IDEA OF PROGRESS - INDIA

INDIA ON THE MOVE - IDEA OF PROGRESS

INTRODUCTION

. I’m going to deal with the notion of idea of progress wich generally refers to an improvement, a development or a change to making the world a better place.

. To illustrate this notion , I will talk about a country , India who leads me to wonder :

TO WHAT EXTENT INDIA IS A DEVELOPING COUNTRY ?

. So first , I will reflect on the relationship of Indians to their customs and then I will tackle to some aspects of progress that India knows.

1 - INDIA , A COUNTRY DEEPLY ATTACHED TO ITS TRADITIONS

On the one hand , we can stay that India is deeply attached to its traditions wich may , in some aspects , define it as an underdeveloped country.

THE PLACE OF WOMEN : CHILD BRIDES / FORCED MARIAGES

. « first meeting » text

Firstly , the place of women is truly outdated. Phenomena of child brides and forced mariages are omnipresent and still allowed. For instance , I studied a text entitled « first meeting » wich relates the testimony of a thirteen-years old Indian girl who is describing an upsetting moment of his life : the first meeting with her husband-to-be arranged by his family. Obviously she didn’t have a say. Even if she was strongly opposed to that, consent is not a condition in those cases in spite she didn’t want to spoil her future and rather to work and be an independent woman. We learn in this document that her family was mad at her because of her stand , and , as most of Indians , was conviced that getting married was the only way for a woman to succeed. She was adorned with gold jewels and heavy sari in wich she felt ill-at-ease.

This extract highlights the girl maturity, will of freedom and independence but on the other hand , the scene proves that forced marriages are terrible and represent a crucial moment for a family particularly because of the dowry , a financial burden for them. The girl embodies the typical indian woman considered as an object.

GAP BETWEEN INDAN CITIZENS : CASTE SYSTEM / POVERTY / SHARP CONTRAST :

. « economic miracle in Dharavi » video

Secondly , we note a huge gap between indian citizens , the have and the have not. Indeed , India knows an economic growth due to an emerging economy wich seems , at first glance something truly positive. Nevertheless , that doesn’t prevent the extreme poverty of a part of the population, due to the caste system, something actually outlawed but still anchored in Indians mentality. It consist in splitting up the population in different groups according to their works.Bhramim are the richest and the untouchables the poorest.I thought that the video called « economic miracle in Dharavi » was a relevant illustration of the sharp contrast between the rich and the poor in the country. So in it, on the one hand we could observe a big shopping mall wich represent consumer society, wealth etc… and on the other hand, right next to it, we see slums, a noisy and dirty environment, in other words, the poor neighborhood where people make a living off of recycling

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