Pride and dignity were the two values which were unceasingly emphasized upon during the adolescent years of almost every child. It could be pride in one’s traditions, one’s country or in one’s language. Pride is a trait which inculcates confidence in a child and he grows up to be an adult who is comfortable in his own shoes and not somebody who yearns for another background.

Children in many households are brought up with the sole aim of being a roaring success

Unfortunately over the recent years the desire to excel has led to the undermining of the previously cherished values and children in many households are brought up with the sole aim of being a roaring success. This process also results in their looking upon classmates as simply peers and unfortunately there is no time, opportunity and eventually no desire for forming meaningful relationships. The relentless race for success makes them oblivious to all else and in most cases they want to complete the basic education and go abroad, as they have no sense of belonging and are either unaware of their cultural heritage or simply ashamed of it.

It is shocking that many high end schools even forbid their students to converse in the local language

Pride in one’s culture is one of the abandoned values and the greatest victim of this trend is the deliberate sabotage of our own language. It is shocking that many high end schools even forbid their students to converse in the local language and English has emerged as a status symbol and not merely the medium of education. This is a very distressing trend and one looks upon with envy on countries like Turkey and France particularly, who take immense pride in their language and heritage

It would be comical if not so tragic when grandmothers and great grandmothers not conversant with the English language try in vain to communicate with the grandchildren and often end up being embarrassed. The responsibility of not allowing the prevailing superficial environment to wipe out our cultural heritage falls upon us and we should not deprive our young generation of the richness of our language and literature.

They are not comfortable in their own shoes

All this has led to an almost toxic environment and the last two generations take pleasure in looking down upon their homeland and forever comparing it unfavorably with the others. They are not comfortable in their own shoes and those not holding foreign passports vent their frustration by being derogatory about their homeland, hence creating an environment of rage and discontentment

One looks around in vain to find souls who take pride in the homeland and are willing to come forward and share responsibility for its shortcomings. It is time to admit that a failed state means that almost all individuals have failed in some way and lack of national pride lies at the root of this failure