultural, generational, and experiential changes in society are damaging some of our good practices. People don’t have time even to sit by side of the elders and talk to them for few minutes. People are becoming so self obsessed that this good ritual seems waste of time for some. But the fact is that elder are valued as repositories of wisdom, strength and unconditional love.

Education is the most powerful tool to change mindset from an older setting to new one. It has the power to change the way people execute. Progressive nations in the world invest in education of teachers and youth to empower a new generation of leaders. Nelson Mandela said that ‘Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.’ Education is not all about studying to get good marks. It is a medium to discover new things. It helps us understand new concepts; new skills, new meaning, and new vocabulary thus increase our awareness. An educated person has the ability to differentiate between right and wrong or good and bad. It is the most primary responsibility of a society to educate its citizens.

The Asia-Pacific region is home to two-thirds of the world’s 370 million indigenous peoples, speaking 2300 of the world’s 7000 languages. 70 ethnic groups live in Thailand, and neighboring countries such as Laos, Vietnam, and Myanmar have more. Do you know that countries not known for their cultural diversity, such as Taiwan and Brunei, each boast more than a dozen indigenous groups speaking their own unique languages? The Asian continent consists of multilingual countries. India is one such classic example of being a multi lingual nation with one billion people in 28 states and 7 union territories with more than 114 languages.

If children study in their mother tongue, they grasp better. Suppression of indigenous languages and cultures often results in the exclusion of indigenous peoples from basic social services, such as health care and education, lack of access to land and resources, and limited employment opportunities. This is particularly true with education. If children are forced to study unfamiliar concepts in a foreign language which they don’t understand, they can only do rote learning but don’t grasp the grass root of concepts. Native children fare worse than their non-indigenous peers in terms of school enrolments, retention rates, literacy levels and academic achievement. This is a fact noted by UNESCO.

For example in Vietnam, 83 percent of Hmong men and 97 percent of Hmong women are illiterate. This is why the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (2007) emphasized the right of indigenous peoples to receive education “in their own languages” and “in a manner appropriate to their cultural methods of teaching and learning.”

Macaulayism is the conscious policy of reducing original culture of a nation through the planned substitution of the foreign culture by a colonizing power through the education system. The term is derived from the name of British politician Thomas Babington Macaulay (1800-1859). He was actively involved in the introducing English language as the medium of instruction in higher education in India. The term Macaulayism is usually used in a belittling fashion, and it suggests one’s disloyalty to one’s country and one’s heritage. The Hindu senior citizens often blame Macaulay for producing a generation of Indians not proud of their heritage. They take pride of speaking English.

The following scanned copy of Lord Macaulay’s speech is self explanatory. It does not need any illumination further.

Humans communicate with one another using amazing array of languages, each differing from the next in numerous ways; in style of expression, pronunciation, grammar and meaning. One very settled question therefore arises, and that is do the languages we speak shape the way we see the world, the way we think, and the way we live our lives? Do people who speak different languages think differently simply because they speak different languages? Does learning new languages change the way we think? Does a multilingual person think differently when speaking different languages? The answer is YES. This point of view has occupied a whole lot of philosophers, anthropologists, governments, scholars, linguists, and psychologists, and they have been working on important inferences for politics, law and order, and religion of course.

The language in which we learn and study so many aspects of life touches on nearly all facets of our thinking, our decision making and the way we grow in our life. Yet, despite of constant considerations and debates, very little empirical work is done on these questions until recent times. For a long time, the idea that language might shape thought was considered simply wrong. One research on this topic at MIT has helped reopen this question. For the purpose of research data was collected from all around the world; from China, Greece, Chile, Indonesia, Russia, and Aboriginal Australia. The research has proved that people who speak different languages do indeed think differently and that even usage of grammar can profoundly affect how we see the world. Thus, language is a unique human gift. It is the central to our experience of being human. We must appreciate its role in constructing our mental ability, our existence, and to understand the very nature of humanity. Language is so elementary to our experience of life. It is as deeply ingrained in us as a part of being human. It’s so sad that we abuse the usage of language for committing crime, for doing so many wrong things.  That’s the power of language; it actually shapes our thoughts.

The question whether or not Lord Macaulay proclaimed in the British Parliament that the only way to rule India is to make the Indian culture seem inferior is debated even after two centuries. But, the fact remains that the original culture of India, its value system and its richness of thoughts did change radically with the introduction of English language.

Our heritage is all that has been passed to us by previous generations. Heritage refers to something inherited from the past. The word has several connotations. Natural heritage refers to, an inheritance of fauna and flora, geology, landscape and landforms, and other natural resources. Cultural heritage refers to the legacy of physical artifacts and intangible attributes of a group or society – man-made heritage. Food heritage refers to recipes and ingredients and procedures of cooking, industrial heritage refers to monuments from industrial culture. Virtual heritage refers to an ICT (information and communication technology) work dealing with cultural heritage. Inheritance of physical goods after the death of individual; of the physical or non-physical things inherited. Heredity refers to biological inheritance of physical characteristics. Birthright refers to something inherited due to the place, time, or circumstances of someone’s birth. And, Kinship refers to the relationship between entities that share a genealogical origin.

