Category: Education

Integration of Indian States of Independent India.

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Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel played an important role in the integration of the princely state into the Dominion of India. This achievement laid the foundation for Patel’s popularity in the post-independence era. He is still remembered as the man who united India today. In this respect he is compared to Otto von Bismarck, who united many German states in 1871. The June 3 plan gave more than 565 princely states the option of joining India or Pakistan or choosing independence. Most Indian nationalists and the masses were afraid that most people and territories would be fragmented without the participation of these states. Parliament and British officials considered Patel to be the best man on a mission to secure the conquest of the princely state from Indian rule. According to Gandhi only Patel could solve this problem. Patel had practical insight and determination to accomplish monumental work. Patel asked V.P. Menon, a senior official involved in the division of India, to become his right-hand man as Principal Secretary of State. Patel used a social gathering and informal setting to involve most monarchs and invite them to their home in Delhi for lunch and tea. At these meetings, Patel stated that there was no essential conflict between Congress and the prince’s order. Patel aroused the patriotism of the Indian monarchs and urged them to embrace the independence of their country and act as responsible rulers who care for their people’s future. He persuaded the rulers of 565 states about the impossibility of independence from the Republic of India, especially in the face of rising opposition from their subject. He proposed favorable conditions for the merger, including the creation of a secret purse for the descendants of the ruler. Patel encouraged the rulers to act patrioticly, and to thought about his states people and their futur, but he did not rule out violence. He emphasized the need for the princes to join India in good faith and gave them to sign the membership certificate until August 15, 1947. All but three states were willing to join the Indian Union. Only Jammu and Kashmir, Junagad and Hyderabad were States which were tough to brought under Indian Dominion.

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Junagadh being situated in Gujrat it was very important for Patel to bring it under Indian’s dominion. This was also important because there was the super-rich Somnath Temple (a temple where different stones were their including emeralds, diamonds, and gold which were looted by Mohd. Ghazni) in the Kathiawar district. Bieng under the pressure from Sir Shah Nawas Bhutto, a Nawab who joined Pakistan. However, it was far from Pakistan, with 80% of its state population being Hindus.Patel combining diplomacy and power, Pakistan invalidated Pakistan’s accession and demanded that Nawab join India. Patel sent troops to occupy the three principalities of Junagadh to show his determination. After widespread protests and the formation of the civilian government, or Aarzi Hukumat, both Bhutto and Nawab fled to Karachi, and under Patel’s orders, Indian troops and police forces invaded the state. A later organized referendum resulted in 99.5% of the votes in favor of the merger with India. After taking over, Patel, who spoke at the University of Bahauddin in Junagad, emphasized his sense of urgency regarding Hyderabad. He believes this is more important to India than Kashmir.

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Hyderabad was the largest of the princely states and which included States parts of which are now Telangana, Arndra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra. Its ruler, Nizam Osman Ali Khan, was Muslim, but more than 80% of the population of state was Hindu. Nizam called for independence or accession to Pakistan. Under Kasim Razvi, an army of Nizam-faithful Islamic troops called Razakar urged Nizam to confront India and at the same time organize an attack on the people of India’s soil. The standstill agreement was signed by Lord Mountbatten’s in desperate efforts to avoid the war, but Nizam refused to trade and changed his position. At a cabinet meeting in September 1948, Patel emphasized that India should stop speaking and reconciled Nehru and Governor Chakravarti Rajgoparachari with military action. After preparation, Patel ordered the Indian troops to invade Hyderabad (in his position on behalf of the Prime Minister) when Nehru traveled to Europe. This action, called Operation Polo, in which thousands of Razakar troops were killed , but Hyderabad was secured and integrated into the Republic of India. Mountbatten and Nehru’s main goal was to avoid forced annexation to prevent the outbreak of Hindu and Muslim violence. Patel argued that if Hyderabad was allowed to survive as an independent state surrounded by India, the government’s fame would decline and neither Hindus nor Muslims would feel reassured in their empire. After defeating the Nizam, Patel held him as the head of state of the ritual and met with him. India had 562 princely states after addition of Junagarh, Heydrabad and Jammu& Kashmir.

Article 370 & Article 35A

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Article 370
The first accession of Jammu and Kashmir, like all other princely states, involved three issues: defense, diplomacy, and communications. All princely states were invited to send representatives to the Constitutional Parliament, which drafted the Constitution across India. They were also encouraged to establish a constituent parliament for their own state. Most states were unable to establish a parliament in time, but some states, especially Saurashtra Union, Travancore-Cochin, and Mysore. The State Department had drafted a model state constitution, but on May 19, 1949, the governors and Chief ministers of each state met in the presence of the State Department and agreed that no separate state constitution was needed. They accepted the Indian Constitution as their own constitution. The state in which the elected constituent council proposed some changes that were accepted. Therefore, the status of all states has been placed on par with the status of ordinary Indian states. In particular, this meant that the subjects available for legislation by central and state governments were consistent and same throughout India.

In the case of Jammu and Kashmir, state politicians have decided to establish a separate constitutional council for the state. Representatives of the Indian Constitutional Assembly applied only the provisions of the Indian Constitution corresponding to the original accession documents to the state, and demanded that the state Constitutional Assembly decide on other matters. The Government of India agreed to the request shortly before its meeting with the other states on 19 May. Therefore, Article 370 was included in the Constitution of India, which provided that other provisions of the Constitution empowering the central government would apply to Jammu and Kashmir only with the approval of the State Constitutional Assembly.This was a “provisional provision” because it was applicable until the State Constitution was enacted and adopted. However, the State Constitutional Assembly was dissolved on January 25, 1957, and did not recommend the abolition or amendment of Article 370. This article was considered an integral part of the Indian Constitution, as confirmed by various recent April 2018 rulings by the Supreme Court of India and the Supreme Court of Jammu & Kashmir.

Credit- Legal Service India

Article 35A
Article 35A of the Constitution of India was a provision authorized by state to define the “permanent residents” of Jammu and Kashmir State and to give them special rights and privileges. It was added to the Constitution by an Executive Order, the 1954 Constitutional Order (application to Jammu and Kashmir). It was issued by the President of India under Article 370. Jammu & Kashmir has these privileges, the ability to acquire land and real estate, vote and participate in elections, pursue government employment, and receive the benefits of other governments such as higher education and medical expenses. Defined to include. Non-permanent residents of the state were not eligible for these “privileges”, even if they were Indian citizens.

