ROLE OF CASTE IN INDIAN POLITICS Caste in Indian society refers to a social group where membership is largely decided by birth. Each such local group avoids entering into marital relationship with outsiders. Originally, this group was associated with a specific profession. The mutual relationship of one caste with the other is established on the principle of lineage and the resultant purity of blood, making the relationship between on and another caste distant. The definition of caste is, however, incomplete, usually a caste is fragmented into several sub castes whose members are more unified, and each group maintains its identity and establishes relationships with similar groups spread over a large geographical area. This definition leads us to castes who despite being residents of different geographical divisions develop an affinity based on caste. Caste, through a united effort of its members to assert themselves, has today intruded in both politics and administration mainly through franchise and institutions like Panchayati Raj. Whether it is the factionalism of Indian political parties or the nomination of candidates and the mode of election campaign – most thins can be explained through caste interests and caste balance. As a separatist notion, however, caste is a challenge to secularism but if caste creates separation it also brings the people together as a group. Democracy, undoubtedly, increases the activities of the caste groups. As a political power of the ruling elite gradually passes on to the people in a mass society the impact of castes is felt much more. Sometimes one caste dominates over the other, due to social conditions. Caste, politically speaking, has played such a basic role in the decision making process that even the reorganization of states in India had to grapple with it so that no caste group dominates a particular territory. Although untouchability has been prohibited under the Constitution. Harijans and Adivasis have also been given legal protection as a positive measure. Thus an attempt has been made to create economic and social equality but these reservations have affected Indian politics in an unwholesome manner. Groups declared backward are now not prepared to forego the concessions that accrue to them by the label of backwardness. Caste has thus become a major obstacle in the establishment of a casteless society and has cemented communal connections. Even the politicians are caught in the web. On the one hand, they would like the differences and preferences [...]
Archive for July, 2007
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JAMA MASJID
July 22nd, 2007 
Deepak JAMA MASJID The largest mosque in India, it stands 500 meters west across the road from the Red Fort. It was built in 1656 by Shahjahan, the Mughal Emperor. About 25,000 people can pray here at a time. It is an architectural triumph. The vast paved courtyard is a rectangle nearly seventy-five metres by sixty-six metres. The whole of the western chamber is a big hall; standing on 260 pillars all carved from Hindu and Jain traditions. The central courtyard is accessible from the East, though there are three ways on the other side too. The Eastern side entrance leads to another enclosure containing the mausoleum of Sultan Ahmed Shah. The Jama Masjid was designed as the main mosque of Shahjahan. It stands on one of the two hills, Bho Jhala in the Mughal capital, Shahjahanabad. The mosque has three gateways, four towers and two minarets. It is constructed with alternate use of vertical strips of red sandstone and white marble. The white marble has been used extensively in the three domes and has been inlaid with stripes of black. The structure was situated on a high platform so that its magnificent facade would be visible from all the neighboring areas. The main prayer hall on the west is decorated by a series of high cusped arches, which stand on 260 pillars. These pillars support 15 marble domes at various elevations. The imposing gateways are approached through a broad flight of steps in the north and the south. The hallmarks of this famous mosque are the wide staircases and arched gateways. The tower is made up of five distinguished storeys, each pronounced by a protruding balcony. Beautiful calligraphy embellishes its adjacent buildings. The first three storeys of the tower are made of red sandstone, the fourth one, while the fifth is again of sandstone. The main entrance on the eastern side was probably used by the emperors. It remains close on the weekdays. One can have the view of the Old Delhi, the Red Fort and the New Delhi from the southern minaret for a fee of Rupees 5. The main imam of this Jama Masjid is the direct descendent of the original and first Imam appointed by Emperor Shahjahan and till now there is no break in its descendency. People of other religions are not allowed in between 12-30 and 2-00pm. One is allowed to enter the mosque bare-footed, [...]
