Government approaches to cultural preservation in India and the United States

Traditional & Non-Traditional Cultures -- India and U.S.

Traditional & Non-Traditional Culture in India

India has a number of religions within its culture -- including Buddhism, Christianity, and the Sikh faith -- but the main religion is Hinduism; over 80% of the population of India are practicing Hindus (www.sights-and-culture.com) (SAC). Hindus believe that every human has an "immortal soul" which, after death, moves to another body, an animals or another human. So if a person has a bad back all his life, it must have been due to the soul that came before him of which he is a product; so goes the belief of the Hindus. The happiest festival in Hinduism is the Diwali, the festival of lights, which "…commemorates the victory of Lord Rama over demon King Ravana" (SAC). Religion is a very traditional part of the Indian cultural experience. A non-traditional cultural trend in India is dating, especially casual dating. Traditionally in India parents arrange the marriages of their children, because the family tries to give their children the best possible match for their future. Also, it is very rare that an Indian girl would marry an Indian boy who is not as educated as she is, or who is outside the social class of the girl. So it is non-traditional for an Indian couple to meet and marry, though they are of different social castes and have different educational backgrounds.

The Role of Governments in the U.S. & India Regarding Culture

The Mission Statement from the Ministry of Culture in India is to "preserve, promote, and disseminate all forms of art and culture" by maintaining historic sites, ancient monuments and administering the libraries, as well as promoting literary, visual and performing arts and "entering into cultural agreements with foreign countries" (http://indianculture.nic.in). Also, the Indian government pledges to promote institutions and organizations of Buddhist and Tibetan studies, and it pledges to promote the observance of "centenaries and anniversaries of important national personalities and events" (http://indianculture.nic.in).

Unofficially, the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., is the place where cultural history and present day important cultural events and objects are housed and explained. The Smithsonian is far different from the Indian Ministry of Culture; to wit, the mission is "the increase and diffusion of knowledge"; the vision is "shaping the future by preserving our heritage, discovering new knowledge, and sharing our resources with the world" (www.si.edu).