The joint family system of India

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The family is the most primary group in society. It is the most simplest and elementary form of society. A family usually consists of various combinations and permutations of two primary links of kinship- parenthood and siblings. The family as an institution is universal. It is the most permanent and the most pervasive of all social institutions. Family is the biological social unit composed of husband, wife and children.

The joint family is also known as ‘undivided family’ and sometimes as ‘extended family’. It normally consists of members who at least belong to three generations: husband and wife, their married and unmarried children; and their married as well as unmarried grandchildren.

Definitions of joint family:

  1. K. M. Kapadia defines joint family as a group formed not only of a couple and their children but also other relations either from father’s side or from mother’s side depending on whether the joint family is patrilineal or matrilineal.
  2. I. P. Desai holds, “We call that household joint family which has greater generation depth than the nuclear family and the members of which are related to one another by property, income and mutual rights and obligations.”
  3. According to Dr. Mamodia, “The fundamental principle of the Hindu joint family is the tie of sapinda without which it is impossible to form a joint family.”
  4. Dr. Chandrashekhar says that “joint family is simply the common ownership of the means of production and the common enjoyment of the fruits of labour.”

Characteristics of Joint family:

  1. Common Habitation: Members of the joint family normally reside together under the same household. This comprises of father, mother, son, son’s wife and children etc. Traditionally, a joint family comprised of some separate family units who had a common habitation.
  2. Joint kitchen: The food for all members of a joint family is cooked in common kitchen. The self of joint family begins with separation of the kitchen.
  3. Joint property: In a joint family the property is held in common in respect of the ownership, production and consumption of wealth. The head of the family acts like a trustee. He manages the joint property.
  4. Kindred relationship: The members of the joint family are bound together through kinship tie. Parents and grandchildren, who are all blood related persons, live together in one house. The joint family comprises of persons belonging to at least three generations. Many a time it may be supplements by other relatives.
  5. Common worship: The members of the joint family also cherish common faith, beliefs, and hence participate in common worship. The functions of the family were mostly religious even in the Vedic times.
  6. Ritual Bonds: The performance of ‘Shraddha’ ceremony and the offering of ‘Pinda’ are propriated by the senior male member of the joint family. He performs the function on behalf of all the members of the joint family.
  7. Mutual obligations: In the joint family the members are well aware of one another’s rights and duties. Each member of the family performs certain duties which benefits the other members as well as the family as a whole.
  8. Authority of the Head: The head of the family appears to have absolute authority and control over the family property and members. Since the Hindu family is a patrilocal, patrilineal and patriarchal type, the father exercises authority over all members and family property.

Merits of joint family:

  1. The common right on the joint property is productive from the point of view of agricultural productions.
  2. In the joint family system, all the earnings are pooled into a common fund.
  3. The joint family provides social security to all the members despite their inability to earn or to work to supplement the common fund.
  4. The offsprings undergo the process of socialization in a broader family setting.
  5. All the members of a joint family share joint responsibility.
  6. Work is divided among the members in a joint family.
  7. The joint family exercises an informal type of social control over the harmful tendencies of its young members in an effective manner.
  8. Family traditions and customs are maintained in the joint family system.

Demerits of joint family system:

  1. The joint family can be centred as a source of litigations, quarrels and conflicts due to many reasons.
  2. Since collective responsibility is bestowed on all the members of family the concept ‘everybody’s business, nobody business’ prevails. It makes some members lazy because they know it pretty well that their idleness will not debar them from consuming equal share.
  3. There is a absence of privacy for the married couples.
  4. Joint family hinders social mobility.
  5. The condition of women worsen I the joint family. The woman enjoys a lower status in the joint family.
  6. The incidence of child marriage is quite high in the joint family.

The traditional joint system of Hindi has undergone vast changes. These changes have not destroyed the system as such. They have definitely affected its structure and functions and also its stability. Some of the causative factors are: education, industrialization, urbanization, change in the institution of marriage, specially in the age of marriage and the legislative measures.

Story of a fierce Queen, Rani Karnavati.

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Rani Karnavati was a princess and temporary ruler from Bundi, India. She married Rana Sanga of Mewar in Chittorgarh, the capital of the Kingdom of Mewar. She was the mother of Rana Vikramaditya and Rana Uday Singh, and the grandmother of the legendary Maharana Pratap. During 1527 to 1533 the minority years of her sons she served as a regent for Mewar. She died on 8th March 1535.

After Babur seized the throne of Delhi in 1526, Rana Sanga of Mewar led a coalition of Rajput Kings against Babur to seize the throne of Delhi. In the starting Rana Sanga was able to defeat Babul in the Battle of Bayana, but in the Battle of Kanua, he was defeated because of Babur’s excellent tactics, guns, and artillery.Rani Karnavati took over as regent on behalf of his eldest son Vikramaditya who was a minor at that time. Meanwhile, Mewar was attacked a second time by Gujarat’s ruler Bahadur Shah against whom Vikramaditya had previously been defeated. It was very important issue for Rani Karnavati.

The nobles of Mewar Kingdom did not want to fight for Vikramaditya, and as the upcoming battle will certainly be another stain in the history of Sisodias. Rani Karnavati was able to persuade nobles to fight for Mewar and honor of Sisodias . Their only condition was that Vikramaditya and Uday Singh should go to Boondi for their personal security during the war. In some legends some also said, that Rani Karnavati also sent Rakhi to Emperor Humayun of Mugals calling him his brother and asking for help. Therefore, her name was irreparably linked to the Raksha Bandhan Festival. However, this is not supported by modern writers, and modern historians such as Satish Kumar consider it a fable rather than a historical fact.

Rani Karnavati agreed to send her sons to Bundi ,while knowing the situation being very critical and which can be dangerous for her two sons and send her trusted maid Panna Dai to accompany them and take care of them. Panna hesitated, but she left for Bundi with Vikramaditya and Uday Singh and accept the Queen’s wishes.

