Cultural Globalization

Cultural Globalization – An “Indian” Response

The majority of Indians, who are now for generations used to living with or without a critically reflected “plural” frame of reference, would respond to this theme also in a plural way. It is obvious that there cannot be ONE Indian response to it, in spite of a very clear and aggressive trend in the recent past to define the Indian identity by insistently referring to a glorious cultural heritage that was damaged not lastly by the colonization of India. This has led to the macabre happenings in Gujarat, forcing the Indian once again to ponder seriously the question of cultural identity.

It is obvious that globalization, if it means Cultural Imperialism – from within or without -; if it is going to put an Indian at dis-ease with himself in India by calling himself an Indian, then it will be generally resisted. There is also a noticeable feeling that there are more pressing questions like poverty, population and AIDS which need to be addressed first. It is also obvious that the traditional Indian stereotypes have changed radically ever since arrival of the cable TV. In spite of the enlightened image that India would like to project, when it comes to really “crucial” things in life, like marriage, jobs, or even finding a player for the Indian cricket team – all kinds of cultural references like region, religion, cast suddenly become important.

A land that takes pride in calling itself a world spiritual leader needs to practice what it preaches. Only then can its response to this theme be somewhat adequate. It is obvious that mankind needs a different culture. It has to be a culture that is deeply “religious”. It has to be a culture that is based on clarity and not on confusion and a convenient ‘political correctness’. This has to be a culture that is deeply self-reflective, ever willing to admit the wrongs of the past, to re-form itself, to grow together with the “Other”. Taken in this spirit, this culture will not make any claims to be “global”, for it will not have any such ambitions.

Reading List
A)
1. Chauduri, Amit (Ed.): The Picador Book of Modern Indian Literature, Basingstoke & Oxford (Picador), 2001.
2. Kunzru, Hari: The Impressionist. London (Penguin/Hamish Hamilton), 2002.
3. Nagarkar, Kiran: Cuckold. New Delhi (Harper Collins), 1997.
4. Naipaul, V. S.: The Mystic Masseur. Basingstoke & Oxford (Picador Edition), 2001.
5. Naipaul, V. S.: Half a Life. A Novel. Basingstoke & Oxford (Picador), 2001.
6. Rushdie, Salman: Fury. A Novel. London (Jonathan Cape), 2001.
7. Rushdie, Salman & Elizabeth West (Ed.): The Vintage Book of Indian Writing 1947-1997. London (Vintage), 1997.
8. Singh, Khushwant: Train to Pakistan. Delhi (Ravi Dayal), 1988.
9. Singh, Khushwant: Truth, Love & A Little Malice. An Autobiography. New Delhi (Ravi Dayal & Penguin), 2002.

B)
1. Byrom, Thomas: The Heart of Awareness. A Translation of the Ashtavakra Gita. Boston & Shaftesbury (Shambhala), 1990.
2. Coomaraswamy, Ananda K.: The Dance of Shiva. New Delhi (Munshiram Manoharlal), 1982 (Second Edition).
3. Hiriyanna, M.: Outlines of Indian Philosophy. Bombay (George Allen & Unwin), 1976 (2nd Indian reprint).
4. Shri Jnandev’s Anubhavamrut. The Immortal Experience of Being. Tr. From the Marathi by Dilip Chitre. New Delhi (Sahitya Akademi), 1996.
5. The Mind of Krishnamurti. Ed. By Luis S. R. Vas. Mumbai etc. (Jaico), 2001 (14th Impression).
6. Nehru, Jawaharlal: The Discovery of India. New Delhi, 2001 (21st Impression).
7. Sri Nisargatta Maharaj: I am That. Conversations with Sri Nisargatta Maharaj. Tr. By Maurice Frydman. Bombay (Chetana), 1981 (1973).
8.Swami Prabhavananda & F. Manchester: The Spiritual Heritage of India. New York (Anchor Edition), 1964.
9. Rao, Raja: The Meaning of India. New Delhi (Vision Books), 1996.
10. Tukaram – Says Tuka. Tr. From the Marathi by Dilip Chitre. New Delhi (Penguin), 1991.
11. Watts, Alan W.: The Spirit of Zen. New York (Grove Press), 1960 (Evergreen Edition).

C)
1. Grimminger, Rolf et al (Hrsg.): Literarische Moderne. Europaeische Literatur im 19. Und 20. Jahrhundert. Reinbek bei Hamburg (Rowohlt), 1995.
2. Huntington, Samuel P.: The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order. New Delhi (Penguin India), 1997 (1996).
3. Magris, Claudio: Donau. Biographie eines Flusses. Aus dem Italiensichen von Heinz-Georg Held. Wien (Paul Zsolnay),1988.
4. McCourt, Dennis: Going Beyond the Pairs. The Coincidence of Opposites in German Romanticism, Zen and Deconstruction. Albany (State University Press), 2001.
5. Parekh, Bhikku: Rethinking Multiculturalism. Cultural Diversity and Political Theory. Hampshire & New York (Palgrave), 2000.
6. Potter, Simeorn: Language in the Modern World. Harmondsworth (Penguin), 1971 (1960).
7. Reimann, Helga: Globalisierung. Die universelle Herausforderung. Konstanz (UVK), 2002.
8. Said, Edward W.: Reflections of Exile and other Literary and Cultural Essays. New Delhi (Penguin India), 2001.
9. Spengler, Oswald: Der Untergang des Abendlandes. Umrisse einer Morphologie der Weltgeschichte. Muenchen (dtv), 1997 (13. Auflage).
10. Turk, Horst und Anil Bhatti (Hrsg.): Kulturelle Identitaet. Deutsch-indische Kulturkontakte in Literatur, Religion und Politik. Berlin (Erich Schmidt), 1997.

Rajendra Dengle