What are Indian Values?

I often hear Non-Resident Indians say about they want to teach their children Indian values. But what exactly it is?

Surprisingly enough, searching for Indian values on internet does not provide too many comprehensive pages! So I searched for this answer myself and then concluded that basically following points gives an overall idea of Indian values.

But some of this assertions are no longer true in modern India - which are mimicking (mostly bad) western cultures at a very fast pace!

Ok, let's go thru the values.

• · Attitude towards marriage and family values

Till today (2010), most Indians do not believe in pre-marital sexual relationship. Marriage is still considered sacred and lifelong bonding. The arranged marriage concept is widely followed. Divorce is still rare – though rising at an alarming rate. Live together is gathering momentum. Husbands and wives do fight among them all the time, but that seldom go to splitting stage! Similarly, it is Indian custom to respect parents and elderly. It is still rare to see Indian kids saying their parents “shake your arse elsewhere”. Grown up children (i.e. adults) still regularly communicate with their parents even they live at a far-away place.

• · Thriftiness about money

Indians are typically very cautious about money. We are more of a “savers” than “spenders”. Western people spend first and then save (or borrow more). We save first and then spend. We also invest heavily for future and kids upbringings. We often sacrifice non-essential purchases because we cannot decide if we really need to spend that much. Often this attitude affects NRIs for their whole tenure abroad. Most Indians buy goods on the basis of “value for money”. Though nowadays neo-riches in India spend so much that can put NRIs into embarrassment! Living within one’s own means ensured that it did not follow Europe/Americas credit crunch.

• · Attitude towards law

To a citizen in developed country, law is often an absolute concept. Either you break the law or do not break it. For Indians, it is a linear concept. Breaking a law only little bit is not considered a serious offence. For example, copying software illegally, paying bribe to traffic cops for speeding etc. are taken as part of life and not a big issue. So, a small deviation from absolute baseline of law is not considered as a crime in India.

• · Education

We value education a lot. I remember in my childhood my parents always chasing for good results in school/college and then universities. Because in Indian, you are very unlikely to get a good job unless you have good education. This has a slight negative aspect though – most Indians try to get a good job in multi-national companies rather than setting up their own business. However, the trend is now changing.

• Sacrifice and adjustment

Indians are famous for these! Whatever be the situation, Indians can usually adjust! We can also sacrifice lots of things. For example, still today, many educated women sacrifice their careers after marriages. A lot of Indian professionals living overseas adjust their lifestyle within a very strict budget. However, after leaving abroad for long time, many NRIs lose this value.

Of course, there are lots of negative things about Indian values too. But that will be another blog.