The Sisodias dynasty fought bravely, but the army of Mewar was outnumbered by Bahadur Shah army and they were defeated. Bahadur Shah entered Chittorgarh and it was his second attack on Chittor. The male nobles donned with saffron cloths fought with the enemy till thier death and commited Saka.Karnavati and other noble court women realized that defeat was imminent and to save their honour they committed suicide on March 8, 1534, in a fire called Jauhar. This was the second of the three Jauhar to take place in Chittor.

The Ashrama Vyavastha

The Hindu Sastra- Karas advocated that man’s life and conduct is set in accordance to the attainment of the ultimate goal of life, that is, “moksha” and is influenced by four factors such as ‘desa’, ‘Kala’, ‘srama’ and ‘guna’. The Hindu sages were univocal on the presumption that any scheme of social organization which aims at the best functioning, must, in the first instance, take account of human beings from two aspects. First, the scheme must consider him as a social being with reference to his training and development in the ultimate goal of his existence; and secondly, tho has to be co- ordinated with another scheme which visualizes man with reference to his natural disposition and attitudes. The first of these is undertaken under the scheme of “ashrama“.

The word “Ashrama” comes from a Sanskrit word “srama” meaning “to exert oneself”. The word ashrama literally means a resting or halting place. According to the Hindu Vedas, there are four ashramas, that are regarded as resting places during one’s journey on the way to final liberation. Each ‘ashrama’ is a step in the long journey towards the ultimate goal. Therefore, Vedavyasa has described in the Mahabharata that ‘ashramas’ are the four rungs of ladder which takes man in the direction of Brahma. The four ashramas are:

  1. The Brahmacharyashrama
  2. The Grihasthashrama
  3. The Vanaprasthashrama
  4. The Sanyasashrama

The Brahmacharyashrama

The first stage of life of an individual is the Brahmacharyashrama. This is marked by the initiation rotes or upanayan ceremony. Brahmacharya literally means the leading of life according to Brahma. In this stage, a person acquires knowledge, achieves discipline and moulds his character. He acquires knowledge of the Vedas, shastras (weapons), tatva (theoretical knowledge) and vyavahar (practical knowledge). The student stays at the teacher’s house, ‘Gurukula’, which marked the beginning of schooling in the Vedic texts. The student not only performs his study, but also performs the tasks assigned to hin by his teacher. When the teacher is convinced that the student had evinced a real desire for study, he unfolds the Vedas to him. The student follows some strict rules and learns to restrict and have control over his senses. The individual has to surrender his life of sense, mind and intellectual to the handling and moulding by the teacher.

The Grihasthashrama

After the completion of prescribed education in Brahmacharyashrama, in the first twenty five years of life, the youth enters the Grihasthashrama, that is the time when he is fit to marry with certain aims. In enters this stage with aims of ‘Dhrama’ meaning religiousity, ‘Praja’ meaning procreation and ‘Rati’ meaning satisfaction of sexual urges. The major aim of Hindu marriage is ‘dharma’. To fulfil his ‘dharma’ the married man performs five mahayajnas or the five great sacrifices along with his wife or ‘ardhangini’ or ‘dharmapatni’. These great sacrifices were offered to Gods (Daiva Yajna), Saints or Brahmans (Rishi Yajna), Parents (Pitri Yajna), Ancestors (Bhuta Yajna) and the men (Atithi Yajna). The Grihasthashrama is given a high place of honour. It is also the responsibility of the householder to take care of all those who are in the other three ashramas.

The Vanaprasthashrama

After the completion of the householder’s duty and at fifty years of age, man entered into the third stage of life, the Vanaprasthashrama. At this stage the individual lives as a recluse and resides in the forest. He must satisfy his hunger by eating roots or fruits available in the forest. The hermit must maintain celibacy, sleep on the floor, residing under a tree without any attachment to where he happens to reside.The qualities and virtues he needed to cultivate as a hermit were self restraint, friendliness, charity and compassionate attitude towards all creates. The presence of wife along with him was optional. It is a life devoted to meditation and contemplation, a life of enquiry and searching.

The Sanyasashrama

In the last stage, after twenty five years of conditioning in the Vanaprasthashrama, the man enters the Sanyasashrama, that is, life of an ascetic, casting off all attachment with the world. At the time of entering this ashrama, a person takes the vow that ” I have completely, from tho day, bidden farewell to AL the desires and anxieties regarding son, wealth and the world.” As regards the practice he should beg once in a day without any desired to get large quantity of alms. By restraint of his senses, destruction of love and hatred and by abstention from injuring creatures, he becomes fit for immortality. By passing through this stage, all the sins of man are washed away and destroyed. The man at this stage was mainly concerned with his own realization of spirituality.

It can be concluded that the ashramas are, as a school of life at various phases of human existence, devised and organized, towards the attainment of “moksha” in accordance with the theory of the ultimate nature of human beings.

A Struggle of many people to make Uttarakhand a state.

Credit- TOI

Uttarakhand became a state on November 9, 2000. The establishment of Uttarakhand was achieved after a lot of hard work and sacrifice. The voice for Uttarakhand to become a state was first raised in a special session of the Indian National Congress in Srinagar, May 5-6, 1938. In 1994, after a series of events, demand gradually increased for another state eventually which took the form of a mass movement, leading to the formation of India’s 27th state by 2000.

In March 1994, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav recommended the Mandal Commission to secure 27% of government positions and places in schools and universities for socially and economically weaker classes,which was later on carried on. The Hill region OBC population was very small at 2.5% and reserving OBC seats meant that all government seats would go to the plains of Uttar Pradesh. This led to intensified protests against the nation.

In 1994, the students throughout the region participated in separate state and group movements for reservations. The Uttarakhand movement was further intensified locally by the anti-Uttarakhand statement by then-Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Mulayam Singh Yadav. Uttarakhand leaders continued to support their call for another state until their death. State officials went on strike for three months, and the Uttarakhand movement was exacerbated by the blockade and confrontation with police. Uttarakhand activists in Mussoorie and Khatima were shot dead by police. On October 2, 1994, in Delhi, the capital of the country, a large-scale demonstration and protest was held in support of the state under the support of Samyukta Morcha. Uttarakhand activists marched to Delhi to participate in the struggle. Activists who participated in peaceful demonstrations near Ranpur Tiraha Junction in Muzaffarnagar were tortured and shot dead openly without warning. Police officers were also charged with obscene behavior and rape with female activists. Satya Pokhriyal was a leader who led all people out of misery and other Andolankari helped others and showed courage. Several people were killed and many were injured. These incidents has fueled the Uttarakhand movement. The next day, October 3, the destruction of gunfights across the region and protests over multiple deaths broke up.

