India Has Always Been Conservative—It’s Time for Liberal Thinking

 India is a land of paradoxes—vibrant chaos meets ancient tradition, tech hubs rise next to cow-dotted villages, and Bollywood churns out romance while families arrange marriages. But beneath this dizzying mix lies a stubborn truth: Indian society has always been conservative. From Vedic times to the Instagram age, we’ve clung to hierarchy, tradition, and conformity like a security blanket. It’s not all bad—it’s given us resilience and identity—but it’s also held us back. As Indians, we desperately need a dose of liberal thinking. Let’s explore why, with a few examples that hit close to home.

The Vedic Blueprint: Rules Over Reason

Go back 3,000 years to the Vedic period. The Rigveda wasn’t just poetry—it was a rulebook. Society was sliced into the varna system: Brahmins at the top, Kshatriyas next, then Vaishyas, and Shudras at the bottom. Your birth decided your role—no questions asked. Women? Their job was to marry, serve, and bear sons, as the Manusmriti later codified with glee. Sure, there were hymns to nature and lofty ideas about cosmic order, but the system screamed control, not freedom.

Fast forward to the Upanishads around 600 BCE. You’d think the shift to philosophy—meditating on Atman and Brahman—would loosen things up. Nope. The Brahmins still ran the show, and the caste ladder stayed rigid. Even questioning the system was a privilege reserved for the elite. Conservatism wasn’t just a phase—it was baked in.

Medieval India: Devotion, Not Disruption

By the medieval period, Bhakti saints like Kabir and Mirabai sang of love for God over caste or creed. Sounds progressive, right? Not quite. Their rebellion was spiritual, not social. Kabir might’ve mocked priests, but he didn’t dismantle the patriarchy or untouchability. The Mughal era added purdah—veiling women—to the mix, doubling down on gender norms. Even the liberal Akbar, with his interfaith debates, kept power centralized and tradition intact. India’s heart stayed conservative, even when its poets dreamed big.

Colonial Pushback: Clinging to the Old

When the British rolled in, you’d expect a shake-up. Instead, we doubled down. The 1857 rebellion wasn’t about liberty—it was about restoring kings and customs the British threatened. Reformers like Raja Ram Mohan Roy fought sati (widow-burning) in the 1820s, but faced backlash from orthodox Hindus who saw it as sacred tradition. The caste system? The British codified it further with their census obsession, and we didn’t exactly riot for equality. We resisted change, not oppression.

Modern India: Same Story, New Packaging

Independence in 1947 could’ve been a reset. Instead, we wrote a progressive Constitution but lived conservatively. Take marriage—90% of Indians still marry within their caste, per a 2016 survey by the Lokniti program. Arranged marriages dominate, often with dowry quietly changing hands despite being illegal. The 2012 Delhi gang rape sparked outrage, but victim-blaming persists—remember the politician who said women shouldn’t be out at night? That’s 2020s India, not some ancient text.

LGBTQ rights? Section 377 lingered until 2018, and even post-decriminalization, same-sex marriage is a pipe dream—conservative lawmakers won’t touch it. Meanwhile, cow vigilantism thrives, with mobs lynching people over beef rumors (like the 2015 Dadri killing). Tradition trumps reason every time. And don’t get me started on honor killings—over 300 cases annually, per the National Crime Records Bureau, because love across caste or religion is still a death sentence in some villages.

The Bollywood Mirror

Even our pop culture reflects this. Bollywood churns out films like Kabir Singh (2019), where a toxic, controlling hero is romanticized, grossing ₹379 crore. Contrast that with Piku (2015), a rare gem about an independent woman, which made less than half that. We cheer conservative tropes—self-sacrificing wives, obedient sons—while sidelining stories that challenge norms. Art imitates life, and our life loves the status quo.

Why Liberal Thinking Matters

So, what’s the cost? Stagnation. Our conservatism fuels inequality—India ranks 129th on the 2023 Gender Gap Index, behind Bangladesh. It stifles innovation—our obsession with “safe” careers like engineering or medicine kills creative risk-taking. It breeds intolerance—think of the 2021 arrests of comedians like Munawar Faruqui for “hurting sentiments.” We’re a young nation (median age 28), but our mindset feels ancient.

Liberal thinking—openness to change, individual freedom, rational debate—could break this cycle. Imagine questioning caste without fear, letting women choose their paths (not just their husbands), or debating religion without riots. It’s not about copying the West—it’s about unlocking India’s potential. The Bhakti poets bent rules; Tagore dreamed of a free mind in “Gitanjali.” We’ve got the seeds—we just need to water them.

The Road Ahead

This isn’t a rant against tradition. Our heritage—yoga, Ayurveda, the Mahabharata—is worth celebrating. But clinging to every old idea like it’s gospel? That’s where we falter. Liberal thinking doesn’t mean abandoning our roots—it means pruning what’s rotten so the tree grows stronger.

Look at our neighbors. Sri Lanka legalized abortion in 1995; we’re still debating it. Nepal recognized a third gender in 2007; we’re lagging despite our hijra history. We’re not incapable of change—look at the Green Revolution or Aadhaar—but we need to apply that energy to society, not just systems.

So, India, let’s talk. Why do we clutch tradition so tight? What’s stopping us from asking hard questions? The comments are open—bring your chai and your thoughts.