7th social-political sciences-social and political life-2.pdf

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ContentsContentsContentsContentsContents

Foreword ........................................................................... iii

Introductory note for teachers........................................... vii

Teacher’s note on evaluation ............................................... x

Unit One: Equality in Indian Democracy .......................... 2

Chapter 1: On Equality .................................................... 4

Unit Two: State Government ......................................... 16

Chapter 2: Role of the Government in Health ................. 18

Chapter 3: How the State Government Works ................ 30

Unit Three: Gender ...................................................... 42

Chapter 4: Growing up as Boys and Girls ...................... 44

Chapter 5: Women Change the World ............................ 54

Unit Four: Media and Advertising.................................. 68

Chapter 6: Understanding Media ................................... 70

Chapter 7: Understanding Advertising ........................... 80

Unit Five: Markets ....................................................... 92

Chapter 8: Markets Around Us ...................................... 94

Chapter 9: A Shirt in the Market.................................. 104

Equality in Indian Democracy (continued)

Chapter 10: Struggles for Equality ............................... 114

References ................................................................... 122

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UNITONE

3

Equality in Indian Democracy

Teacher’s noteTeacher’s noteTeacher’s noteTeacher’s noteTeacher’s note

This Unit introduces the learner to thecritical role of equality in democracy, withspecific reference to India. The Constitutionof India guarantees equality to all citizens.Despite this, the daily lives of people inIndia are far from equal. Earlierdiscussions on equality in Civics textbooksmost often reiterated certain provisions ofthe Constitution without adequatelyconsidering the reality of these in people’slives. This Unit adopts a different approach.It discusses the need for equality throughhighlighting the inequalities that continueto be practised and experienced by variouscommunities.

The first chapter introduces the learnerto Kanta, Omprakash Valmiki and theAnsaris, all of whom experience inequalityin different ways. It is through theirexperiences that we introduce the conceptof dignity. The government’s role in passinglaws and instituting policies is discussedto show that commitment to the alleviationof existing inequalities is a major part ofthe work that governments undertake. Thechapter also briefly introduces an issue ofinequality in the United States of Americato highlight that this is a global phenomenonand a feature of many democratic countries.

The second chapter of this Unit isChapter 10 of this book. It ties togetherthe main ideas on equality raisedthroughout the text. A significant portionof the last chapter is devoted to discussingpeople’s contribution to the fight forequality. This is achieved through focusingon one social movement as well ashighlighting creative (writings, songs,poems) ways through which people expresstheir demands for equality.

Both chapters aim to help the learnerunderstand that equality and democracyare dynamic and not static concepts. Thisdynamism is reflected in the government’spassing of new laws and programmes, andin people’s movements around varioussocial and economic issues.

Kanta, Omprakash, the Ansaris, and theTawa Matsya Sangh all have diverse localequivalents. Local situations should beused as a practical reference to make thediscussion on underlying concepts morerelevant and appropriate. A discussion onequality in the classroom requires empathyas well as a firm commitment on theteacher’s part to ensuring that the dignityof all learners be respected.

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On EqualityIndia is a democracy. In theClass VI book, we looked atthe key elements of ademocratic government.These include people’sparticipation, theresolution of conflict, andequality and justice.Equality is a key feature ofdemocracy and influencesall aspects of itsfunctioning. In this chapteryou will read more aboutequality – what it is, why itis important in ademocracy, and whether ornot everyone is equal inIndia. Let’s begin bylooking at Kanta’s story.

Isn’t it good Suja that we can all vote asequal citizens of our country? Even Jain

Saheb is standing in the line with us!

Yes!

Go on, Kanta – It’syour turn now.

I will vote for thecandidate who haspromised to bring

pipe water toour area.

Manjit KaurTeacher

Teja Singh Trader

Girish RaoStudent

Kanta DeviDomestic worker

Sujata KumariDomestic worker

On election day, Kanta and her friendSujata are waiting to cast their votes...

1CHAPTER

CHAPTER

CHAPTER

CHAPTER

CHAPTER

Afterwards...

We’ll see youlater, Kanta.

Yes...NamasteSaheb!

Gudia has been running feverand I have to take her to the

hospital...but I will have to finishthe work at Saheb’s house

first...and ask for someadvance...

At home...

Here have some of this –you’ll feel better. Andwhen I get back in theevening, we’ll go to the

hospital, okay?

It’s no wonder that Gudiafalls ill often...the basti is

never cleaned!