Credit- Himalaya Buzz

On October 7, 1994, a female activists died after police brutally attacked her in Dehradun while she protested against the shooting at Rampur Tiraha and many activists attacked the police station in return. A curfew was imposed in Dehradun on October 15, and one activists was also killed on the same day. On October 27, 1994, then Indian Minister of Home Affairs Rajesh Pilot met with state activists. Meanwhile, a brutal police attack in Srinagar’s Sriyantra Tapu killed several activists while they were protesting.


On August 15, 1996, then Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda announced at the Red Fort of Delhi the forming of a new state Uttarakhand.

In 1998, the BJP-led coalition government at the centre sent the “Uttarakhand Bill” through the President of India to the Uttar Pradesh state government . The Uttar Pradesh State Assembly passed , the Uttarakhand bill with 26 amendments and sent back to the central government. On July 27, 2000, the central government submitted the 2000 Uttar Pradesh Reorganization Bill to the Parliament of India. Lok Sabha passed the bill on August 1, 2000, and Rajya Sabha passed the bill on August 10, 2000. The Uttar Pradesh Reorganization Act was approved by then President of India, K.R. Narayana on August 28, 2000 and on November 9, 2000, the new state of Uttaranchal was established as the 27th state of India, now known as Uttarakhand.

History of Television in India.

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Television was founded by John Baird. The first television service was started in 1936 by British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) of Britain . In 1939, television broadcasts began in the United States. In 1953 the first successful programme in colour was transmitted by Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) in USA. In today՚s world, television has become one of the most powerful means of mass communication . It can impart education, information and entertainment . Television has end up becoming an necessary a part of our lives.

Credit-Youtube



HISTORY
India’s first television station was established on October 24, 1951, in the Department of Electronics and telecommunications at Government Engineering College in Jabalpur. Television began in India as an experiment on September 15, 1959. It was first started as two hours programmes a week under the authority of AIR. Early programs of these experimental broadcasts were generally educational programs for children and farmers. By 1975, only seven Indian cities were using television services. The Satellite Instructional Television Experiment (SITE) was an important step by India for the use of television for the development of people and the country. Initially, the show was mainly produced by Doordarshan (DD), who was part of AIR at the time. Transmissions were made twice a day, morning and evening. In addition to information on agriculture, health and family planning, other important topics covered in these programs were audience education and awareness raising. Entertainment was also included in the form of dance, music and cinema. In 1976 Television services were separated from radio . Color television was introduced to the Indian market in 1982.

In the late 1980s, more and more people began to own televisions. There was only one channel, but the TV show was saturated. Therefore, the government opened another channel, partly broadcasting nationally and locally. This channel was called DD2 and was later renamed to DD Metro. Both channels were broadcast on the ground. In 1997, Prasar Bharati, was established.Doordarshan, along with AIR, was incorporated into a state-owned enterprise under Prasar Bharati. Transponders of the American satellites PAS-1 and PAS-4 assisted in the transmission and broadcasting of shows on DD. An international channel called DD International was launched in 1995 and broadcasts programs abroad 19 hours a day to Europe, Asia and Africa via PAS-4 and to North America via PAS-1.The 1980s were the prime time for DD, with shows like comedies such as Hum Log (1984-1985), Wagle Ki Duniya (1988), Buniyaad (1986-1987). Epics like Ramayan (1987–1988) and Mahabharat (1989–1990) brought millions to Doordarshan and later on Chandrakanta (1994–1996). Song-based programs for Hindi movies such as Chitrahaar and Rangoli, and crime thrillers such as Karamchand and Byomkesh Bakshi. Children’s shows such as Tenali Rama ,Vikram Betal and Malgudi Days .



Private Channels influence:
The introduction of communication channels was a revolutionary move to reach so many people. It became an opening for Private and Commercial broadcasters in our country. The emergence of private channels began in India in the 1990s after CNN aired the Gulf War. Hong Kong-based STAR (Satellite Telivision Asia Region ) enterned in a contract between an Indian company and Zee TV. It became the first Private Indian Hindi satellite channel. During this time, several local stations have emerged. Apart from local ones various international channels such as Channel, CNN, BBC, Discovery, etc were also available for Indian TV viewers. Their were various categories of channels available for viewers,such as the 24-hour news channel, Religious channels, cartoon channels, movie channels, something for everyone .

Credit-Filmaker Fans



Changes and Evolution:
A significant change that has occurred is the use of different methods of delivering television programming. Just a while ago their were satellite-based antennas, but now the mode has converted to dishes. Other shipping methods are are delivery via cable network and direct satellite transmission. Now you can watch TV shows on your mobile phone , the technology behind it is called Internet Protocol Television. The emergence and spread of televisions and computers and the access to content anytime, anywhere, everyone has brought revolutionary change and access to the world of entertainment.

“I always say film is art, theater is life and television is furniture .”

Kenny Leon

Community: meaning and characteristics

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The term ‘community’ is given different interpretations and used in different ways to mean different things. People often use the term community to refer to a racial community, or a religious community, or a national community, etc. It is used in various contexts.

Some definitions of community:

1. Bogardus defined community as “a social group with some degree of ‘we-feeling’ and living in a given area”.

2. Talcott Parsons said “Community is the aspect of all social units.”

3. Lundberg defined community as “a human population living in a limited geographical area and carrying on a common interdependent life”.

4. MacIver said “Community is an area of social living marked by some degree of social coherence”.

5. According to Duncan Mitchell, “community denotes the collectivity of people who occupied a geographical area, are engaged in economic and political activities and constitute a self- governing social unit.

A community is essentially an area of social living. It is marked by some sorts of social coherence. ‘Community’ is an all-inclusive term. It includes all our social relationships. Elements of community: The main bases of community are: 1. Locality and 2. Community sentiment.

