The Tradition of Traditions

Every Dusshera, my Tauji makes a new entry in a diary that has been passed down in my family since my great-grandfather's time. Every year like clockwork, he writes about why we celebrate Dusshera and asks for blessings. Then, every member of my family reads what he writes and signs their name underneath. When I asked why we had such a ritual that we followed almost religiously among ourselves, my Tauji only smiled and said "Bus ek tradition hai beta". I'm sure that I'm not the only one in this never-ending saga of questions and riddles answered by the phrase "Tradition hai". We arrive, wide-eyed and innocent in this world, only to be quickly moulded into little replicas of those who came before us. It's as if we're born holding an invisible handbook of "This is the way", written by? Nobody remembers or knows. An ancient manual with rules everyone seems bound to follow. And so, we follow the same rituals, cook the same dishes, sing the same songs - lyrics which everyone seems to have learnt by-hearted.

Traditions, for many, are like an old, cozy blanket, soft with familiarity but heavy, almost suffocating, with expectation. They're a compass, guiding us through the fog of modernity, pointing us back to some imagined "better" time when things were supposedly simpler. They give us a sense of identity, a feeling of belonging to a group, to something greater than our isolated, individual selves.

What if those inherited habits are more like the family heirloom you never wanted but can't seem to throw away because "it's been in the family for generations"? Every now and then, you might meet a rebellious cousin or daring uncle who suggests we "let go" of some beloved, old custom. Cue the gasps and outraged looks!

Why the uproar? Because, in truth, these practices are not just habits: they're emotional artifacts, sitting on the shelves of those old, dusty wooden cabins (which are the real generational artifacts).

It's not about whether they're good or bad; it's about questioning the very foundation of "this is how it's always been." Traditions can be both beautiful and burdensome. Dowry, untouchability, and child marriage are a few examples of illegal but "traditional" customs that are a detriment to society and culture.

According to the UNICEF, almost 27% of married women aged 20-24 were married as children. In 2022, there were still around 6,450 dowry deaths reported in India. In a study from 2014 by the India Human Development Survey, 27% of households admitted to still continuing the practice of untouchability. As citizens of our country and members of our family, it is our duty to ensure that such injurious rituals are put out of practice. Our culture is a pillar of hope and joy that everyone deserves to rely on. These harmful practices take away that feeling from a select group of people, which is exactly what our law and our gods are severely against. In your family and in your traditions, be a beacon of light that can guide others home.