THE GOLDEN TEMPLE – AMRITSAR
July 21st, 2007 Neha THE GOLDEN TEMPLE – AMRITSAR Sri Harmandir Sahib, also known as Sri Darbar Sahib or Golden Temple, (on account of its scenic beauty and golden coating for English speaking world), is named after Hari (God) the temple of God. The Sikhs all over the world, daily wish to pay visit to Sri Amritsar and to pay obeisance at Sri Harmandir Sahib in their Ardas. Guru Arjan Sahib, the Fifth Nanak, conceived the idea of creating a central place of worship for the Sikhs and he himself designed the architecture of Sri Harmandir Sahib. Earlier the planning to excavate the holy tank (Amritsar or Amrit Sarovar) was chalked out by Guru Amardas Sahib, the Third Nanak, but it was executed by Guru Ramdas Sahib under the supervision of Baba Budha ji. The land for the site was acquired by the earlier Guru Sahibs on payment or free of cost from the Zamindars (landlords) of native villages. The plan to establish a town settlement was also made. Therefore, the construction work on the Sarovar (the tank) and the town started simultaneously in 1570. The work on both projects completed in 1577 A.D. Guru Arjan Sahib got its foundation laid by a Muslim saint Hazrat Mian Mir ji of Lahore on 1st of Magh, 1645 Bikrmi Samvat(December,1588). The construction work was directly supervised by Guru Arjan Sahib himself and he was assisted by the prominent Sikh personalities like Baba Budha ji, Bhai Gurdas ji, Bhai Sahlo ji and many other devoted Sikhs. Unlike erecting the structure on the higher level(a tradition in Hindu Temple architecture), Guru Arjan Sahib got it built on the lower level and unlike Hindu Temples having only one gate for the entrance and exit, Guru Sahib got it open from four sides. Thus he created a symbol of new faith, Sikhism. Guru Sahib made it accessible to every person without any distinction of Caste, creed, sex and religion. The building work completed in 1601 A.D. on Bhadoon Sudi 1st, 1661 Bikrmi Samvat (August/September, 1604). Guru Arjan Sahib installed newly created Guru Granth Sahib, in Sri Harmandir Sahib and appointed Baba Budha ji as its first Granthi i.e. the reader of Guru Granth Sahib. After this event it attained the status of ‘Ath Sath Tirath’. Now the Sikh Nation had their own Tirath, a pilgrimage center Sri Harmandir Sahib, is built on a 67ft. square platform in the centre of [...]
CRAFT MUSEUM- DELHI
July 21st, 2007 Deepak CRAFT MUSEUM- DELHI Crafts Museum of Delhi, established in the year 1956, is situated in Pragati Maidan area. The museum is famous for showcasing the rich tribal and rural handicrafts of artisans from all over the country. It houses a large permanent collection of 20,000 items of folk and tribal arts, crafts and textiles. A unique feature of the Delhi Crafts Museum is that craftsmen from all over India come here to display their skill and proficiency. You can find some of the rarest and the most exquisite pieces of art and craft collected from different areas. Also exhibited in the Crafts Museum of Delhi are architectural displays of various villages. There are a number of galleries in the Crafts Museum, namely, Tribal and Rural Craft Gallery, Gallery of Courtly Crafts, Textile Gallery, Gallery of Popular Culture, and so on, each based on a particular theme. The museum also consists of mud huts, adorned with exquisite folk art. The handicrafts on display include woodcarvings, paintings, papier-mâché, embroidery, etc. There is even a full-sized wooden haveli from Gujarat in the Delhi Crafts Museum. The reference section of the museum consists of 15,000 objects for the use of scholars, designers and craftsmen. There is also a Crafts Museum Shop inside the museum that sells books, picture-postcards, along with a wide range of amazing contemporary handicrafts. The shop does not sell souvenir, rather, it is set up to sell the original creations of some of the best craftsmen of India. Another major attraction of the Delhi Crafts Museum is the artisans show then and there how they make their crafts. The various objects that you can buy there include ornaments, rugs, shawls, book, etc, which you can buy either from the museum or even directly from the craftsmen. By the initial phase of the 1980s, the Crafts Museum, exhibited a praiseworthy collection of 20, 000 artifacts, a massive number indeed. These range from folk and tribal arts, to crafts and textiles is a curiously shaped museum-construct. It was indeed a difficult job for the renowned Charles Correa, the architect, of this building. He was asked to erect an awesome A-class building, sound enough to house such an enormous repertory, and at the same time the structure should not be that conspicuous so as to dim prominence of the simpler but valuable architectural models of rural countryside, displayed there. The marvelous and appropriate Museum-building [...]
Indian – Culture
July 20th, 2007 Deepak CULTURE Culture according to a widely accepted definition, is the integrated pattern of human knowledge, belief, and behavior. Culture thus defined consists of languages, ideas, beliefs, customs, taboos, codes, institutions, tools, techniques, works of art, rituals, ceremonies, and other related components: and the development of culture depends upon men’s capacity to learn and to transmit knowledge to succeeding generations. INDIAN CULTURE: The Indian culture is universal in character in the sense that it believes in MANAV DHARM and is comprehensive enough to suit the needs of all human beings irrespective of age, sex, color or race. It is on account of this universality that the Indian culture has continued to flourish for many centuries despite attempts by the foreign invaders to uproot it from the soil. It is so old that its origin cannot be traced. Therefore, it has been described as beginningless or anadi. At no stage it showed any signs of decline and is therefore also described as eternal (SANATAN). Another notable feature of the Indian culture is its adaptability. The Indian culture has developed consistently because of its quality of adaptability. It had adapted itself to the new and changing conditions without losing its essential spirit. It has assimilated the features of other cultures which came in contact with it. In the medieval times, contact with Islam left a deep impact on the Indian culture. It not only led to the introduction of large number of Persian and Arabic words in the Indian languages but also affected a change in the religious landscape of the country. Despite the presence of the foreign elements in India, the country achieved greater cultural harmony because the Indian culture was never averse to foreign elements and assimilated what was best in their culture. Indian culture is founded on religion but the obvious question is what religion is? DHARMA has been liberally interpreted in the Indian context, for it does not coincide with the English term religion, the latter denoting the external rites and performances. In Indian culture, the word DHARMA includes the performances of rites, but it further comprehends cultural organization and spirituality. It is the opinion of some people that the religiosity of Indian culture is turned towards a hereafter that has nothing to do with the present world, and is therefore and escapist approach. This conception is false. Indian seers believed that the relation between the present world and [...]
