India is Changing Dramatically, But It Is Not Without Serious Growing Pains

India has been going through some incredible changes in recent years. It used to be a very traditional society. And while it remains, on many levels, a very traditional society still, it has changed in very dramatic ways.

India's cities were always huge and vastly overcrowded. But nowadays, they are really starting to be dominated by skyscrapers. They also have a cloud of smog frequently hovering over them, and have some of the worst air pollution problems in the entire world. 

The remnants of a once very strict caste system can still be seen, even if it is not quite as prominent, nor as official, as it once was. 

And this country is well on it's way to being the most heavily populated nation in the world, soon to surpass China for that distinction.

Modernization is not without it's headaches, and another area where India has seen enormous changes is with the status of women. Traditionally, women clearly had a subordinate, largely inferior status in Indian society. But that is beginning to change, as Indian women have grown more vocal on gang rapes, and other chauvinistic male practices. And the popularity of these often massive and angry protests has grown, as women have gained more support over the years.

Another area where India appears to be modernizing is with girls. Recently, I ran into this article from the fall of 2017, which explores how India's Supreme Court had decided to finally define sex with a child bride as rape in every case. This was considered a huge win for girl's rights, although it surely has received, and will continue to receive, some blowback.

Then again, nobody ever said that change and progress were easy, or would somehow be achieved without a fight.

It is good to see that India at least appears to be fighting to address past injustices, and to move towards finally addressing some of the worst abuses of traditional society there. 

Here is the link to the Global Citizen article that got me on this topic about India, and the often dramatic changes within Indian society that we here in the west are seeing from afar, and often likely do not entirely understand:

India Rules Sex With a Child Bride Is Always Rape in a Massive Win for Girls’ Rights It’s a landmark change to India’s marital rape laws.by Imogen Calderwood  OCT. 11, 2017:

https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/india-child-marriage-rape-court-outlawed/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_content=au&utm_campaign=general-content&linkId=53500499&fbclid=IwAR3MP12hDsAZQf9CpkiUoyu4xxj_e1L4YFGr8ime6pZPbyoojapptvydh9A