Seats and forms of power

SEATS AND FORMS OF POWER

I’m going to talk about the notion, Seats and forms of power.

During this year we have study this notion particularly around India

The power is the capacity to exercise control or authority on someone or in a state.

Through different documents studied like “another girl”, “Indian girls go missing”, “two stories”, “country on the march”, we have compare the actors of the power.

The real question is, in modern India, are all citizen on an equal footing?

In a first time, we will see the weight of the inequalities among citizens, in a second part among men and women, and in a third part, we will speak about the evolution of Indian society.

1/Traditions still remain in India. First of all, the power of the cast is very important. It exist 4 different. When you are born into one, you cannot change or marry somebody belonging to another. Moreover, as we learn in the text named “Dalit”, an outcast exist: the Untouchables.

They are forced to use specific eating-places, schools, temples…and they are only allowed certain jobs like cleaners.

They survive on less than 2$ a day. This raise up a real problem of discrimination among citizens.

Speaking poverty, another problem exists in India, the inequalities of resource between citizens. Billionaires (55) are more numerous than in France (24). They live in the big cities in beautiful places! However, two-third (2/3) of the population survive on less than 1$ a day, they live in slums, and are illiterate.

2/In another field, in India, women are disadvantaged and don’t have power in the society.

It’s a big problem when a girl births in an Indian family. As explain in the text “another girl”, they are not welcome and often abandoned at birth.

First, because they can’t help in different tasks like in the fields, then when they get married, their parents must give a dowry to the future husband family. A girl is not financially attractive for a family. Even sex selective abortions are illegal, they exist in India and raise up the problem of female infanticide as explain in the text named “Indian girls go missing”.

3/In spite of these inequalities, India is changing. Of course, poverty stays a big problem and slums are expanding around the big modern cities. But the economy of India is changing. Bangalore for instance, become a high tech city and a center of computing revolution.

International powerful companies set up their office in India. Management spirit exists.

As exemple and as hope even women begin to meet success, for instance Sirisha who left her job in Manhattan to found her own company in India. Moreover, two women were at the head of government Indira Ghandi prime ministery, and Pratibha Patil president of India.

It’s a country on the move, thanks to the high tech powerful sector.

For sure, inequalities still exist in India and not all citizen are on equal footing. Despite the government forbidden all kind of discrimination, tradition still prevails.

We need believe and hope that mentalities are changing to leave all together in a better world.

The different casts are :

1/ Brahmanes ou prayers,

2/ Kshatriyas ou warriors

3/  Vaishyas, Sellers

4/ Shudras, like waiter

5/ Intouchables[N 2][5]

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