It is all around us. It is in the houses we live in, our educational institutions, our places of work, the transport we use, our places of worship, our parks, our gardens, beaches, the places we go to for our social life, in our language, literature, music, sports, in the ground beneath our feet, in the shape of our landscape and in the placing and arrangement of our fields, villages, towns and cities. Heritage is also found in our moveable possessions, from our national treasures in our museums, to our own family businesses, and in the intangible such as our history, traditions, legends and language. While all that we inherit is strictly our heritage, the term has become synonymous with the places, objects, knowledge and skills. I strongly feel that we must learn to value our inheritance for reasons beyond their mere utility and their functional use.

This is because each heritage is unique and exceptional; it is the responsibility of the current generation to preserve it. It’s so sad that due to us – the citizens of this nation and our government’s sloppy attitude we have lost a lot of historical, geographical, cultural heritage. This clearly shows we lack respect for our history. In order to build a great future every nation must connect with its past. Our past is loaded with brilliance, heroism, ethnicity, empires, inventions, also a lot of suffering and sorrows. The peaceful native people were massacred and virtually wiped out by invaders. Our history has experienced slavery in its most brutal and oppressive form. I have this strong belief that all generations born after independence have taken governance, rules and regulations, law & order for granted. They grew up in a very different world where a transition began towards Western culture.

We achieved independence but forgot the freedom fighters, we won so many wars but forgot the warriors, we believe in equality today but forgot those great rebellions who struggled for it,   and we are enjoying industrialization today but forgot the first generation of industrialists who had to bear the brunt of the Britishers; who were not given good treatment and equal chances. We have some of best musical inheritance, paintings, artifacts which we are hardly bothered about. We are so callus to not even make a mention of all those mammoth contributions made by thousands of people to create a powerhouse economy in our country due to which we can boast of many other laudable achievements today.

Our national accomplishments are the result of long journeys and numerous processes. It is these processes and journeys that we have no detailed records of and the very few persons who still remember may not be around much longer. There were long and sometimes painful steps that had to be taken to create the country we have today.

India is home to some great traditions. What are they? The first is spirituality of India. Nowhere else in the world will you find such profound and deep spirituality that can win over the hearts of people and make them blossom from within. The second is Ayurveda, it is such a unique tradition in which the medicines have no side effects, and only work to protect and enhance our mind and body. The third is Yoga; regardless of the country, people all over world are rapidly adopting and incorporating Yoga in their lives. The fourth tradition is music. India is home to so many different types and schools of music. I don’t think in any other part of world you will find such a rich diversity in music and dance.

The other mentionable heritage is of the language and dialect. You will find that after every 200-300 kilometers, the language or the dialect changes; the music and dance changes; the local culture and beliefs change. You will not find such diversity anywhere else in the world. Music, dance and drama (full of Navarasas) are inseparable from our culture. How can we forget our food? India has a fantastic basket of variety of recipes across the country. Next is our dressing and attire; you will see such a variety of clothes and dressing styles, and even the opulence of ornaments and accessories worn along with them. We decorate our idols in temples also with beautiful fabrics and ornaments. Due to such fascinating diversity in all aspects of life Indian tourism stands tall in the world. I have to mention proudly about our Sanskrit language. Do you know that Sanskrit fits the bill to become a computer language? Forbes in 1987 reported that Sanskrit is very suitable to use in computer as a programming language, because of its perfect syntax. Interestingly, Sanskrit has very little room for error as well. We have to take all efforts to nurture and conserve Sanskrit by compulsorily teaching it from primary standards in schools.

Our national anthem mentions about all regions, language, geographical inheritance, natural resources and culture of India and it advocates the people of India to preserve and cultivate its rich cultural heritage.

Albert Einstein said “We owe a lot to the Indians, who taught us how to count, without which no worthwhile scientific discovery could have been made.”

Max Mueller, German scholar has quoted “If I were asked under what sky the human mind has most fully developed some of its choicest gifts, has most deeply pondered on the greatest problems of life, and has found solutions, I should point to India”.

Anthropology, as a discipline of Humanities can do quite a lot in treasuring and nurturing our rich heritage. Universities can take some positive steps to stimulate Anthropology branch with adequate facilities and infrastructure; so that many youngsters opt for this branch of study. Besides collecting and preserving the narrative of our past, we should also be proud of it. We lack any real nationalism and pride. This is ruthlessly demonstrated in the way we treat our environment, how shabbily we have kept our heritage monuments, forts, architectural sites. We are very poor because we have not preserved our rich heritage.

Ignorance and shame regarding our own country is not only limited to the younger generations, the older generations are no less to hold closer the western culture with much fervor. Look at any Indian soap operas – they project unreasonable and unsound culture and customs.

I feel unless we wake up from our deep slumber to accept who we are, our authenticity, and begin to take pride in it, we may lose whatever little inheritance is left with us. We should take enormous efforts to maintain our uniqueness of heritage. We cannot displace our past, and if do so, we will become a bland and soulless country.