Abdul RehmanArtisan

Shabnam BanoHousewife

Gracy LalengConsultant

Isaac Laleng Government officer

Ruksana MirzaMedia person

Yog RajUnemployed

Ashok JainIndustrialist

Equal right to voteEqual right to voteEqual right to voteEqual right to voteEqual right to vote

The story above begins with Kanta standing in lineto cast her vote. Look again at the various peoplewho are standing in line with her. Kanta recognisesher employer, Ashok Jain and Chotte Lal, herneighbour. In a democratic country, like India, alladults irrespective of what religion they belong to,how much education they have had, what caste theyare, or whether they are rich or poor are allowed tovote. This, as you have already read in the Class VIbook, is called universal adult franchiseuniversal adult franchiseuniversal adult franchiseuniversal adult franchiseuniversal adult franchise and is anessential aspect of all democracies. The idea ofuniversal adult franchise is based on the idea ofequality because it states that every adult in acountry, irrespective of their wealth and thecommunities she/he belongs to, has one vote. Kantais excited to vote and happy that she is equal to allof the others because each of them has one vote.

But as her day goes on, Kanta becomes less certainabout what this equality really means.

What is it that makes Kanta unsure? Let’s take alook at a day in her life. She lives in a slum and hasa drain behind her house. Her daughter is sick butshe cannot take the day off from work because sheneeds to borrow money from her employers to takeher child to the doctor. Her job as a domestic helptires her out, and finally she ends her day by againstanding in a long line. This line, in front of thegovernment hospital, is unlike the one in the morningbecause most of the people standing in it are poor.

Do you think Kanta hasenough reason to doubtwhether she really is equal?List three reasons from thestory above that mightmake her feel like this.

Make sure to do thecorners properly.

Here’s your advance,Kanta – but don’t make a

habit of it!

No Madam...

That evening...

Just fewmore

minutes,Beti.

Jain Madamand Jain Saheb

may stand in line tovote, but they

never have to do itwhen their children

are sick...

Other kinds of equalityOther kinds of equalityOther kinds of equalityOther kinds of equalityOther kinds of equality

Kanta is one of many people who live in democraticIndia and who have the right to vote but whose dailyliving and working conditions are far from equal.Apart from being poor, people in India experienceinequality in different ways. Let us see what thismeans by reading the two stories given below. Eachof these is based on real incidents in people’s livesand reflects the different kinds of inequalities thatexist in India.

One of the more common forms of inequality inIndia is the caste system. If you live in rural Indiayour caste identity is something that you probablylearned or experienced very young. If you live inurban India some of you might think that people nolonger believe in caste. But just look at thesematrimonials shown from a leading Englishnewspaper and you will see how important the issueof caste continues to be in the minds of highlyeducated urban Indians.

Now let us read a story about the experiences of aDalit child attending school. You have already readabout Dalits in the Class VI book. Dalit is a termthat the so-called lower castes use to addressthemselves. Dalit means ‘broken’ and by using thisword, lower castes are pointing to how they were,and continue to be, seriously discriminated against.

Omprakash Valmiki is a famous Dalit writer. Inhis autobiography, Joothan, he writes, “I had to sitaway from the others in the class, and that too onthe floor. The mat ran out before reaching the spot Isat on. Sometimes I would have to sit way behindeverybody, right near the door…sometimes theywould beat me without any reason.” When he was inClass IV, the headmaster asked Omprakash to sweepthe school and the playground. He writes, “Theplayground was way larger than my small physiquecould handle and in cleaning it, my back began toache. My face was covered with dust. Dust had gone

Circle the reference to caste in thematrimonial advertisements givenabove.

Chapter 1: On Equality On Equality On Equality On Equality On Equality 7

8 Social and Political LifeSocial and Political LifeSocial and Political LifeSocial and Political LifeSocial and Political Life

inside my mouth. The other children in my classwere studying and I was sweeping. Headmaster wassitting in his room and watching me. I was not evenallowed to get a drink of water. I swept the wholeday,…From the doors and windows of the schoolrooms, the eyes of the teachers and the boys sawthis spectacle.” Omprakash was made to sweep theschool and the playground for the next couple ofdays and this only came to an end when his father,who happened to be passing by, saw his sonsweeping. He confronted the teachers and thenwalking away from the school holding Omprakash’shand, he said loudly for all of them to hear, “You area teacher…So I am leaving now. But remember thismuch Master…(He) will study right here…in thisschool. And not just him, but there will be morecoming after him.”

