New Delhi, January 31: His celebrated book The Great Indian Middle Class was hailed as a daring analysis of what is happening in the country today. Pavan K Varma, author of nearly a dozen thought-provoking books and also director general of Indian Centre for Cultural Relations, had then warned that the Indian middle class could land itself in trouble in near future for ignoring its duties towards the nation.

At Delhi University’s IP College for Women to deliver its Annual Lecture on Wednesday, Varma made a strong plea: For a modern India to survive the challenges of globalisation, Indians must assert their cultural identity.

The noted author said colonialism has brought about significant influences on Indian culture, art and architecture, which, he pointed out, was the most obvious. “The greatest failing in Modern India has been in the field of architecture. Umaid Bhavan in Jaipur, designed and executed by Lancaster and Lodge, a British firm of architects, is an architectural marvel but the soul is missing. I’m not blaming anyone but I am trying to make you aware of how we all have co-opted with colonialism without even knowing about it,” he said.

To illustrate how colonialism had seeped into the national consciousness, he narrated interesting anecdotes. From Pandit Nehru’s choice of Jan Gan Man as national song “because its tune fits better with western orchestration” to massive appeal of Valentine’s Day among youngsters than Indian festivals, Varma stressed that British Rule had brought about definite changes in the cultural conscience of the nation. “When for 200 years, you become the object of external gaze, it does something to you,” he said.

He also warned “unsuspecting Indians” against the challenges of globalisation. “Globalisation is incipient, pervasive. It is seemingly benevolent, which means it never comes as a direct threat. It is also relentless and intrusive. It is not just in your offices; it reaches your bedroom. It is aggressive because it has an agenda linked to market and economics. The key issue then becomes identity. We have our own heritage. How do we assert it?” he asked.

Disagreeing with economist Amartya Sen’s notion of identity in his book The Argumentative Indian, Verma said assertion of one’s cultural identity, without xenophobia, is the need of the hour. “It you belong to your roots, respect from your foreign interlocutors for you increases. Clones are easier. But you can’t caricature an ancient civilization because you may hurt its soul,” he stated.

And on a parting note, he offered tips on how to assert cultural identity: “You must use awareness and introspection on notions of identity as tools and have genuine pride in your culture and not mere tokenism. Issues of identity can be an inflammable subject. In societies where identity is under threat, where educated classes are drifting away from their culture, question of identity becomes an issue. But we must be a nation equipped to interface with a globalising world, without losing our national identity. If we don’t do it, we will soon join the photocopy factory,” he said.