Assimilation is ok to a certain extent but not to the extent of losing your own identity,your upbringing, your values etc.
In India i eat with my hands, other places i eat as per the norm there, there is no conflict for me.
Fear of being classified as "ganwar" or uncivilized comes when you are not sure about yourself.
I been more than 12 years out of India,still i am the same as i was when i left India.You don't have to give up everything to look westernized, people should be proud of what they are and the country they are from, the whites can talk what they want i don't care.