The second story is based on an incident that tookplace in one of India’s larger cities and is commonpractice in most parts of the country. It is a storyabout Mr and Mrs Ansari who were looking to rentan apartment in the city. They had the money andso paying the rent was no problem. They went to aproperty dealer for help to find a place. The dealerinformed them that he knew about quite a fewapartments that were available for rent. They visitedthe first apartment and the Ansaris liked it very muchand decided to take it. However, when the landladyfound out their names, she made an excuse abouthow she could not rent the house to someone whoate meat because the building did not have anynon-vegetarian residents. Both the Ansaris and theproperty dealer were surprised to hear this becausethey could smell fish being cooked in the neighbour’shouse. The same excuse was repeated in the secondand the third apartments. Finally, the property dealertold them that they might want to change their namesand call themselves Mr and Mrs Kumar. The Ansariswere reluctant to do this and decided to look somemore. In the end, it took a whole month of looking atapartments before they found a landlady who waswilling to give them a place on rent.

Why do you think OmprakashValmiki was being treated unequallyby his teacher and his classmates?Imagine yourself as OmprakashValmiki and write four lines abouthow you would feel if you were inthe same situation as him.

Cover of Omprakash Valmiki’s book,Joothan, which talks about hisexperiences of growing up as a Dalit boy.

Why do you think the Ansariswere being treated unequally?What would you do if you were inthe Ansaris’ position and couldnot find a place to live becausesome people did not want to livenext to you because of the religionyou practice?

9

Recognising dignityRecognising dignityRecognising dignityRecognising dignityRecognising dignity

You have understood by now that the caste we areborn into, the religion we practice, the classbackground we come from, whether we are male orfemale – these are often the things that determinewhy some people are treated unequally. OmprakashValmiki and the Ansaris are being treated unequallyon the basis of differences of caste and religion.

When persons are treated unequally, their dignitydignitydignitydignitydignityis violated. The dignity of both Omprakash Valmikiand the Ansaris was violated because of the way inwhich they were treated. By picking on him andmaking him sweep the school, because of his caste,Omprakash Valmiki’s schoolmates and teachers hurthis dignity badly and made him feel as if he was lessthan equal to all other students in the school. Beinga child, Omprakash Valmiki could do very little aboutthe situation that he was in. It was his father who,on seeing his son sweep, felt angry by this unequaltreatment and confronted the teachers. The Ansaris’dignity was also hurt when persons refused to leasetheir apartments to them. However, when theproperty dealer suggested that they change theirname, it was their dignity or self-respect that madethem refuse this suggestion.

Omprakash and the Ansaris do not deserve to betreated like this. They deserve the same respect anddignity as anyone else.

Equality in Indian democracyEquality in Indian democracyEquality in Indian democracyEquality in Indian democracyEquality in Indian democracy

The Indian ConstitutionConstitutionConstitutionConstitutionConstitution recognises every person asequal. This means that every individual in thecountry, including male and female persons fromall castes, religions, tribes, educational and economicbackgrounds are recognised as equal. This is not tosay that inequality ceases to exist. It doesn’t. Butatleast, in democratic India, the principle of theequality of all persons is recognised. While earlier

If you were one of the Ansarishow would you have responded tothe suggestion that you changeyour name?

Can you think of an incident inyour life in which your dignity wasviolated? How did this make youfeel?

In the 1975 film, Deewar, a boy whoworks as a shoeshine refuses to pick up acoin thrown at him. He feels that there isdignity in the work that he does andinsists that his fee be given respectfully.

Chapter 1: On Equality On Equality On Equality On Equality On Equality


no law existed to protect people from discriminationand ill-treatment, now there are several that work tosee that people are treated with dignity and as equals.

This recognition of equality includes some of thefollowing provisions in the Constitution: first thatevery person is equal before the law. What this meansis that every person, from the President of the countryto Kanta, a domestic worker, has to obey the samelaws. Second, no person can be discriminated againston the basis of their religion, race, caste, place ofbirth or whether they are female or male. Third, everyperson has access to all public places includingplaygrounds, hotels, shops and markets. All personscan use publicly available wells, roads and bathingghats. Fourth, untouchability has been abolished.

The two ways in which the government has triedto implement the equality that is guaranteed in theConstitution is first through laws and second throughgovernment programmes or schemes to helpdisadvantaged communities. There are several lawsin India that protect every person’s right to be treatedequally. In addition to laws, the government has also

The Parliament is the cornerstone of ourdemocracy and we are represented in itthrough our elected representatives.

11

set up several schemes to improve the lives ofcommunities and individuals who have been treatedunequally for several centuries. These schemes areto ensure greater opportunity for people who havenot had this in the past.

