Modern Problems in India - Commack Schools



Modern Problems in India and Pakistan Post-Indian Independence2628900151765001. Caste System: The Indian Constitution of 1950 tried to eliminate the worst aspects of the caste system. It guaranteed equal treatment and opportunity for all, regardless of caste, and prohibited discrimination based upon untouchability. Additionally, the Constitution the set quotas to guarantee that untouchables would be represented in legislative assemblies as well as admitted to colleges and universities. But, prejudice is hard to eliminate and untouchability still exists in many rural parts of India. Untouchables still perform menial tasks and are often denied basic human rights. Mistreatment and exploitation by landlords and government officials has led to violence in many villages. Connect to one of the five AP World Themes. Explain your connection. Is this more of a continuity or more of a change over time?2. Overpopulation – Green Revolution: Another crucial problem India faces was overpopulation. Even before independence in 1947, drought, soil erosion, and a lack of technology made it difficult for the nation of 400 million people to produce enough food to avoid starvation. Overpopulation became an even bigger problem in the 1960s as many farmers had large families to use their children as a source of free labor. As a result, the government began monetarily rewarding smaller families. Today, India's population has reached 1.21 billion, making it home to 17% of the world's people (2nd only to China’s 1.3 billion). In the 1970s, the “Green Revolution” - the use of technology to produce crops that yielded more food- reduced the severity of overpopulation. New grains of rice and wheat were created that were more productive and disease resistant. Unfortunately, while the Green Revolution seemed to solve one problem, it caused another. Only wealthier peasants were able to master the new farming techniques and purchase the necessary fertilizer, while poor peasants were driven off of the land. Millions of peasants fled to already overcrowded cities where they lived in slums and begged for a living. Connect to one of the five AP World Themes. Explain your connection. What was the cause and effect of the Green Revolution?3. Status of Women: Historically, the life of women in India has been severely restricted. Hindu favoritism toward men, and Muslim customs created a society in which males were dominant in virtually all aspects of life. Females received no education and had no inheritance rights. In the extreme case, women were expected to commit suttee, to cremate themselves during their husband's funeral. After independence in 1947, India's leaders sought to equalize men and women. The Constitution specifically forbade discrimination based upon gender and called for equal pay for equal work. Additionally, laws were created to ban child marriages and the payment of a dowry to the husband's family. Women were then encouraged to attend school and enter the labor force. Many people were shocked when Indira Gandhi of India (no relation to Mohandas Gandhi) was elected as Prime Ministers of India. Her election symbolized the tremendous strides the subcontinent has made regarding gender equality. Connect to one of the five AP World Themes. Explain your connection. Is this more of a continuity or more of a change over time?4. Partitions: 2032000-3238500In 1947, the British divided colonial India into two independent countries: a mostly Hindu India and mostly Muslim Pakistan. The partition of the colony into two countries prompted millions of Hindus to move from Pakistan into India and millions of Muslims to move from India into Pakistan. The process was chaotic and violent, causing nearly half a million deaths. To add to the confusion and heartache, Gandhi, a Hindu, was assassinated in 1948 by a Hindu extremist upset with Gandhi’s willingness to work with Muslims. Since independence in 1947, India (Hindu majority) has fought three wars with neighboring Pakistan (Muslim majority) – in 1947, 1965, and 1971 over the disputed border territory of Kashmir. While Kashmir is territorially part of India, it has a Muslim majority, many of whom believe that they should be part of Pakistan. The partition was further complicated by geography. Pakistan itself consisted of two distinct section separated by India: West Pakistan and East Pakistan. For nearly 25 years, West and East Pakistan struggled to become one country. Besides the vast distance between them, the two areas were divided by language and ethnicity. After a violent Pakistani civil war in 1971, East Pakistan, with the help of Indian troops, became the independent country of Bangladesh in 1972. The conflicts between Indian and Pakistan have become exacerbated as both India and Pakistan now have nuclear weapons. Connect to one of the five AP World Themes. Explain your connection. What was the cause and the effect of the partition of India?5. Pakistan - Problems with Democracy: From 1977-1985, the military ruled Pakistan through martial law- meaning the Constitution was suspended. Democracy returned during Benazir Bhutto's leadership as Prime Minister (1988-1996). Then, Pakistan had a series of weak rulers who were once again overthrown by the military. Bhutto was convicted on corruption charges and in 1999, military chief Pervez Musharraf became Chief Executive of Pakistan. Musharraf ruled until elections were held in 2008. During that time, he became an ally of the US in the war on terror. Benazir Bhutto attempted to run for office again, but was assassinated in 2007. Her husband won the election and is currently the Prime Minister of Pakistan. Connect to one of the five AP World Themes. Explain your connection. Is this more of a continuity or more of a change over time?2527935-635006. Emigration: The emigration of large numbers of refugees and immigrants from Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh to London illustrated the movement of former colonial subjects to imperial metropoles, large cities in the “home” country. Many found employment in the medical field, while others took jobs as manual workers who were needed to address labor shortages after World War II. To reduce the number of people coming from South Asia, the British Parliament passed more restrictive immigration legislation and developed a policy called “managed migration.” This system of immigration control allowed the entrance into Great Britain of highly skilled workers, semi-skilled workers to fill temporary labor shortages, and students. Today, approximately four percent of the British population is British Asian. Connect to one of the five AP World Themes. Explain your connection. What was the cause and what was the effect of South Asian emigration? ................
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