8/3/2019 Contradictions in Society

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Contradictions in Society

“Indian society is full of various contradictions.” Give arguments For and Against this

view. 

 Most of the societies in the world have unique features and characteristics. The societies inthe South Asian countries are agrarian in nature. With plethora of languages spoken and 

religions practised in India, it becomes a unique case of unity in diversity. Every such society

becomes difficult to tackle administratively. Indian society has had its own problem from time

to time. Economically as well as socially, the Indian society has wide variations. There are

various divides, including rural-urban divide, rich and poor divide and the class divide. This

is why many people believe that the Indian society is full of contradictions.  

Arguments For the View

(a) India has almost 250 million people living below the poverty line, which in absolute terms

is the largest number of such people in any country. But at the same time, the number of the

billionaires in the country is also on the rise. This is a great contradiction for any society.

(b) India is considered to be a tolerant society. Indian history is

replete with the instances that would vouch for this fact. But at the same time, we do

experience the ghastly instances riots, blasts and communal clashes every now and then.

This is a glaring example of social contradictions.

(c) While majority of the Indian population lives in the rural areas, constituting almost 60 per

cent of the work force, the incomes in the rural areas have been the slowest to rise during the

era of rapid economic growth. This contradiction has made the large rural majority suffer

despite the high growth rate.

Arguments Against the View

(a) All the societies in the world, including the most developed ones, have had certain

contradictions and the contradictions in Indian society are the extension of this global

phenomenon. There is nothing unique in the Indian society.

(b) No society in the world is absolutely equitable. Even the most developed societies like

the US have their own contradictions and divides. The erstwhile communist countries also

could not achieve completely equitable societies. Disparities and contradictions are the law of 

nature and cannot be avoided in any modern society.

(c) The government has taken several steps to reduce the contradictions in Indian society.

Several mega schemes to uplift the people of the backward classes and backward areas to

bring them at par with the mainstream population are also being implemented.