One of the steps taken by the government includesthe midday meal scheme. This refers to theprogramme introduced in all government elementaryschools to provide children with cooked lunch. TamilNadu was the first state in India to introduce thisscheme, and in 2001, the Supreme Court asked allstate governments to begin this programme in theirschools within six months. This programme has hadmany positive effects. These include the fact thatmore poor children have begun enrolling andregularly attending school. Teachers reported thatearlier children would often go home for lunch andthen not return to school but now with the middaymeal being provided in school, their attendance hasimproved. Their mothers, who earlier had to interrupttheir work to feed their children at home during theday, now no longer need to do so. This programmehas also helped reduce caste prejudices because bothlower and upper caste children in the school eat thismeal together, and in quite a few places, Dalit womenhave been employed to cook the meal. The middaymeal programme also helps reduce the hunger ofpoor students who often come to school and cannotconcentrate because their stomachs are empty.

While government programmes play an importantrole in increasing equality of opportunity, there ismuch that still needs to be done. While the middaymeal programme has helped increase the enrolmentand attendance of poor children in school, therecontinues to be big differences in our countrybetween schools that the rich attend and those thatthe poor attend. Even today there are several schoolsin the country in which Dalit children, likeOmprakash Valmiki, are discriminated against andtreated unequally. These children are forced intounequal situations in which their dignity is not

Children being served their midday mealat a government school in Uttarakhand.

What is the midday mealprogramme? Can you list threebenefits of the programme? Howdo you think this programmemight help promote greaterequality?

Find out about one governmentscheme in your area. What doesthis scheme do? Whom is thisscheme set up to benefit?



respected. This is because people refuse to think ofthem as equal even though the law requires it.

One of the main reasons for this is that attitudeschange very slowly. Even though persons are awarethat discrimination is against the law, they continueto treat people unequally on the basis of their caste,religion, disability, economic status and because theyare women. It is only when people begin to believethat no one is inferior, and that every person deservesto be treated with dignity, that present attitudes canchange. Establishing equality in a democratic societyis a continuous struggle and one in which individualsas well as various communities in India contributeto and you will read more about this in this book.

Issues of equality in other democraciesIssues of equality in other democraciesIssues of equality in other democraciesIssues of equality in other democraciesIssues of equality in other democracies

You are probably wondering whether India is the onlydemocratic country in which there is inequality andwhere the struggle for equality continues to exist.The truth is that in many democratic countriesaround the world, the issue of equality continues tobe the key issue around which communities struggle.So, for example, in the United States of America, theAfrican–Americans whose ancestors were the slaveswho were brought over from Africa, continue todescribe their lives today as largely unequal. This,despite the fact that there was a movement in thelate 1950s to push for equal rights for African–Americans. Prior to this, African–Americans weretreated extremely unequally in the United States anddenied equality through law. For example, whentravelling by bus, they either had to sit at the backof the bus or get up from their seat whenever a whiteperson wished to sit.

Rosa Parks was an African–American woman. Tiredfrom a long day at work she refused to give up herseat on a bus to a white man on 1 December 1955.Her refusal that day started a huge agitation againstthe unequal ways in which African–Americans were

“It is disgraceful to live at the cost of one'sself-respect. Self-respect is the most vitalfactor in life. Without it, man is a cipher.To live worthily with self-respect, one hasto overcome difficulties. It is out of hardand ceaseless struggle alone that onederives strength, confidence andr e cogn i t i on .

“Man is mortal. Everyone has to die someday or the other. But one must resolve tolay down one's life in enriching the nobleideals of self-respect and in bettering one'shuman life... Nothing is more disgracefulfor a brave man than to live life devoidof self-respect.”

– B.R. Ambedkar

13

treated and which came to be known as the CivilCivilCivilCivilCivilRights MovementRights MovementRights MovementRights MovementRights Movement. The Civil Rights Act of 1964prohibited discrimination on the basis of race,religion or national origin. It also stated that allschools would be open to African–American childrenand that they would no longer have to attend separateschools specially set up for them. However, despitethis, a majority of African–Americans continue to beamong the poorest in the country. Most African-American children can only afford to attendgovernment schools that have fewer facilities andpoorly qualified teachers as compared to whitestudents who either go to private schools or live inareas where the government schools are as highlyrated as private schools.

Rosa Parks, an African–Americanwoman, changed the course of Americanhistory with one defiant act.



