Tuesday 25 November 2014

The Transitional Era in India


 India is presently passing through a transitional period in its history, from feudal agricultural society to modern Industrial society. At present we are neither totally feudal nor totally industrial, but somewhere in between. While we have achieved a certain level of industrialization, we still have a lot of remnants of feudalism in our society in the form of casteism, communalism,superstitions, etc.

 A transitional period  is a very painful and agonizing period in history, full of turbulence and turmail. If we read the history of Europe from the 17th to 19th Centuries, when Europe was passing through its transition from feudalism to a modern industrial society, we find that this was a terrible period in Europe, full of turbulence, wars, revolutions, chaos, social churning, and intellectual ferment, with all kinds of theories of Voltaire, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Thomas Paine, etc, It was only after going through this fire that modern society emerged in Europe.

 India is presently going through this fire.  We are going through a very painful and agonizing period in our history which I think will last for around another 20 years.

 For after all what is a transition in history ? It is a period when society is being turned topsy turvy, and is in a state of total confusion. The old feudal society is being torn apart and totally uprooted, and is being replaced by a new, modern society. Old values are being challenged and gradually destroyed, and supplanted by new values. The whole of society is thrown into chaos and confusion. Defenders of the old order are being challenged by adherents of the new.

 At present in India there are still a lot of remnants of feudalism in the form of casteism, communalism, and superstitious thinking. A mighty struggle will have to be waged by all patriotic Indians, who will have to make great sacrifices, to combat feudal ideas and destroy the feudal remnants in our society, and replace them with modern, scientific practices and ideas.

  Can all this happen without a great deal of turmoil ? No, it cannot. One may wish that the transition is without any pain or turbulence, but unfortunately that is not how history functions. So the next 20 years or so in India is likely to witness a lot of turbulence and turmoil.

 Our aim must be to create an India which is prosperous, and in which all Indians enjoy a decent life and a high standard of living.
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6 comments:

  1. Respected Sir, My name is Amit and i would like to share something with you.
    I too share the same feeling regarding the transition period that INDIA is going through.
    Its been around lots of years that i have thought about my country and i found few of the elements that are social evils in our society.
    I would put this thing in 3 simple points
    1) Caste
    2)Communalism and finally
    3)Gender Inequality

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  2. I dont know weather you will agree with my views or not but please correct me if I'm wrong....
    Caste: Division of Labour in the ancient times is certainly regarded as the best thing in human kind but it was based on work and not on birth...As it is said that ki "Koi bhi kshatriya janam se nahi ,karam se hota hai " But in later vedic age it became hereditary ...A hymn of rig veda says "i am a singer,my father is a physician,my mother is a grinder of corn".
    Once i went to my village sir, to waha ek insaan aya aur wo mera friend tha ,i used to play cricket with him,After entering our house he sat down the charpai. I asked him ki Ghanshyam uppar aake baith jaao, he said no and many of the villagers didn't permit him to do so, I didn't understand ki wo aisa kyu behave kia. I was probably in 5th class at that time, later when i grew ,i got to understand that he was from lower caste.i really felt embarrassed that he faced such kind of humiliation.
    Today its needless to say that it has its worst forms in political,economical and social life of Indians....this is used politically by our leaders,economically too and socially for instance it creates lots of hurdles during inter caste marriages.
    Now we have Abolition of Untouchability in article 17 of Indian Constitution ....So cant we have "Abolition of Caste " inserted in some part of our fundamental right...Today I'm 25 and if after 30-40 yrs from now the next generation of mine would know nothing about a word caste ,then i feel lots of problem in India could be sort out .I know many people will be against this idea of mine but legally aisa kuch ho jisme ki state forcibly aise kuch kaanoon nikale jisse ki mere desh ki dasha badle ,to kya wo sahi nahi rahega?
    There was a time when it was believed that Sati system cannot be disassociated from the hindu society,but great people like Raja Ram Mohan Roy made this things possible...People like Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar,Jyotibha Phule have done a lot for the upliftment of the women.

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  3. Secondly I personally believe that people must not be over religious or superstitious,instead they should focus much on science and technology. There must be modern technologies used in Madrasas. I'm not against any religion but i feel that people must focus much on science.Excess of anything is dangerous and being superstitious will lead people to darkness .Many a time it leads to communal violence.

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  4. Thirdly the way women are treated now a days , the instance of rape,domestic violence etc is simply because of moral and ethical degradation of people.
    Today we are taught many things in our schools and colleges but I presume that keeping 3 separate chapters for caste,religion(secularism) and gender equality in our academics (from 6th class to 10th)could bring the change in the minds and attitudes of the next generation.
    I'm a student and i even work for an NGO where i teach small kids who used to be beggars,child labours and orphans sometime ago..My students are from different castes,religion,region,language etc..There are few from upper castes ,they will never get the benefit of reservations. Don't they need any reservations? If reservations is the only problem that could solve India's problem, shouldn't it be based on the economical status of an individual. I know few of my friends who are of non-hindus, who are of upper middle class ,but they still enjoy these reservations.How far is this thing just? can't we start from the beginning? i've seen many of your posts sir,and my observation is that you are a truly pacifist who speaks of integration of Pakistan and India. I know you are very much aged and experienced in your life. so i would like to ask you if you can do something from which my country's situation could change ,that would be of great help for me sir. It really pains me whenever you say that weather you will be alive or not to see India really free , free from all these social evils. I want you and me to breathe in the air where all of us are equal,where there is no caste,no gender inequality and other drawbacks of my country. Western countries do not have these social evils and this might be one of their reasons to progress ,that is wt i fell sir....please correct me if i'm wrong any where sir...Thank you sir...awaiting your reply sir....JAI HIND......

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  5. The copied constitution can't simply address law of natural inequality.
    Let alone two people but no two things in the world are equal.
    Cast and race are inherent to nature. There is cat bird and fish.
    Within dog there is a wide variety of them like german shepherd and alsatian.
    Cast used in it's right perspective is a blessing.
    Today indian constitution is using it towards persecution of brahmins.
    It is the nature's laws that brahmins belived and will continue to belive. They have given us strength during good and evil laws of land over milleniums.

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  6. caste is something which is made by we humans only, yes i do agree this was the best thing in human history but it was based on work and not birth.we can change this fake pride thing, even i belong from high caste socially although i do not believe in this system but finally i feel that a person from lower caste's iq is not low and a brahmin's iq is not high . although there might be some differences in their thought process but it is because of their upbringing and their economic status. lower caste log ka khoon nahi paani hota hai kya? unke aur upper caste ke logo ka khoon to ek hi hai. finally we all are humans. believe in universalism . 1 caste that is humanity.i would even disagree with god if he recognizes caste based on birrth and not on work. we cant have fake pride on something for which we got accidentally and not by our own efforts. we all are one ...

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