Heard of the term ‘ABCD’ (American Born Confused Desi)? I guess, most probably, you do. Let me play a prophet and enlighten you with my prediction. Extrapolating the current situation in our country, it is only a matter of time that a new breed will come to dominate the centre stage.

A generation born and raised here, overwhelmed by the west, and characterized by an inherent distaste towards its very roots. Slowly, but surely such a transformation is already underway, beneath the ground. The seeds of such a new breed have already been sown, and I can see them sprouting! This very generation is what I call ‘IBCD’ (Indian Born Confused Desi).

Having a deep-rooted faith in science, they overlook its limitations, tempting to believe that science is all-pervasive and can explain all. Science is the new religion. Huh? Anything that lacks a scientific explanation, is probably rubbish, and is contempt-worthy. And, our culture bears the brunt, being a soft-spot for obvious reasons.

Perhaps, it is in our genes – an all-embracing nature. No wonder we seep-in the western culture (especially, American and British) with utmost ease, like a sponge. I have traveled around the world a bit, but have not come across a community that would desecrate its own roots and culture, under the pretext of modernization. Believe me, they belong to the so called developed society; yet, they are not overwhelmed by the onslaught of 'alien' culture. In fact, I have heard common people in Europe discuss about the influence of the American culture on their lives.

Probably, as fallout of this social transformation, a kind of self-effacing psychology is creeping into the minds of the IBCDs. Ironically, most of these IBCDs have not visited these western countries. Some go that extra mile – bashing our culture and dismissing it as rubbish is tantamount to being modern. Yeah, they cannot afford the humiliation of being out of vogue.

Do not get me wrong. I am a youth of this country too. And, I am all for modernization, and not against aping the west; but, not at the cost of originality. If this continues unchecked, a few centuries down the line, our culture would be extinct. I shudder at this thought. God forbid. Think about this: India was the cradle of human civilization, a super-power once upon a time. As a parting thought, I hope that this truth will dawn upon the IBCD generation, and some day in the future the glory will be restored! “IBCDs. Are you listening?”.

Just wanted to document this whim.

When was the last time you uttered, "I just love the way Shah Rukh has acted in that movie. It was flabbergasting! No doubt, he will win an Oscar", even without watching the movie. Or, do you recall saying, "I am a die-hard fan of Sukor. He's got to be the next Maradona!", without even knowing which team he represents.

Lets face it. The fact is, (almost) all of us are 'infected' by such a psychological disorder. We are all wearing personalities, making things up to sound really 'cool'. Because, we like to impress people; prove them that we are not out of vogue. For the fear of becoming obsolete, people go to ridiculous lengths to differentiate and stand out. Perhaps, this tendency is more of a socio-psychological disorder.

Actually, by (divine) design, every soul and every object are fundamentally different. Every soul is innately distinct. Owing to such an existence, it is only obvious that if we are to just remain ourselves (be natural), we would be different.

Doesn't it sound simple?