On 8/26/07, shiv sastry <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > On Saturday 25 Aug 2007 11:39 pm, Ingrid wrote: > > What is it you think they are doing differently? The standard excuse I > hear > > quoted is that their relatively small size makes it easier. But no > Indian > > state, even the smallest, can claim to have done as well. > > Interesting question that will spur me on to looking at some things in > greater > detail. Could it be because of "India shining"? A sheen is put on some > parts > and the dirt is hidden. > > I just wonder if India is reaching a stage when it has to confront its > worst > social problems and biases. India seems to have a "pool" of 250 to 300 > million people who are probably not being touched by any of the ongoing > development efforts. > > "Breaking in" and getting to these people does not seem to be easy. I am > not > sure why - but it may well be because of widespread biases that are > present > everywhere (the elephant in the room) that people are unwilling to > recognize > or admit. I really don't know. > > I am beginning to suspect that the manner in which upper castes have been > replaced by "others" gives the impression that things are being set right. > But this hides the fact that the middle and lower castes are becoming the > new > forward castes and they carry forward the worst discriminatory biases > against > those situated lower than them, even as they indignantly claim that they > are > victims of discrimination from the original upper castes. > > shiv > > My experience ''at the grassroots" certainly confirms that caste (and > gender) biases are a significant barrier to development. I've just returned > from southern Tamil Nadu where caste atrocities are a daily affair. Have > witnessed much the same in Maharashtra and UP. And have no reason to believe > it's any different elsewhere. Beyond that, however, is the fact that we > simply haven't achieved democracy beyond the political kind. And continue to > put faith in technocratic solutions of the government scheme, microcredit, > mid-day-meal variety as a substitute. Rural and tribal India continue to be > "our inconvenient truth" - one we would wish away if we could as we'd like > to urban slums, infanticide and the like. > > > >
-- "The future is here; it's just not widely distributed yet." - William Gibson
