The dynamics of life does not allow permanence to anything that exists in the world. Human life is not static either physically, psychologically or culturally. Change is the order of the world. Culture is cumulative experience of human societies preserved through various manifestations that are repeated and revived as time passes. But experiences too take different shapes with the passage of time.
There has been an interesting and also challenging transition in our cultural life after India became independent in 1947. Ours is an old country with very ancient civilization that has come down to us through various social or cultural manifestations. For political and historical reasons life was static for too long a time in our country. Independence of India from foreign rule was not an event of small or ordinary consequence. It was resurrection of Indian personality and identity that had remained suppressed for centuries in the past.
After independence, the nation gradually focused on economic progress and development. The process was long and arduous. Nevertheless, our elders and policy planners laid the foundation for new India. Thereafter, the life in our country began to change. There appeared an urge for development, improvement and innovation. As times moved, modernization became inevitable. During past three or four decades, there has been a revolution in knowledge all over the western world and it had its impact on the ancient civilizations like the one we have in our country. Apart from drastic change in economy and rise in the standard of life, our age old cultural manifestations also came under the impact of modernity. Now, people have begun to feel that we are losing our grip on our age old cultural heritage and are getting sucked in by the trends of modern life which evidently are different and technically oriented. This is a truth and cannot be contradicted. But the question is how we are going to maintain balance between the old and the new, the traditional and the factual. This is an interesting debate and all forward looking Indians need to spend some time on reflecting the case in its entirety.
Jammu like any other region of the country is rich in its cultural heritage. Folklore of Duggar Desh represents a variety of aspects of this heritage. Primarily, the Dogras have been chivalrous people, fighting the adversary and supporting the victimized. They are used to hard life and the culture flowing from such life is always healthy, open-minded and fiercely independent. Song, dance and music are the inevitable supplements of a warrior nation. The stories of their warriors, incredible and awe inspiring as these are, got recorded and preserved in the form of verse and folklore and sung by songsters in congregations and in private functions to commemorate. Folklore is the finest and most dependable genre that not only preserves the history and passes it from generation to generation but also becomes a source of inspiration for the people. Thus, the warrior character of historical personalities of Duggar Desh has become the fountain of cultural fund that makes Dogras a proud community and rightly so.
Commemoration of legends and saga of great personalities apart, the other significant aspect that has prompted the people to weave folklore and stories of immense attraction and absorption are the spiritual deities and supernatural forces whose good will is invoked to support the efforts of human beings. This has also been a great source for increasing the fund of folklore with the people in Jammu region. In a sense, the people of Duggar land are very spiritual and humanist who are gifted with the strength to resist and compassion to help.
Folklore traditions are gradually fading in the city of Jammu and also in major towns. Its semblance is still visible in rural Jammu. It is because the impact of modernity reaches the rural areas slowly and belatedly in comparison to the urban areas. There are some among us who will lament this transition and will be disposed to call it gradual fading away of our cultural heritage in its pristine purity. We can understand their emotions and sense of loss because they have been brought up in an atmosphere in which traditions remained steadfast. Two things are conspicuous in modern times; speed and suspense. Speed means that we have no time and suspense means nobody is sure of the results which could swing to any side. Everything is getting mechanized; the very concept of life is hanging in air. Distances are getting reduced, connectivity is fast increasing and people are getting used to use and throw away style of life. Avenues of earning are increasing, money circulation has become very fast, old barriers are breaking down and new parameters of life are coming into existence. Under these circumstances it appears difficult for nations and communities to maintain their old and glorious traditions in a style in which these were preserved for centuries in the past. We need to understand this sweeping air of change and adapt ourselves to it accordingly. No nation is prepared to accept superimposition of culture but no nation wants to remain tied to antiquated values, traditions and life style.
Follow our WhatsApp channel