1. LOCALITY: A community is a territorial group. It always occupies some geographical area. Locality is the physical basis of community. In contrast to a society, a community is more or less locally limited. Even the wandering tribe or nomad community, for example, has a locality, though changing habitation. A group of people forms community only when it begins to reside definite locality. For example, caste is not a community since it is not necessary that all the members belonging to a certain cast live together in a definite location, whereas a village and a city can be called a community under certain conditions. Living together facilitates people to develop social contacts, gives protection, safety and security. It helps the members to promote and fulfil their common interests.

2. COMMUNITY SENTIMENT: Locality alone cannot make a group, a community. There are cases where people do live together but do not have any contacts or communications. These cannot be placed under community. For example, in a city there can be different localities. The members of these locality need not be sharing any common interests or may not have common outlook. A community is essentially an area of common living with a feeling of belonginess. ‘Community sentiment’ means a feeling of belonging together. The members must be aware of their staying together and sharing common interests. The members develop a sense of ‘we-feeling’. Without a sense of identification, a sense of awareness, a sense of living and sharing some common interests in life, there cannot be a community.

Other Aspects of Community:

1. Stability: A community is not a temporary group like a crowd or a mob. It is relatively stable. It includes a permanent group life in a definite place.

2. Naturalness: Communities are not created deliberately. They are not created by an act of will or by planned efforts. Individuals become its members by birth itself. Membership, hence, is not voluntary. This does not mean that caste is a community.

3. Size of the community: A community can be big or small. A small community can be included in a bigger community. For example, a city and a village may be included in a wider community called district. Thus, the term community is used in a relative sense.

4. Regulation of relations: System of traditions, customs, morals as well as set of rules and regulations are there to regulate the relation between its members.

Garhwali Language it’s time to save it from getting fade.

Credit-Wiki

Garhwali is the Indo-Aryan language of the Central Pahari Region which is mainly spoken by more than 2.5 million people in the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand, northern India, in the Himalayas of India, Uttarakhand. Garhwali is also spoken by Garhwali people living in other parts of India, such as Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Hariyana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh. According to various estimates, at least 3.5 million Garhwali migrants live in Delhi and other cities.


HISTORY
During the Middle Indo-Aryan era, there were various languages called Prakrit. Of which, Khas Prakrit language is believed to be the source of Garhwali language.The earliest forms of Garhwali can be traced back to the 10th century and can be found in temple stones, including numismatics, royal seals, copper plate inscriptions, royal orders and grants. An example is the inscription of King Jagatpal’s Temple Grant in Dev Prayag in 1335 AD. Most Garhwali literature survives in vernacular form and is transmitted verbally. But since the 18th century, Garhwali has developed a literary tradition.


LITERETURE & WRITERS
Among the famous Garhwali writers in hiastory of literature are Sudarsan Shah, Kumdanand Bahguna, Hari Dutt Sharma (Nautiyal), Hari Krishna Daurga Dutti Rudra, Urvi Dutt Shastri ,Mahidhar Dangwal, etc. , Satyasaran Raturi, Atma Ram Gairola, Devendra Dutt Raturi, Suradutt Saklani and more. Among historians are Mola Ram, Miya Prem Singh, Hari Dutt Shastri, Hari Krishna Raturi and Vijaya Ram Raturi.
Garhwali literature is thriving despite the ignorance of the government. Today, newspapers like Uttarakhand Khabarsar and Rant Raibaar are published entirely in Garhwali. Magazines such as Baduli, Hilaans, Chitti-patri and Dhaad have contributed to the development of GarhwaliGarhwali language.

Some Notable works of Gharwali writers:
•)Abodh Bandhu Bahuguna – (1927–2004) Garhwali writer. Some nitable writings include Gaad, Myateki Ganga, and Bhumyal.
•)Bachan Singh Negi – “Garhwali translation of Mahabharata and Ramayana”.
•)Lalit Mohan Thapalyal – “Achhryun ku taal”
•)Leeladhar Jagudi – (1944) Writer and novelist. PadmaShri
•)Lokesh Nawani – “Phanchi”
•)Madan Mohan Duklaan – “Aandi-jaandi saans”
•)Chandramohan Raturi – “Phyunli”
•)Chinmay Sayar – “Aunar”
•)Dr. Narendra Gauniyal – “Dheet”
•)Durga Prasad Ghildiyal – “Bwari”, “Mwari” and “Gaari”
•)Gireesh Juyal ‘Kutaj’ – “Khigtaat”.

Struggle of Official RecogItion:
Since the establishment of Uttarakhand in 2000, the state governments have made slow progress in promoting and developing the regional language of Uttarakhand. Like other languages in Uttarakhand, Garhwali, the most widely spoken language, is not officially recognized. In 2010, Hindi became the official language and Sanskrit became the second official language of Uttarakhand. In 2014, after making Garhwali the official language of Uttarakhand and demanding that it be taught at schools and universities for many years, the Uttarakhand State Government established Kumaoni and Garhwali departments at Kumaoni and Garhwali universities, respectively, to study the regional languages. At the national level, Garhwali is always required to be included in the 8th schedule of the Indian Constitution in order to be one of India’s schedule languages. In July 2010, Parliamentary member Satpal Maharaj of Pauli Garhwal submitted a legislative bill to Lok Sabha to include the languages of Garhwali and Kumaoni in the eighth schedule of the Constitution. Like most private citizen bills, the bill has not been discussed in Parliament and has since expired.

NEWSPAPER MIRROR TO SOCIETY.

Credit- Historical newspaper

Newspaper can be defined as a print medium for conveying current news of various information .

History of newspaper in India:
The first newspaper in India the Bengal Gazette was published in January 29, 1780 by James Augustus Hicky ,which was also known as”Calcutta Advertiser”. It was commonly known as “Bengal Gazette “. The first edition of the newspaper has two pages and was later expanded to page 4. Its size was 35 cm x 24 cm. East India Company did not considered Freedom of the Press good for society. They tried to curb the publication of newspapers. He was a very brave editor. He continued to criticize British authorities and publishing reports attacking East India Company officials for their way of working. British Authorities have arrested Hicky many times. Finally they finished his work of newspaper in 1782 and stopped publishing. Hicky was asked to leave Country. He was sent back to England. A copy of the Bengal Gazette is still preserved in the National Library of Calcutta and the British Museum in London.


