According to the Indian Constitution discrimination on the basis of religion, caste, creed, gender, language. place of birth, etc. But still, people are discriminated on this basis. However, people are fighting for their rights. Let’s find out more about Struggles for Equality.
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Introduction to Inequality
The Indian Constitution recognizes all Indians as equals before the law such that no citizen discriminated against because of their religion, sex, caste, or whether rich or poor. All kinds of citizens have the right to vote for their desired representative during the elections. However, the feeling of equality on the basis of ‘one vote one person’ in reality does not extend to all. Poor people feel neglected due to their socioeconomic status.
They are forced to work in hardships due to poverty and shortage of resources. These people do not get justice in matters of health, education, etc. People also face inequality on grounds of religion, caste, and gender in India.People from lower castes are still considered as untouchables in the rural areas of India. And people from such cases are not encouraged to pursue education and if they get educated they are denied jobs due to their caste.
There is a lot of discrimination on the basis of caste. Discrimination against religions creates communal tension which gives rise to wars between different religious communities. Women are also discriminated on the basis of gender. There is no equal pay for women.
A lot of young girls are not sent to school because people think that education should only be exclusive for boys. Women are harassed physically and sexually. Many social problems like dowry, domestic abuse, sexual abuse, female foeticide are happening to the discrimination against women.
Struggles For Equality
Throughout the world, people are fighting for their rights and equality, trying to end the discrimination which they face. Women’s movement is one such example. The Tawa Matsya Sangh in Madhya Pradesh is also an example of people coming together to fight for an issue. Other struggles such as those of beedi workers, fisherfolk, agricultural labourers, slum dwellers, etc. who have been fighting for equality and justice.
Tawa Matsya Sangh (TMS)
Tawa Matsya Sangh is a federation of fishermen who fight for the rights of forest dwellers who have been displaced from Satpura forest located in Madhya Pradesh. The construction of the Tawa dam leads to the submersion of large forests. Therefore, the forest dwellers had to suffer a set back as they earned very little.
The government only let the private contractors fish in that reservoir. These private organizations pestered the villagers and to prevent this the villagers formed a union known as the Tawa Matsya Sangh. Rallies and Chakka jam were organized time and again. In response, the government granted fishing, rights to the villagers in 1996.
Questions For You
Q1. The Indian Constitution is called a living document because it can be ______________.
- Destroyed
- Amended
- Deleted
- Concluded
Sol. The correct answer is option ”b”. The Indian Constitution is called a living document because it can be amended or changed. Our Constitution accepts the necessity of modifications according to changing needs of the society.
Secondly, in the actual working of the Constitution, there has been enough flexibility of interpretations. The Constitution is an instrument that societies create for themselves.Thus, both political practice and judicial rulings have shown maturity and flexibility in implementing the Constitution.
Q2. When did the Constitution of India come into effect?
- 15 August 1947
- 15 November 1949
- 26 January 1947
- 26 January 1950
Sol. The correct answer is the option ”d”. The Constitution of India was adopted by the Constituent Assembly on 26 November 1949 and came into effect on 26 January 1950. The Constituent Assembly was the main body responsible for drafting the constitution of India that would lay the basis of governance.
The Constitution lays down the foundations of the government under which the people of the country are to be governed. The Indian constitution has 25 parts, 12 schedules, and 448 articles, thus, making it the longest constitution ever drafted in the history of mankind.
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