Language and Culture
There are 28 states and seven territories in India, according to the World Health Organization. It is a misconception that majority of people in India speak Hindi. In fact 595 of India residents speak languages other than Hindi, including Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil etc. (Zimmermann. 2015. para 2)
Hinduism and Buddhism, the third and fourth largest religions, are considered by many to have originated from India. Hindu makes up approximately 84 percent of the population, but there are many variations of Hinduism. Muslim makes approximately 13 percent of the population, while Christians and Sikhs make up only a small percentage. There are even fewer Buddhists and Jains.(Zimmermann. 2015. para 3) |
India’s caste system that has been in their culture for the past 1500 years follows a basic precept that all men are created unequal. The ranks in society come from a legend in which the main groupings come from a primordial being. The Brahmans (priests and teachers) come from the mouth. The Kshatriyas come from the arms. The Vaisyas come from the thighs. And the sudras come from the feet. However, there is a fifth group known as the achuta, or untouchable. The untouchables are considered too inferior to even be ranked as worthy beings. They are discriminated against and are often shunned, insulted and even banned from temples and higher caste homes. (O’ Neill. n.d. para 3 and 4)
Discrimination
Gender inequality (bias against females) remains an imminent issue in India. Parents believe that females end up serving their husbands’ families and that there are no benefits from educating the girls, and as a result the literacy rate for females is much lower at 65.46% as compared to 82.14% for males. (indiafacts, 2013)Females are seen as inferior and are of a lower class as compared to males, which is why rape cases are common due to the fact that males are the ones with power and authority. The position of women has improved gradually although it is still far worse than many other countries. One indication would be school attendance. The gap between enrollment rates for boys and girls in primary and secondary schools in India has been closed quite significantly; the ratio of girls to boys in schools is 98% in 2011 as compared to 67% in 1989. (Rajadhyaksha. 2014. para 4 and 5)
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