Following in Hickey’s footsteps in 1780, a second newspaper was launched “The Indian Gazette” and “Calcutta Gazette” which begins publishing in 1784 and the “Bengali Journal” was started in 1785 which is also the third and fourth newspaper from Calcutta. The previous four newspaper were all published in English. Slowly Newspapers also begun to issue from other parts of the country in different languages and. The Tuesday “Madras Courier” (1785) and “Madras Gazette” (1795) starting from Madras. From Mumbai, “Bombay Herald” was started in 1789. The strict press regulations and censorship imposed by the UK hindered publication of more newspapers in India.In 1818, Lord Hastings abolished these strict censorship measures which leads to the appearance of many new newspapers in various Indian languages. Raja Ram Mohan Roy, who is known to have fought for the freedom of the press, edited a Persian weekly newspaper called “Mirat-ul-Akhbar”. But the editors of this newspaper were foreigners, not Indians. The first Indian language newspaper published by an Indian was “The Bengali Gazette” which was started in Calcutta by Gangadhar
Bhattacharjee in 1816. Pandit Jugal Kishore started Udant Martand the first Hindi newspaper published in India beginning on May 30, 1826, in Calcutta the weekly was published every Tuesday .



Importance of newspaper in India Freedom Struggle:
The newspaper and the press played a very important crutial role in the struggle for independence. The newspapers made the Indian public aware to the cruelty of the British Empire on the people . The press was the main tool for carrying out political tasks, propagating, political education, forming and spreading national ideology, mobilizing and consolidating national public opinion. The press is a powerful weapon in nationalist struggles, and Indian nationalists have led the struggle through the help of press. In fact, many of the great leaders of the freedom movement became journalists themselves and used the press as an instrument to spread their ideas to the masses and people in different parts of the country.

Credit- Historical newspaper


The Vernacular Press Act of 1878, against Indian-language newspapers, was passed in a meeting of the Royal Legislative Council. The law orders the seizure of a newspaper’s publications, papers, and other materials if the government believes the newspaper is publishing instigating material that could be harmful for the government. The Indian press enjoyed considerable freedom until 1908. However, due to the great growth of the nationalist movement, the Press Act was passed in 1908 and the Indian Press Act of 1910. Till 1930 the Indian press enjoyed relative freedom to give free opinion. However, the Press Act of 1932 and the Foreign Relations Act of 1932 refused India’s press freedom. The press was used as an effective weapon in the hands of social reform groups to expose social evils such as class restriction, child marriage, the prohibition of widows remarrying, social inequalities, laws and regulations.At that time it was very useful to uplift the society.



Newspaper at present:
Newspapers today occupy an important place in the world. The presence of newspapers is inevitable in today time. They are the reflections of the world. The press is considered the fourth pillar of democracy. The press is the most powerful of the powerful. They are defenders of truth and human rights. They act as spokespersons for the public. They are the link between the people and their government. It was still preferred by people over other media platforms because of its reliability, at a time when media was seen as a fake system that didn’t work properly.




“A good newspaper, I suppose , is a nation talking to itself ”

By Arthur Miller

What is society?

Photo by Krizjohn Rosales on Pexels.com

Man is a social animal. Psychologists like McDougall say that man is social because of the basic human instinct called gregarious instinct. Gregariousness refers to the tendency of man to live in groups. He lives in social groups, in communities and in societies. Various cases show that ‘man can become man only among men”. Man is biologically and psychologically equipped to live in groups and solitary life is unbearable to him. We very often use words such as groups, community, society, etc., in our day-to-day life. These are not merely words, they are concepts. They carry some precise meaning.

The term society is derived from the Latin word ‘socius’, which means companionship or friendship. Companionship means sociability. As George Simmel pointed out, it is this element of sociability which defines the true essence of society. It indicates that man always lives in the company of other people. Man needs society for his living, working and enjoying life. Society has become an essential condition for human life to arise and to continue. Human life and society always go together.

Some definitions of Society:

1. Morris Ginsberg said, “A society is a collection of individuals united by certain relations or mode of behavior which mark them off from others who do not enter into these relations or who differ from their behavior.”

2. MacIver defined society as “a web of social relationship”.

3. G.D.M. Cole said “Society is the complex of organized associations and institutions with a community”.

Characteristics of Society:

1. Society consists of people: Without people there can be no social relationships, no social life and hence no society.

2. Mutual interaction and mutual awareness: Mutual interaction refers to the reciprocal contact between two or more persons. An individual is a member of the society so long as he engages in relationship with other members of society. Social interaction is possible because of mutual awareness. Social relationships exist only when the members are aware of each other. Society exists only where social beings ‘behave’ towards one another in ways determined by their recognition of one another.

3. Society depends on likeliness: Likeliness refers to the similarities. Just as ‘birds of the same feather flock together’, men belonging to the species called homo-sapiens have many things in common. Society in brief, exists among like beings and likeminded.

4. Society rests on differences too: If men are exactly alike, their social relationships would be very much limited. There would be little give-and-take, little reciprocity. Life becomes boring, monotonous and uninteresting if differences are not there. However, differences alone cannot create society. It is subordinate to likeliness.

5. Co-operation and division of labor: Likeliness and differences create division of labor. It involves the assignment to each unit or group a specific share of common task. Division of labor needs specialization. Society is based on co-operation. It refers to the mutual working together for the attainment of a common goal.

6. Society is dynamic: Change is ever present in society. Changeability is an inherent quality of human society.

7. Social control: Society has its own ways of regulating the behavior of its members. These ways can be formal such as, law, legislation, police, court, etc., and informal such as customs, traditions, manners, etc.

8. Culture: Culture refers to, as Linton says, the social heritage of man. Culture is not society, but an element of society that binds together its component individuals.

Man depends on society for protection and comfort, for nurture and education from old age to death. Society makes our life livable. Society is, therefore, as MacIver puts it, more than our environment. It is within us as well as around us. It liberates and controls our talents and capacities. It stimulates the growth of our personality. Emotional development, intellectual maturity, satisfaction of physical needs and material comfort are unthinkable without society.

Animal Cruelty is a heinous crime which should be stop .

