Every vocation comes with a set of protocols , especially dependent on the region in which it is being practised . Every section of society , similarly follows a code of conduct which also depends on the part of the world we are looking at .
The classical music of India is a traditional art form , which has been passed down aurally over thousands of years . Needless to say , that it has certain time honoured value system some of which remain relevant even today . The interesting thing however , is that in the last 100 years , or so , we have undergone a sea change , societally speaking . The culture , cuisine , dressing of the people of our country , has gone from being completely traditional to becoming uber-modern . The speed of this change has been so overwhelming that the codes of conduct followed by a traditional art form like Indian classical music has been left in a slightly bewildered , crossroads-like situation in the present day . This often leads to a somewhat anachronistic set of behaviour patterns amongst practitioners of this art form .
For instance , in keeping with Indian traditional protocol , it is customary to touch the feet of an elderly person , or bow down and say namaskar to them . However , between this , and just saying hi or hugging or even saying “ Yo , how are you man ?” we are often caught in awkward moments of uncertainty , trying to decide which one is better or more appropriate .
Often there is a great expectation of this kind of bowing down from people of earlier generations and therefore the indoctrination starts from a very early age so that the student of music follows this protocol to the T . I have often seen young students of music touch the feet of the elderly five or six times in the course of an hour-long meeting – I think we will all agree that this is a bit over the top .
Once at a gathering of legends , the late Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma said he preferred the folded hands namaskaar to someone touching his feet . He explained that the concept of pranaam is one where someone seeks the permission of an elder or a guru to take some of their energy and blessing . He said that the person touching one ’ s your feet must ask for permission before doing so , as the elder must consent to this kind of energy transference .
Having said that I think the custom of being respectful to somebody who is older than you is actually a great one but then there comes the question of the respect being a result of ceremony or genuinely coming from within . What are the things that have vastly changed is the closeness between generations of people . We are much closer to our parents or our gurus than we traditionally used to be . However , if one delves a little deeper into this dynamic , one will realise that traditionally gurus and their shishyas did enjoy a great deal of bonhomie . A great guru like Shri Ram Krishna Paramhansa told his equally great disciple , Swami Vivekananda that he had every right to accept his guru only after asking the necessary questions .
I find the diversity of cultural backgrounds that exists in India to be very charming . I find it very endearing , for instance , that , in Maharashtra most people address one another by “ tum ” ( as in Marathi the aap or aapani is extremely formal and somewhat distant ) while in the north ( places like Allahabad ) people address even their kids as aap . Cultural homogeneity is reassuring but I think in a country like India , the cultural diversity is something which must be celebrated .
To sum it all up , if I may be allowed , my humble opinion , I think balance is the key . There is certainly no need to be apologetic about being who you are , or about where you come from . There is no need to change value systems which are innate to you .
There is a great deal that traditional wisdom offers , that is of immense value and which continues to remain relevant , and then there are some things which lose their relevance with the passage of time . It is important that as individuals we differentiate one from the other as we move on . How you dress does not change who you are , and most importantly , what you project does not change who you are .
The irony of it all is that it is often as difficult , as it is easy to be completely yourself under your skin . Easy , because that is who you are and difficult , because we are always watching ourselves through the eyes of the millions around us .
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