Essay on “Traditions and Modernity” Complete Essay for Class 10, Class 12 and Graduation and other classes.

Traditions and Modernity

Only  tradition  or  only  modernity  is  inadequate  as  a  living philosophy  of  life.  In  all  stages  of  lunar  development,  both tradition  and  modernity  have  played  a  significant  role.  Only tradition will bind men in chains.  Only modernity will make men hollow.  Therefore, it cannot be either tradition or modernity. It has to be a combination of both.

In  every  age  a  tussle  between  tradition  and  modernity  goes  on.  What is current at a particular period is considered modem.  What  has  gone by  and  is  a  part  of  the  past  becomes  traditional.  The  moderns  of  every age  have  regarded  the  tradition  as  old  and  obsolete.  Therefore tradition is  considered  useless  to  the  needs  and  ethos  of  the  modern  times.  There is.,  on  the  other  hand,  a  generation,  present  at  all  times,  who  are  older in  age.  These people are generally traditional in outlook.  They champion traditionalism and criticize all that is modern.

Life is a running stream.  With  the  passage  of;  time,  slow  but  steady changes  take  place.  The beliefs and.  Attitudes -once held sacred arc modified.  Sometimes they are given up altogether.  Certain social norms and practices are regarded absolutely essential.  But  after  Some  years, they  are  found  to  be  hollow  and  given  up..  Human relationships undergo   considerable changes.  For  example,  relationships  between  parents  and children,  between  teachers  and  students,  between  friends,  between relatives Undergo  changes.  Science and technology, of course, keeps registering radical changes.  Therefore,  with  the  passage  of  time,  the texture  of  life  undergoes  total  transformation.

The traditionalists find modernity unacceptable and harmful.  In the field of  human  relations  they  point  Out  undesirable  drastic  changes joint family  system  has  given way  to  a unit  family  system.  In  this  unit   only  the  husband,  the  wife  and  the  ,children  live.  In  the  joint  filthily system,  each  member  used  to  be  a  beneficiary.  Financial  expenses  were less  per  head  as  the  requirements  of  the  family  were  bought  in  hulk  Beside the  expense was shared  and worked  out  to  much  less  per  head. Also,  there  was  distribution  of  work  and  the  members  of  the  family had  to  work  less  hard  But  today,  the  unit  family  system  requires separate  establishments.  This, in turn increases expenses.  Children  in the  joint  family  had  the  benefit  of  affection  and  love,  Of  their grandparents.  The grandparents practically brought up the children under their care.  Baby-sitting was no problem.  Today children of the working parents grow up loveless.  They are not properly looked after in creches and child-.care homes.  These loveless children grow up to be problem adolescents.  They take to delinquencies instead of becoming, constructive members of society.

The  relationship  between  parents  and  children  today  is  marked  by singular  lack  of  understanding  and  sympathy.  The  young  modern  children regard  their  old  parents  as  entirely  incapable  of  providing  them  any guidance.  They look upon the parents   as absolutely useless commodities. The father to them is old man.  He can be easily taken for a ride. Can be ignored as unimportant.  The  young  folks  claim  there  is  a) generation  gap  between  them  and  their  parents.  These generation gap regents the old people from…  understand their problems.

The relationships between man and man have become motivated.  Friends are  cultivated  because  they  can  be  of  some  use  some  day.  Motiveless interest in others is on the decrease.  Men are becoming increasing selfish and self-centered.  Few  men  are  ready  to  help  the  needy,  on simple,  humane,  compassionate  grounds.  On the contrary, one comes across rank exploitation of man by man. Financial considerations have become a guiding factor in human relationships.  Men have become cruel in the cut-throat competition.  Moral values have been bid goodbye only success matters.  Only money matters.  All else is unimportant

The traditionalists also point out the decline in education.  Students item; hardly interested in studies.  They are more often indulging in agitation limit strikes. Students do not respect their teachers.  Teachers,  too,  ear not  like  the  old  gurus  who  would  do  anything  to  coach their  pupil  well.

Science and technology, no doubt, has made rapid strides.  But is it an unmixed blessing?  What about all round pollution?  Dangerous effluents into the drinking water have become the source of recurring epidemics.  Atmospheric pollution is responsible for several respirators, diseases. Noise pollution is damaging the nerves of people. It is making them more irritable and less tolerant. Adulteration of all kinds is posing a health problem.  Dyes and preservations in foodstuffs are known to cause diseases like cancer.  Nothing is safe.  Life is endangered. So much for scientific and technological progress!

But  the  champions  of  modernity  regret  that  the  traditionalists  are  for clinging  to  the  deadwood  and  the  useless.  The  old  system  of  living,  for example,  is  hardly  practiced  these  days.  If  one  were  to  look  up  for  a house  in  an  urban  area  for  a  whole  joint  family  on  rent,  one  would find  it  nearly   impossible.  The parent children relationship has undergone a change for the better.  It  provides  the  children  with  an  opportunity  to grow  with  an  independent  personality.  They are able to decide their course of lives themselves.  Earlier  the  parents  were  not  at  all  bothered about  the  aptitude  of  the  child.  They  would  force  him  to  take  up  a career  he  was  least  interested in.  He was not consulted about it.  Same was the case with marriage.  A stranger, girl or boy, was brought into a young person s life.  Ile  parents  would  regard  it  their  right  to  force their  children  to  obey  wishes.

The spirit of enquiry was suppressed and condemned as rebellious. Rationality was at a discount.  Whatever  had  been  believed  in  for decades  was  sought  to  be  held  as  valid  by  the  traditionalists.  Anything new was suspect and undesirable.  One has to keep pace with the changing times.  When  man  has  explored  the  moon  and  has  conquered space,  it  Will  be  stupid  to  cling  to  bullock  cart.

Population has skyrocketed. The needs for goods and services have multiplied manifold.  The  society,  therefore,  has  to  think  of  newer  and technologically  more  advanced  means  of  mass  production. Otherwise  a large  portion  of  the  population will  die  of  hunger  and  starvation.  Science and technology is no doubt responsible for pollution.  But  it  is  through scientific  inventions  that  newer medicines  have  been  discovered..  These medicines contain and eliminate    epidemics.  The life span of human beings has gone up.  Infant mortality has gone down.  And  as  for pollution,  it  can  be  controlled  by  taking  certain  measures.  It  will  not be  wise  to  throw  away  the  baby  with  the  bathtub.

Actually,  what  is  not  realized  is  that  it  cannot  be  only  tradition  or  only modernity.  Neither  of  them  is  adequate  to  meet  the  needs  of  society. At  any given  period  of  history  it  is  the  combination  of  the  two  which has  really  served  the  society.  Imagine,  for  example,  a  state  when  people only  clung  to  the  tradition.  The society then could not, have witnessed any progress.  The superstitious society would have remained in, the of cheats.  The thug would have continued to rule the roost. Simultaneously,   tradition  in any  field  is  a  must  for, building  the foundation  of  future   progress.  Be  it  literature  or science,  the  credit  for dying the  foundation goes  to  the  early  Masters. They set certain norms in spite of stiff opposition.  They closely studied the subjects and came out with basic theories.

In fact, this debate about tradition and modernity, recommending either, or is out of place. Tradition must have modernity in it, if it is not to become irrelevant to the changing contexts. Modernity, on the other hand will be without foundation if it leaves out tradition. It will remain a shallow affair if it chooses to completely disregard all that is old and tried.