Animal Cruelty :
Simply put, animal cruelty harms animals, whether intentional or negligent. While certain activities  such as animal cruelty are generally perceived as cruel, the specific actions that make up animal cruelty vary from person to person and from places to places or different countries. Many  argue that docking a piglet’s tail without anesthesia is cruel, while others say it is common in meat production to prevent injuries later  in the pig’s life.  Animal cruelty defination is different in different areas due to countries laws.
Animal abuse is an pervasive problem which often  is difficult to detect. No species or community is spared from experiencing animal cruelty and neglect. Understanding what animal cruelty means and what it doesn’t mean is one of the first steps to  prevent it from happening again. Animals, whether it’s the food, cosmetics, entertainment, or  pet industry, don’t deserve to suffer.

Is Animal Cruelty Illegal:
The legality of  animal cruelty depends largely  on where the activity takes place . For example,  cruelty to farms and laboratory animals that is illegal in some countries may not be considered banned animal cruelty in some countries, due to differences in national law. In the United States, the best-known legislation to prevent animal cruelty excludes both livestock and laboratory animals from registration.

Animal cruelty in India:
Recently, cases of animal cruelty are increasing in India. The same began to discuss animal rights and the extent of legal protection that  current law provides to animals. The problem is that most of these crimes are either unreported or face disappointing legal responses, as some of the 1960 Animal Cruelty Prevention  Act  and  the Indian Criminal Code are obsolete.
SS Rithika an social activist in context to animal writes about common scenarios of animal cruelty and current laws, procedures, and court decisions dealing with animal cruelty in India. Rithika is also pushing for amendments to these laws to curb the rise in atrocities against animals.

Law related to animal cruelty in India:
The Animal Cruelty Prevention Act of  1960 was amended in 1982. Under India’s newly amended 2011 Animal Welfare Act, animal abuse is a criminal offense  with a fine of at least 10,000 rupees, a fine of up to 25,000 rupees for the first violation, or upto two years of imprisonment. For the second and subsequent violations, a fine of 50,000 rupees or more  and imprisonment of 1 year or more upto 3 years or less. This amendment is currently awaiting approval by the Government of India.  The 1962 law is the law currently in force. The maximum fine under the 1962 Act is  50 rupees (less than $ 1). Many organizations, including  local SPCA, PF, A, Fosterdopt, etc., are actively involved in reporting cases of atrocities to police and assisting the general public in bringing perpetrators to justice. For this reason, there are many changes in the subcontinent.
Under IPC sections 428 and 429, causing mischief by killing or amputating an animal worth more than 10 rupees  is a recognizable crime punishable by two years’ imprisonment, a fine, or both.

Some of the campaign toward animal cruelty:#NoMore50 , #RespectForAnimals , #FarmedAnimals etc.

Does printing more money solve the economic problems?

It is not a new thing for any economy to go through phases of economic problems and in certain cases falling short of actually putting those problems under control. These economic problems include inflation, unemployment, deflation and so on. No matter if it is a developing country or a developed one, both are equally subject to fall prey to such problems. While the economy goes through this period of uncertainty many people think that it is feasible to print more money to tackle the economic issues such as inflation, etc. But this is not a very feasible option in the reality.

The monetary decisions of any country is taken by the government of the respective country i.e., the government decides which denominations are printed and the design of bank notes and other security measures. It is the responsibility of the head bank of the country to follow the protocols while printing the money. There is always a limit that is set with respect to the printing of money. No country can singlehandedly print money in an unlimited manner whatsoever maybe the reason as more money leads to more economic issues.

Reasons why printing more money leads to more problems:

Whenever there is an increase in the supply of a certain good or commodity in the market with respect to its demand, the price of the commodity falls. This is also true in case of money. When there an uncalculated, increased production or printing of money, the money output gets divided within the entire population accordingly. Now each member of the society owns a greater amount of money. This leads to a fall in the value of money since everyone now has more money irrespective of the actual amount that they are supposed to have/ own. As the value of money falls, there is a rapid increase in the prices of the goods and commodities present in the market resulting in inflation i.e., an increase in the overall level of prices in the economy. For example, in January 1921, a daily newspaper in Germany cost 0.30 marks. Less than two years later, in November 1922, the same newspaper cost 70,000,000 marks. All other prices in the economy rose by similar amounts. This inflation was a result of a three times rise in the quantity of money present in the economy which further led to fall in the value of money. This example clearly shows inflation not only depends on the production of goods and services but also depends on the value and quantity of money present in an economy. Inflation further gives rise to another economic problem i.e., unemployment. As the prices of the goods and commodities rise, people, especially the firms in certain cases fall short of adequate resources to continue with the production activities. This further leads to the decision of reducing the number of workers working at the firm or leads to the termination of the working periods of workers in the firm. When this occurs at an widespread and increased basis, it leads to unemployment on a mass scale and causes widespread economic disruption and gives rise to a state of unrest in the society.

To conclude the answer of the question asked, “does printing more money solve all the economic issues?” The answer is “NO”. Rather it leads to further disruption in the economy and gives rise to unprecedented social unrest. Thus the government puts a limit on the production of Money in each year and makes its decision after analyzing the every single data so that there is no place of such economic disruption in near future due to hasty and uncalculated decisions.

Korean wave in India.

The  Korean wave has certainly seen a significant  rise in India during the pandemic, and K-Drama and K-Pop are seeing massive demand from fans and new followers as well. In response to the growing popularity of the Korean wave in the country, many  online and offline events are held to show people  what they are consuming online. And these extend not only  to K-Drama and K-Pop, but also  to food, beauty and culture in general.
Korean singer PSY’s 2012 viral hit “Gangnam Style” may have started the Korean wave in India, but it certainly wasn’t the origin. The existence of K-POP in India dates back to the late 90’s when in Northeastern part  in Manipur Bollywood films were not allowed to watch because law imposed by the Separatist group Revolutionary Peoples Front to make Manipur independent.Not so much offered, the locals turned to Korean content and it got it’s popularity from their on.

