Figure 1.--Pverty and malnutrition continues to be a major problem in modern India. This photograph show street children in Calcutta. |
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India is the second most populace country in the world, second only to China. There are more than a million people in the country. The population is higly diverse ethnicity, religion, caste, social class, and other factors. Traditioinally Indian society has been strictly sepsrated into castes based on Hindu teachings, with untouchables at the bottom ostrcized by the higher classes. This situation was an important part of the appeal of Islam to many Indians. Since independence, the Government has tried to remove the stigma of untouchibility with some success, but the problem persists. India upon becoming independent made a number of important choices. Unlike many British colonies, they decided to implement a democratic, parlimentary system and the British legal system. They rejectd, however, free market ecinomics and persued Soviet style planning. The result was a stagnant economy and limited economic progress. Indian politicans in the 1990s began to implement free-market economic polices which has brought dynamic economic growth. Studies of countries around the world show that the poorest countries tend to be those with dictatorial government and socialist command economies. The most properous tend to be denocratic countries with free market economies. The progress India has made is yet another confirmation of that basic dynamic, namely that people want to be free and it is political and economic systems offering that freedom that unlock the mnate capabilities and energy of human beings. The result has been a huge expansion of the country's middle class. Government studies suggest that about 30 percent of the country now belong to the middl class. Many are nw entrants to the middle class from humble origins. The country still has a terrible poverty problem with huge numbers of people living in abject poverty. India has higher rates of malnourished children than sub-Saharan Africa. One study shows that 46 percent of Indian children under the age of 3 years suffer from malnutrition. That figure, however, is an improvement and the country's increasing economic success apears to be bringing prosperity to more and more Indians. In many ways life in traditional India was much less complicated than in our more socially mobile western societies, and the habits of clothing were much less compulsory. A rapidly growing economy, however, is creating tensions among the more traditional elements of Indian society.
India is the second most populace country in the world, second only to China. There are more than a million people in the country. The population is higly diverse ethnicity, religion, caste, social class, and other factors. Indira Ghandi as primeminister attempted policies comparable to those Chia introfduced to limit population growth, but without success. Of course over time population growth falls as people move to the city and enter the middleclass. Birth rates among the rural poor, however, continue to be very high.
Traditioinally Indian society has been strictly sepsrated into castes based on Hindu religious teachings. The caste system has been criticized on questions of social justice. It has, however, been a strong force for stability in Indian society, Hindu teaching provides for five life levels or social castes : Brahman, Kshatriya, Vaishya, Shudra, and Harijans. Within each caste are the jatis within within which people are born, marry, live their lives, and die. Eache caste has their set place and role in Hindu society. The Harijans or untouchables at the bottom are ostrcized by the higher classes. This situation was an important part of the appeal of Islam to many Indians. Since independence, the Government has tried to remove the stigma of untouchibility with some success, but the problem persists. The Indian caste system continues to play an important role in modern India. The caste system worked in a cloes social and ecoomic system with which social mobility was limited. It is less well suited for a modern economic system with dynamic growth and expansion. On of the tests of India's democratic ststem is how the ountry will deal with the conflicts between traditional forces and the rising new entreprenural society.
India upon becoming independent made a number of important choices. Unlike many British colonies, they decided to implement a democratic, parlimentary system and the British legal system. They rejectd, however, free market ecinomics and persued Soviet style planning. The result was a stagnant economy and limited economic progress.
A reader writes, "India had very few wealthy and even fewer middle class as we would know them in the United States. A professional such as a doctor or a lawyer could earn the equivalent of a major corporate executive at the time with many servants, at least that is what my friends who were born in India have stated." We are not sure it is accurate to say that there were fewer middle-class people than upper-class people. We do believe that the middle-class was much smaller than in Europe and America." We think the general public is less careful about observations than HBC like to be. I think there basic point is fair enough that the middle class was small, but smaller than the rich is hard to believe. The British ran the Raj with a lot of Indians working in the civil service. And their were schools go train lawyers and other specialists. Ghandi is a good example. In addition there were merchants and businessmen. So there were many areas for the middle class to develop. Another reader writes, "There is also the difference between what we call the middle class and what the middle class was in India and other poorer nations. Having servants for us, would be a sign of affluence where in India it was probably middle class
so people from those regions trying to make sense to us, may describe their middle class as affluent because they possessed what we in America would think of as trappings of the affluent even though it is middle class. Such
as living in a compound surrounded by high walls and having several servants." There has been aecided shift with middle class in recent years. Since the Indian Government began to shift away from Soviet-style statist solutions and introduce free-market reforms, India has begun to achieve notable levels of economic growth. And this has caused a very substabtial expansion of the country's middle class.
