CHALLENGES FACING OUR COUNTRY
Introduction:
India got her independence in 1947. Our country faced many problems during the British rule. The British exploited the Indian resources for their development and progress. Some of their policies encouraged communalism in our country. It resulted in the division of India into India and Pakistan. Education was not provided properly to the Indian. Even though our government has taken many steps to eradicate the socio-economic problems of India, still we face some problems like communalism, casteism and anti-social practices.
Communalism:
A great hindrance to democracy is communalism. Communalism means placing one’s own community above, even above the nation. This feeling destroys the unity of the country and retards the progress of our country. The partition of India in 1947 was the result of communalism. There are people belonging to different religions in India. In fact the richness of our culture is the result of diverse religious communities. Our cultural heritage is seen in our monuments. The monuments like Sanchi Stupa, Ajanta and Ellora Caves, our famous temples all over India, the famous Taj Mahal and the melodious music of the North and South belong to people of different religions. When we look at any monument we do not think of the community to which the sculpture belong, but the magnificence of the sculpture. From the ancient period we find that we have developed a secular outlook. But today communal unrest sadly disrupts our lives. Education is the best way to eradicate communalism. Education creates a feeling of brotherhood among the people and fosters nationalism. Open University Scheme has been implemented by the Universities to educate the interested mass. Radio, Television and Newspapers play a vital role in the spread of mass education through various programs. The government is trying to spread national integration through television and other mass media.
Casteism:
Casteism is another major problem in our country. In the beginning, castes were formed on the basis of occupation. In course of time, this became hereditary. Slowly casteism became rigid. This has created many problems in our country. This poses a serious threat to national integration. It also proves to be a serious impediment to the progress of our country. The Government of India has taken many steps to improve the condition of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. The Constitution of India has abolished untouchability. The Untouchability Offences Act was passed in 1955. This Act makes untouchability a punishable crime. Government has reserved seats in the Lok Sabha and the Legislative Assemblies and grants of stipends are given to them. The Government is using the mass media like television, radio and films, to educate the people against casteism.
Anti-Social Practices:
Some of the anti-social practices are bribery, corruption and smuggling. Bribery is called a white collar crime. Bribery usually occurs in connection with contracts, construction works, grant of licenses, purchase of land, etc. Bribing at all levels is a crime. Both the bribe giver and bribe taker are criminals. The Government of India has passed the Prevention of Corruption Act in 1947. The term corruption implies all illegal and anti-social activities. It also includes illegal gratification, misuse of power, undue influence in elections, etc. Smuggling is another anti-social activity. Gold, diamond, electric goods and drugs are mainly smuggled from foreign countries to India. Snake skins, crocodile skins, Pancha Loha idols, etc,. are smuggled from India to foreign countries. The Central Excise and Customs Departments are in charge of arresting these smugglers in order to prevent smuggling.
Growth of Population:
The rapid growth of population is one of the biggest obstacles to the progress of our country. Scientific advancements in medicine have lowered the death rate. Along with this higher birth rate also added to the increasing population. In 1951, our population was about 361 millions. In 1981, it was about 685 million. In 1991, it was about 843 millions and in 2001, it was about 1027 millions. India is considered to be the second most populous country. For the steady progress of our country the growth of population must be checked. As our resources are limited, over population will lead to poverty and unemployment. It will also lower standard of living.
The government is taking several measures to control over population by effective propaganda through mass media about family planning programmes, and spread of education particularly among women. Most educated people prefer to have a small family so as to have better standard of living.
Environment awareness:
The greatest impact of man on the environment is pollution. The balance of the eco system is delicate. Pollution affects not only air, water and land but also the organisms in the biosphere. When harmful substances contaminate the environment in large quantities, the eco system is unable to absorb them and the flow of energy form one sphere to another is distributed. This results in the breakdown of the balance in ecosystem and degradation of the environment. Air pollution and water pollution affect the environment. Some plants and animals have become extinct due to these environmental change. It has resulted in the depletion of resources. Man cannot live without progress. But he has to understand that progress does not mean the destruction of environment. He has to learn to live in harmony with the environment. He must try to maintain. He must try to maintain the delicate balance of the ecosystem.
AIDS:
Human body has a control mechanism to fight diseases. It is called immune system. The white blood cells fight invaders successfully. But they fail when a virus called Human Immuno Deficiency Virus(HIV) enters into the human body. This virus destroys the immune system itself. If the immune system is weakened, the person may be affected by all kinds of inflations. Common infections like colds and flu may also become untreatable.
After getting the infection, the stage of AIDS may take anywhere from a few months to 10 or 15 years to develop. The person will not be aware of it and feels as healthy as anyone else. Once AIDS set in, the individual will be quite sick and death follows soon. There is no drug or vaccine to cure this disease.
