Indian Youth Today
By Arwa Gunja, Special Contributor

Over ten years ago, Bollywood hits were classified by teenagers embracing a romantic love story, depicting the innocence and wholesomeness of Indian society, culture, and values. But after backpacking through India last summer, it is no longer shocking to see a movie with Prieti Zinta wearing revealing clothing, standing under a waterfall in a thin white shirt, or erotically dancing with the movie’s heroin.
But, what is most odd about the phenomenon is that while girls in India seem to be slowly rebelling, Indian girls in America are emerging with a new sense national pride and honor.

Flipping through a television set in India, it is far too common that Indian-Brittney Spears-wannabes show up in films and music videos. Or, as of 4 months ago, Carrie, Samantha, Miranda, and Charlotte made their first appearance on Indian TV, now airing Sex and the City on a daily basis.

“The sexual content is incredibly explicit,” explained Natasha Varma, an Indian living in America enrolled in her first year at Stern. “And it’s unfortunate because it really does have influence kids growing up in India.”

And as Indian cities become more technologically progressive, the youth culture seems to be moving forward as well. In Bangalore, also known as the silicon valley of the Indian subcontinent, youths stay out late drinking in bars and flirting with the opposite sex while walking around during the day in tight clothing holding hands with their significant other. And no one in the city, except for me, looked twice.
Meanwhile, it is more common to find face-whitening creams in pharmacies than it is to pick up a bottle of Tylenol. It’s just as easy to find girls veiled in hijabs – a Muslim dress which denounces materialism and superficiality of women and their bodies - walking into elite beauty salons to be spend thousands of rupees styling their hair.

But, while girls in India are trying their hardest to look, dress, talk, and act western, their mentality is still decades away from progressive.
“It’s ironic how there is this large gap,” Verma explained. “On the one hand, the population is becoming more daring in terms of explicit content, but on the other, their mentality is still where it was years ago.”
Indian magazines still devalue the woman in a marriage, condemn pre-marital sex, and fervently denounce homosexuality, despite the numerous episodes of Will and Grace that are aired daily.

The emergence of this provocative culture is a huge contrast from what it means to be Indian in the US. In fact, the two cultures are practically polar opposites.
Indians at NYU, for example, are redefining themselves, emerging with a new sense of pride of their background. Though they live in the western world, most have not forgotten their Asian routes and are trying to integrate both American and Indian lifestyles into their daily lives.

“I was born in the western world, with a western mindset and attitude,” said Verma. “But, my parents raised me with Indian values and that part of me is Indian.”

Whether born in America with full-bred Indian parents or international students, Indians at NYU are holding on to their traditions and customs, from the food they eat, to the parties and social events they attend, to the music they listen to, and even to the clothes they wear.

Indian-American girls have accepted that living in America indirectly makes them western but does not dismiss their Indian roots. They find entertainment in movies that range from PG to R, rather than just those where sex is the central theme. They tan in the summer rather than purchasing whitening creams and looking for tips to be fair-skinned. They socialize with both genders, rather than viewing males solely as potential suitors.

Likewise, the Indian girls in America are certainly more progressive than those in India when it comes to issues of gender and sexuality. Indian women at NYU are enrolled not just to become engineers or doctors – the expected profession for most Indians – but to be lawyers, reporters, actors, and businesswomen. There are those who are sexually active or engaged in relationships where sex is a topic that is openly discussed between both partners. The woman no longer stands by her man’s side, but has equal power in the relationship.

It might seem as though India’s youth is progressing, but instead they are simply progressing in materialism while remaining stagnant on social issues that actually matter. Indians in America send a positive message, telling the emerging culture in India that being western in appearance holds no weight, but rather, progression from stereotypes and gender roles will bring India much farther in the long run.

It is sad to see wholesome Indian values eaten away by films and mainstream media, and even sadder to see that the Indian ideals that move the society backwards are growing stronger than ever.