Be the change that you wish to see
“In a free society, government reflects the soul of its people. If people want change at the top, they will have to live in different ways. Our major social problems are not the cause of our decadence. They are a reflection of it,” Cal Thomas
A social issue is one that affects a large proportion of the population of a country. Often, it is a result of factors extending beyond an individual’s control and local geographical environment and thus requires conscious combined effort in order to be resolved.
India is no stranger to social issues, and has been battling with several of them, since time immemorial. The most infamous among these being the practices of social stratification through the caste system, Sati which refers to self-immolation by a widow on her husband’s funeral pyre, child marriage where marriages were often fixed while the children were still infants, debt bondage and the purdah system of female seclusion which required females to over their bodies so as to cover their skin and conceal their form.
However, even today, India continues to grapple with numerous social evils ranging right from overpopulation and related issues such as poverty, unemployment, malnutrition, lack of access to health and sanitation facilities, illiteracy and corruption; to violence and related issues such as terrorism, riots and religious/caste-based violence, naxalism; to social issues such as gender discrimination including dowry, rape, domestic violence, honour killing, female foeticide, etc.; and even environmental problems such as pollution and scarcity of resources.
Efforts by the government, international agencies like the U.N., World Bank, W.H.O., etc. and even individual citizens have provided some respite. However, the path to the desired goal is long and treacherous.
As Indians, we all look forward to a day, when we have together with the concerned authorities rid our glorious nation of all these various social evils that plague her. Until then, let us all put our best foot forward, as we make efforts to contribute, even in a miniscule way, towards this change we envision and say, “Ham honge kaamyaab ek din!”
Mes Pensées (My Thoughts) :) 