- The practice of touching elders' feet has been questioned by startup founder Jasveer Singh
- Singh argued respect should come from admiration, not just age or social conditioning
- He stated age alone is not an achievement and character should earn respect instead
The traditional practice of touching the feet of elders has sparked a debate after a startup founder questioned whether age alone should decide who deserves the gesture. He argued that respect should come from genuine admiration rather than social pressure.
In a post on X, Jasveer Singh, co-founder of Knot Dating, said touching someone's feet simply because they are older can become an automatic habit rather than a genuine sign of respect. He questioned why people are expected to follow the practice.
Singh wrote, "Touching someone's feet just because they're older should stop. That isn't respect, that's social conditioning."
According to him, many people grow up following the practice because their families teach them to do so. Over time, it can become something they do without thinking about whether they actually respect or admire the person.
Check Out The Post Here:
Touching someone's feet just because they're older should stop. That isn't respect, that's social conditioning.
— Jasveer Singh (@jasveer10) August 20, 2026
Most people in India don't do it out of respect, they do it because they've been programmed since childhood.
They bend because everyone else is bending. They don't…
He also questioned the idea that simply being older should automatically make someone worthy of such respect. Singh wrote that age is not an achievement.
He mentioned, "Age is not an achievement. Being someone's uncle, aunt, relative or elder doesn't automatically make them worthy of that gesture. If age alone deserved respect, every old person would be wise, we all know that's not true."
"Wearing religious clothes doesn't earn it either. Being related to you by blood definitely doesn't earn it. Character earns it, nothing else does. Touch the feet of someone who has genuinely earned it. Someone whose character you admire, someone who has knowledge, wisdom, integrity, or has achieved something meaningful, someone whose life makes you think, I want to learn from this person," he added.
Singh wrote that this is not respect but a performance that people have been rehearsing since childhood. He clarified that he was not asking people to become arrogant or disrespectful towards elders. His point was that respect should come from a real feeling and not from social pressure.
He also wrote that respect should be genuine, not compulsory, and that people should bend only when it is real.
Social Media Reaction
His post led to a discussion among users, with people sharing different opinions about the tradition.
One user commented, "In our culture we can consider it as "regard" instead of respect."
Another user noted, "I was never told to touch someone's feet "as mark of respect" I was told that I am bowing down to the divine soul inside them no matter what qualities that person have."