India – bollywood
July 20th, 2007 Deepak A largest film industry when it comes to the # of films produced and tickets sold, Indian cinema is popularly known as BOLLYWOOD. This is the name it derived from the name of BOMBAY (previous name of city of Mumbai, where the film industry is located), and HOLLYWOOD. Feature films are being produced in India since 1912-1913. White R G Torney along with N.G. Chitre made PUNDALIK in 1912. Dhundiraj Govind Phalke produced RAJA HARISHCHANDRA in 1913. The era of silent films was overtaken by the talkie era in 1913 when Ardeshir Irani produced ALAM ARA, through silent movies continued to be produced till 1934. India now leads the world in the annual output of feature films. The first fully indigenous silent feature film RAJA HARISHCHANDRA made by DADA SAHEB PHALKE was released on May 3 1913. It has titles in Hindi and English and it ran for an unprecedented 23 days. It was cent per cent Indian whereas the earlier made Pundalik was half British in its make. Therefore Dada sahib phalke has been rightly acclaimed as the FATHER OF INDIAN CINEMA. A Still from Raja Harishchandra (1913) The most remarkable thing about the birth of the sound film in India is that it came with a bang and quickly displaced the silent movies. The first Indian talkie ALAM ARA produced by the IMPERIAL FILM COMPANY and directed by ARDESHIR IRANI was released on March 14, 1931 at the Majestic cinema in Bombay. The year 1931 marked the beginning of the talkie era in south India also. The first talkie picture in Telegu and Tamil i.e., BHAKTHA PRAHALAD and KALIDASA were released in the same year. The thirties are recognized as the decade of social protest in the history of Indian cinema. A number of films making a strong plea against social injustice were also made in this period. V. Shantaram’s DUNIYA NA MANE, ADAMI, and PADOSI. P.C. Barua’s DEVADAS and MUKTI, Debaki Bose’s VIDYAPATI and SEETA, and many more. V. Shantaram For the first time, producer Ardeshir Irani attempted a color picture in 1937 named KISAN KANYA. A year later another film MOTHER INDIA was also made. The world war which broke out in 1939 delayed the advent of color by several years. The forties also witnessed the production of a few remarkable films such as Shantaram’s DR. KOTNIS KI AMAR KAHANI, KALPANA, by Uday [...]
INDIAN ECONOMY
July 19th, 2007 Deepak An under developed county is one in which per capita real income is low then compared with the per capita real income of USA CANADA AUSTRALIA AND WESTERN EUROPE. This is the definition for an under developed country by UNO. Wire money online to India with Xoom.com for as low as $4.99. The World Bank classified various countries on the basis of GNP per capita. This classification includes three categories of countries:- (1) Low income economies (2) Middle income economies (3) High income economies As defined in WORLD DEVELOPMENT REPORT-2002 “Low income economies are those where GNP per capita is either $755 or lower to it in 2002. Middle income economies possess GNP per capita between $756 to $2995. Lastly upper middle income economies with GNP per capita between $2996 to $9265 and high income economies with GNP per capita $9266 and above. The Indian economy is currently one of the fastest growing economies in the world and encompasses an agriculture sector that sustains much of the rural population. A modern and varied industrial sector and a sizable service sector. Since the initiation of economic reforms and the subsequent liberalization in 1991 the economy has been growing at an average annual rate of around 6% as compared to 5.4% in the 1980s and 3.5% prior to that. This in turn has led to a sizable growth in GDP and a reduction in poverty. According to planning commission estimates, the percentage of India’s population living below the poverty line has declined substantially from 51.3% to 26.1%. However there are wide rural- urban and state wise disparities in poverty reduction. There is a lot of work to be done, mainly in the rural areas, home to the biggest portion of India’s population and some of the worst living conditions and incidences of poverty in the county. It is perhaps with a view to this that the new UPA government has announced a wide variety of plans and schemes to improve the conditions in rural India. The country also needs large doses of infrastructure additions- roads and highways, power plants and distribution networks, airports and ports, if it is to sustain rapid growth and attract sizable foreign direct investments. Being the third largest in the world when measured by PPP (purchasing power parity), the economy of India comes at #10, when checked on in USD exchange-rate terms. With a GDP of US $1.0 [...]
