Page 11 - DSOC201_SOCIAL_STRUCTURE_AND_SOCIAL_CHANGE_ENGLISH

Social Structure and Social Change
Notes
6 LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY
India fought for political freedom as one unified entity. After independence, it faced an attack of
China and three attacks of Pakistan as one nation. Our economic, social and political philosophies
are broadly based on equalitv, justice, liberty rationality and secularism.
The unity among Hindus is also found in commonly following the prohibitions of the caste system
and so forth.
Our laws apply to all people without any discrimination. The Constitution provides
guarantee to all people alike. The planning aims at the uplift of all types of weaker sections.
The common customs and consensus in social values have preserved our traditional
culture.
Similarly, people may say that they live in a particular region, but the idea of region is contexual.
Within one region, there are smaller and more homogeneous areas which differ from each other in
many ways. A linguistic area thus possesses a ‘vertical’ unity which is common to all castes living
there (from Brahmins to the untouchables), while caste represented a ‘horizontal’ unity which cuts
across a linguistic area. A Brahmin in one state say, Uttar Pradesh, may not share values with a local
dalit (Bhangi, Pasi, etc.), but he shares some cultural values with Brahmins everywhere in India,
from north to south and east to west. Also, people may speak different languages in different
regions but they have common languages of English and Hindi to communicate with each other.
Hindi has made good progress in the non-Hindi areas and it has come to be accepted as the medium
of communication for people in different states. Earlier, English played this role as medium of
communication for intellectuals from all parts of India, though it created a barrier between the
learned people and the ordinary folk. The concept of a linguistic state and using regional languages
as medium of teaching in schools, colleges and universities are the product of independence. But it
is doubtful that language differences will create chaos in the society.
The caste system also has provided a common cultural ideology to Indians. Though it is true that
caste has created inter-caste conflicts and has also created a major social problem of untouchability
and has brought a rift between the higher and the untouchable castes, but it is also true that the
jajmani system till recently had succeeded in maintaining harmony and co-operation among various
castes in the rural areas. A significant change has taken place in the power relations of different
castes in the last few decades. The economic forces and the political and social changes in the last
forty-six years have vastly increased the power of the numerically large castes. The leaders of
these castes are aware of the strategic position they occupy in the struggle for political power at
the local, regional and central levels. It is these castes which take up big issues like uplift of
position of weaker sections, untouchability issue, land-reforms issue, and so forth. This caste
unity, to some extent, becomes crucial in taking up regional and national issues and thus indirectly
contributes to the process of nation’s development. Thus, religion, caste and language may create
some problems in the society yet the idea of the unity of India has its origin in these three areas.
These bind people together closely at different levels. Though it is not being claimed that these
three factors will be crucially important in integrating the in-habitants of India, but it is being
suggested that in the course of time people will come to appreciate the idea that members of every
religion, caste, and linguistic group are equal as citizens. This would generate tolerance and
promote secularism as a value.
The ‘divisions’ in the country may be dysfunctional but their values may not necessarily be
inconsistent with being a citizen of India. The disappearance of loyalties to these divisions may
not be feasible but they need not be perceived and denounced as anti-national. If an individual
thinks that he belongs to certain caste, village, region and religion, he also thinks that he is an
Indian and as a citizen, he has certain responsibilities and duties to perform. Such feelings alone
maintain unity at a higher level among the individuals and keep the society integrated. Such a
concept of unity need not make people afraid of diversities in the society.