Colonialism and Liberty - Equality in India

Equality in India

In 'India After Gandhi', Ramachandra Guha speaks about how India has beaten all odds in staying as one country, considering its immense diversity. India has grown by leaps and bounds in the past century, but our belief system shows an extreme rigidity which is very characteristic of our society. Though the influence of western culture is reflected almost everywhere, especially in terms of the increased want for material welfare, our perspectives seem to be chained by traditional beliefs. Some, however, would say that the concept of equality has never flourished as it has in India. <The Struggle for Equality in India, Myron Weiner July 1962>. Though this kind of a conservative system might have its advantages, the state of equality in India leaves much to be desired. Discrimination based on gender, religion or caste have been prevalent and have caused innumerable social evils.

The Right to Equality is a fundamental right and guarantees the following: Equality before law (Article 14 of the constitution), Social equality and equal access to public areas (Article 15), Equality in matters of public employment (Article 16), Abolition of untouchability (Article 17) and Abolition of Titles (Article 18). Evidently, the writers of the constitution clearly emphasized on equal treatment of all. However, the political system itself is strongly influenced by caste, and more importantly, religious considerations with some parties openly declaring their religious affiliations. Considering all this, the fact that there are reservations to protect the interests of minorities such as Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes might not seem surprising.

In India, every minority is 'protected' by reservations. Though the heavy bias against these minorities might have been atrocious, it is often said that a major chunk of the reservations are politically motivated, with reservations being introduced to bribe groups into voting for these politicians. The problem with the reservation system in India is that once a certain reservation is introduced, it is extremely hard to remove it, due to political reasons. Once the reservations meet their objective, they cannot be discarded. This is an extremely dangerous condition, one we have brought upon ourselves by venturing into this area without fully understanding the implications.

The magnitude of gender inequality is much lesser today, as more people realize that the two sexes aren't separated by that sharp a divide. But a certain measure of gender inequality still persists. Domestic abuse, denial of opportunities such as offices of power, sexual harassment and other such acts which stare at us right in our faces every day, assert the fact that even in a society where men and women alike are aware of women rights, such discrimination exists, and the increased awareness probably makes the discrimination hurt that much more.

The