KN There was definitely a middle class in 1947 and well before that in India. It was largely the educated/informed middle clas that propelled the Quit India movement surely. Cornel ----- Original Message ----- From: "Radhakrishnan Nair" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Wednesday, July 19, 2006 12:51 PM Subject: Re: [Goanet] Goanet as learning instrument re Democracies
> Dear Ms Carvalho, > > I agree with most of your comments, but beg to differ on your views on > the Indian middle class. IMHO, it's robust and, should I say, vibrant > and burgeoning. "The silent middle class" in no way remains > unrepresented and is not on the fringes by any stretch of imagination. > It's firmly ensconced on the vantage curve of the bell. On the fringes > really are the multitude of landless farm labourers, dalits and > tribals. > > Isn't it a miracle of sorts that India today boasts a middle-class > population of 300 million (and still climbing), while there was none > in 1947? > > Regards, > > RKN > > <<Dear Mr Nair, > I agree with you that an undivided India would be > untenable. Infact, I often feel the India of today is > a splintered group trying desperately to keep itself > together but that is another post. > > The four estates of democracy maybe the legislative, > judiciary, executive and a free and unfretted press, > but I feel the pillars of democracy are its education > system, an equitable per capita income and to a large > extent an ideology of secularism. > > India has none of these. More that half its population > is illiterate or semi-literate, there are vast > disparities in its income distribution and it pays lip > service to secularism. As a result, we have powerful > vested interests that gain popularity or momentum and > come to power. The silent middleclass remains > unrepresented. Most functional democracies have a > robust middleclass that forms the bell of the curve > rather than the fringe. > > India, as someone eloquently put it is a "functioning > anarchy". > > Elisabeth >>> > _______________________________________________ > Goanet mailing list > [email protected] > http://lists.goanet.org/listinfo.cgi/goanet-goanet.org > _______________________________________________ Goanet mailing list [email protected] http://lists.goanet.org/listinfo.cgi/goanet-goanet.org