Untouchability is the tragic outcome oh Hinuism and the Indiamn caste system. The rerm comes from the fact that Hindus are not allowed to touch the individuals at bottom rung of the caste systm, directly or indirectly. The term for intouchables in India is Dalits. Touch is, however, only part of the social conventions. It is a pervasive system as to most Hindus relate to the bottom group. It is actually deeper than Western racism. It is adeeply enbeded psychological process of thought validated by religious belief and social custom. The results are a wide range physical acts and behaviours, social norms and cultural practices. Untouchability is fonded on beliefs of purity and pollution that is a cental element of casteism. Upper class Hindus believe that Dalits are polluted people which is why they are at the lowest level of the Indian Hindu caste levels. There are severe economic ramifications to untouchbility. Untouchables are excluded from most jobs. The jobs open to them are those
seen as polluting and impure. They have traditionlly been prevented from engaging in other work. The actual jobs include removing human waste ('manual scavenging'), removing and skinning animal carcasses, tanning leather, making and fixing shoes, and washing clothes. Untoues were made to live outside village so that their physical presence would not pollute the village and the people in it. And it was not just a spatial matter. Untouchables might be attacked if their houses were not inferior to those of higher status Hindus. Even elctricity and tinning water could mean trouble. Untouchability affected virtully every aspect of an individua;'s life. Tere were endless ways in which could be expressed. It is today most prevalebt in rural areas. In villages, untouchbles are not allowed to use village wells, banned from barber shops, and especially barred from temple and shrines. They are commonly not chosen by privaste enployers. If hired they are paid less and given th most menial work. Promotions are rare. And untouchavle children even experience desrimination at school. There are reports that they are mafe to clean toilets tgeir lunchesapart from the other children. The process begins at an early age. An untouchble web site reports, "As an instrument of casteism, Untouchability also serves to instill caste status to Dalit children from the moment they are born. Kachro (filth), Melo (dirty), Dhudiyo (dusty), Gandy (mad), Ghelo (stupid), Punjo (waste) are just some of the names given to Dalit boys in Gujarat. Of course, names with similar meanings are given to Dalit girls too." [Navsarjan]
Studies of countries around the world show that the poorest countries tend to be those with dictatorial government and socialist command economies. The most properous tend to be denocratic countries with free market economies. The progress India has made is yet another confirmation of that basic dynamic, namely that people want to be free and it is political and economic systems offering that freedom that unlock the mnate capabilities and energy of human beings.
A generation of Indian leaders grew up with a fervent commitment to socialist econnomics and central planning. And when India became independent, these were the policies they implemented. In addition a stifling beaureacracy further restricted growth. Finally after decades of stagnant econonics and limited growth, it became clear to Indian leaders that their cherished socialist principles simply do not generate economic groth. Socialist policies can destribute income, but they do not seem to be very good at generating wealth. Indian politicans in the 1990s began to implement a range of free-market economic polices which has brought dynamic economic growth. The result has been a huge expansion of the country's middle class. Government studies suggest that about 30 percent of the country now belong to the middle class. Many are nw entrants to the middle class from humble origins. A strong vibrant middle class is a key factor in both democratic government and economic prosperity.
The country still has a terrible poverty problem with huge numbers of people living in abject poverty. India has higher rates of malnourished children than sub-Saharan Africa. One study shows that 46 percent of Indian children under the age of 3 years suffer from malnutrition. That figure, however, is an improvement and the country's increasing economic success apears to be bringing prosperity to more and more Indians. International comparisons can be misleading. Malnutrition in susaharan Africa has traditinally been less of a problem than in the sub-continent. More telling comparisons would be with historic rates of poverty and malnutrition in India. Or rates in neighboring countries like Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Burma. And less important than the absolute extent of povery and nalnutrition is the direction of chasnge,
In many ways life in traditional India was much less complicated than in our more socially mobile western societies, and the habits of clothing were much less compulsory. A rapidly growing economy, however, is creating tensions among the more traditional elements of Indian society.
Navsarjan. Ti is the main untouchable advocay group in Gujarat.
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