L'Idea of Progress

THE IDEA OF PROGRESS

The notion which falls within the topic that I’m going to deal with is The Idea of Progress. Progress is a social, technological or medical evolution that jostles customs and traditions. Advances are often the object of many concerns about their possible consequences. Certain emerging countries as India are typical examples of a society modified under the influence of progress.

On February 2013, the French president François Hollande made an official visit to India in Mumbai. If his cortege rallied fast the Taj Hotel, the French officials’ cars were obstructed two hours in traffic jams. During this hitch, the French CEO and ministers discovered the slums housed by this wealthy city. This sharp contrast between on the one hand shanty towns and on the other hand the skyscrapers of famous TNCs is modeled on India. So, why is India said to be a country of contradictions? To begin with, we will study its lively history, then we will focus on the emerging power, and to finish with we will deal with the fact that the country is still torn by inequalities.

I / A lively history

Foremost, the Indian history is a turbulent one. Indeed, this country owns an ancient history, shaped by various religions and cultures. For instance, even if the main religion is Hinduism with 80% of the population, Islam is still present with almost 14% of Indians following it. If we add Christianity, Sikhism, Buddhism and Jainism, it is easy to understand that the country used to be and is still a powder magazine because of the current rivalries between Hindus and Muslims.

Since its British conquest, this country became the jewel of the British crown, nicknamed “the British Raj”. Even if the viceroy of India was one of the most powerful men in the world, an old man named Gandhi of whom is made a portrait in the short text « Mahatma Gandhi » of Culture Keys succeeded into snatching the British jewel, getting the independence in 1947. Although he was considered as a hero, a great soul as he was called “Mahatma”, he was assassinated by a Hindu extremist.

Even if India has become the world’s largest democracy in the world, the same family still rules not only the country but also the Congress Party. Even if India proves its modernity electing a female as Prime Minister in 1964, she was assassinated by her own bodyguards. So, India possesses a lively history, with a sharp contrast between what it aspires to be, and what happens.

II / An emerging power

Despite this turbulent history, India is an emerging power. It was marked as that by Jim O’Neil, when he created the BRIC to gather in one word all the emergent powers of the planet. The document « A country on the march » supplies us with quantified data that allow us to understand better the incredible development of the country. With a skyrocketing population that will overtake the Chinese one by 2030, India is a promising and desired market where all the TNCs have settled branches.

Moreover, the country sends an image of modernity with females in the highest levels of the State, for instance Pratibha Patil who became the first female President of India in 2007 .

This image was strengthened by the birth of microcredit. This new concept of micro-finance

...