Increasing demand for Korean content is fueling competition between India’s Amazon Prime Video and Netflix. Amazon Prime Video is the first company to launch Parasite and Minari in the country. Hotstar, MX Player, Viki and Viu are also involved in the Korean wave effect. Discovery + launched the “Star vs Food” series featuring the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) and K-POP idols to introduce Korean food to India. Some prominent dramas are: Crash Landing on You, Squid Games, Descendants of the Sun and many more more , the reason of these Korean content popularity is that as an audiance, Indian’s  find Korean content relatable to them.

According to Hyun Woo, Kross Komix co-founder, president and CEO Thomas Kim predicts that South Korea’s webtoon, or digital comics, will be the next big thing.Kross Komics is India’s only webtoon platform  launched in December 2019. In just about 1.5 years of operation, the app has been downloaded more than 4.5 million times, about half of which are women. “With the numerous webtoons in the romance / romantic comedy category and the world’s best-selling stories, this new format of content has become a very interesting alternative to the dramas and movies”.

“In 2020, the blockade caused by Covid-19 is said to be one of the reason to the popularity and acceptance of Korean culture in India through dramas available on multiple video streaming platforms and the different Korean music band whose craze is extraordinary. South Korea’s food exports hit a record high,  boosted by social media posts from Asian celebrities and the popularity of the movie like “Parasite” and drama like”Crash Landing on You”. The widespread  of k-pop, k-movies, and k-drama has evolved into a  fan culture, especially among the  urban youth of the country. Following k-pop music and movies, K-Food and cooking have undergone a major makeover to reach the larger Indian market. K-cuisine is all the rage, especially on social media, in the form of food challenges like Mukbang, “said Hwang Il-young, director of the Korean Culture Center India .

The Korean wave,  the growing global popularity of  Korean culture, swept India a few years ago, but  exploded during a pandemic. Supported by the OTT platform, which has a large investment in Korean programs, the number of people who started watching K-Drama and listening to K-Pop has skyrocketed. Recently, the language learning app Duolingo surveyed 1,013 people in 10  cities in India and found that Korean is  the fastest growing language in India. It was the 7th most popular language for Indians in 2020, but it has risen to the 5th in 2021 and will  continue to rise. Duolingo’s 2021 audio report attributed this primarily to the release of Squid Game in 2021.

CC- ETtech

Caste in the Modern Age

Caste system is an extreme form of stratification peculiar to India and is hereditary in nature. The above stated system of stratification offers no vertical mobility. One is ascribed his caste from his/her birth and does not have the liberty to choose his/her caste.

Characteristics of Caste System:

  1. Caste: As a hierarchical division of society: The Hindu society is a gradational one. It is divided into several castes and subcastes. A sense of ‘highness’ and ‘lowness’ or ‘superiority’ and ‘inferiority’ is associated with this gradation.
  2. Restrictions on food habits: The restrictions on food habits of the members differ from caste to caste. “Who should accept what kind of food from whom?” is often decided by the caste.
  3. Restrictions on social relations: The idea of ‘pollution’ makes this point clear. It means a touch of a lower caste man would pollute or defile a man of higher caste. Even his shadow is considered enough to pollute a higher caste man.
  4. Social and religious disabilities of certain castes: In the traditional caste society, some lower caste people [particularly, the Harijans] suffered from certain civil or social and religious disabilities. Generally, the impure castes are made to live on the outskirts of the city or the village. Educational facilities, legal rights and political representation were denied to them for a long time.
  5. The civil and religious privileges of certain castes: If the lower caste people suffer from certain disabilities, some higher caste people enjoy certain privileges.
  6. Restrictions on occupational choice: In a caste ridden society, there is a gradation of occupations also. Each caste has its own specific occupation and these were almost hereditary.
  7. Restrictions on marriage: Caste is an endogamous group. Endogamy is a rule of marriage wherein a person has to marry within his or her own caste group.

Changes in the caste system:

The caste system which is an integral part of the Indian system, prior to the coming of the British, had grown into a powerful social institution, with the dominance of Brahmins at the top of the hierarchy. The modern period saw some major developments taking place in the caste system during the two stages:

  1. Caste during the British rule
  2. Caste in Independent India

Caste during the British rule:

  1. Declining hold of Caste Panchayats: The British introduced throughout India uniform legal, legislative and judicial systems. They transferred the judicial powers of the caste councils to the civil and criminal courts which affected the authority which the caste panchayats held on its members.
  2. Influence of social legislation: Some legislations which the British introduced shook the integrity of the caste system. A few of the legislations are as follows:
    1. The Caste Disabilities Removal Act of 1850.
    2. The Special Marriage Act of 1872
    3. The Hindu Widows Remarriage Act of 1856
  3. Impact of social reform movements: The social reforms launched by social reformers during the British rule attacked the caste system and its inequalities. The Brahma Samaj, The Prarthana Samaj, The Arya Samaj, etc focused on condemning and iradicating some stern beliefs related to the Caste system.
  4. Spread of english education and influence of western Ideas: With the establishment of British rule in India came the inflow of many western ideologies such as equality, liberty, democracy, etc.
  5. Influence Of Industrialization: The growth of industries destroyed the old crafts and household industries and provided for countless ways of earning livelihood. People of all castes started making use of new economic opportunities.
  6. Impact of urbanization: In order to reap the benefits of the new opportunities, people started moving towards towns and cities in large numbers.
  7. Influence of freedom struggle and Gandhiji: The freedom struggle organized by the Indian National Congress brought together people of different castes, classes and religions under one banner.

Caste in Independent India:

The political independence of the country brought in a series of changes in the caste system.

  1. The religious beliefs of the caste has been attacked. Caste is no more believed to be divinely ordained.
  2. The restrictions on food habits have been relaxed.
  3. Caste is not very much associated with hereditary occupations.
  4. Endogamy, although still prevails, is not seen as an obligation to all.
  5. The special civil and religious privileges which the Brahmins enjoyed are no more being enjoyed by them.

Although caste still continues to be a segmental division of Hindu society, it is not as much strict as it was before th modern era. There have been certain changes in the role of caste as well in the independent India. Caste has now become an inseparable part of politics. The caste- consciousness of the members has been increasing making every caste wanting to safeguard its interests. The constitution of India has made enough provisions to protect the interests of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes. Caste has its roots embedded deep within the social structure of India and it is next to impossible to completely eradicate it from the social structure of India.