Challenge of democracyChallenge of democracyChallenge of democracyChallenge of democracyChallenge of democracy

No country can be described as being completelydemocratic. There are always communities andindividuals trying to expand the idea of democracyand push for a greater recognition of equality onexisting as well as new issues. Central to this is thestruggle for the recognition of all persons as equaland for their dignity to be maintained. In this bookyou will read about how this issue of equality affectsvarious aspects of our daily lives in democratic India.As you read these chapters, think about whetherthe equality of all persons and their being able tomaintain their dignity is upheld.

Prohibition of discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth.

(1) The State shall not discriminate against any citizen on grounds only of religion, race,caste, sex, place of birth or any of them.

(2) No citizen shall, on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth or any ofthem, be subject to any disability, liability, restriction or condition with regard to –

(a) access to shops, public restaurants, hotels and places of public entertainment;

or

(b) the use of wells, tanks, bathing ghats, roads and places of public resort maintainedwholly or partly out of State funds or dedicated to the use of the general public.

Excerpt from Article 15 of the Indian Constitution

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EXERCISESEXERCISESEXERCISESEXERCISESEXERCISES

1. In a democracy why is universal adult franchise important?

2. Re-read the box on Article 15 and state two ways in which

this Article addresses inequality?

3. In what ways was Omprakash Valmiki’s experience similar

to that of the Ansaris?

4. What do you understand by the term “all persons are

equal before the law”? Why do you think it is important in

a democracy?

5. The Government of India passed the Disabilities Act in

1995. This law states that persons with disabilities have

equal rights, and that the government should make

possible their full participation in society. The government

has to provide free education and integrate children with

disabilities into mainstream schools. This law also states

that all public places including buildings, schools, etc.,

should be accessible and provided with ramps.

Look at the photograph and think about the boy who is being

carried down the stairs. Do you think the above law is being

implemented in his case? What needs to be done to make the

building more accessible for him? How would his being carried

down the stairs affect his dignity as well as his safety?

GlossaryGlossaryGlossaryGlossaryGlossary

Universal adult franchise: This is a very important aspect of democratic societies. It means that

all adult (those who are 18 and above) citizens have the right to vote irrespective of their social or

economic backgrounds.

Dignity: This refers to thinking of oneself and other persons as worthy of respect.

Constitution: This is a document that lays down the basic rules and regulations for people and

the government in the country to follow.

Civil Rights Movement: A movement that began in USA in 1950s in which African–American

people demanded equal rights and an end to racial discrimination.


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UNITTWO

17

State Government


These two chapters (Chapters 2 and 3) onState Government are an attempt todiscuss the functions and structure ofgovernment through concrete situations.We have chosen ‘health’ as an example;there could have been other, equallyimportant, choices.

Chapter 2 discusses ‘health’ as animportant issue for people. . . . . There are bothpublic and private aspects of healthprovisioning. Healthcare in India is notavailable to all. While the Constitutionsupports a view that the right to health isan aspect of our fundamental rights, itsprovisioning is rather unequal. Throughthe accounts provided, learners will beginto visualise the ideal or desired role ofgovernment, and the meanings behind itsstructures. Some ways in which thissituation can be changed are alsodiscussed.

Chapter 3 focuses on how thegovernment functions, and discusses ideasof representation, accountability and

public welfare. Though both the executiveand the legislature are presented, oneshould not expect students to retain finedistinctions. It would be best to patientlyencourage them to ask questions such as,“Who is the most powerful person?”, “Whycan’t the MLA solve the problem?”, etc.Such queries will enable them to constructa sense of the government apparatus.

It is important that learners acquire theconfidence to express their views on publicissues and understand the role ofgovernment through the exercises given inthe chapters. You could choose familiarissues such as water, transport, school-fees, books, child-labour, etc., for them todiscuss and arrive at how these problemsneed to be tackled. Allow them to expressthese ideas through wall charts. Given thatdiscussions on the government and itsfunctioning often lead to boredom andcynicism, we need to be able to makethe classroom session less didactic andmore interactive while teaching theselessons.

17

In a democracy people expect thegovernment to work for their welfare. Thiscould be through the provision ofeducation, health, employment, housingor the development of roads, electricityetc. In this chapter we shall examine themeanings and problems related to health.Look at the sub-headings of this chapter.In what ways do you think this topic isrelated to the work of government?

2CHAPTER

CHAPTER

CHAPTER

CHAPTER

CHAPTER

Role of theGovernmentin Health

What is health?What is health?What is health?What is health?What is health?

We can think of health in many ways. Health meansour ability to remain free of illness and injuries. Buthealth isn’t only about disease. You may haveassociated only some of the situations in the abovecollage with health. What we often ignore is the factthat each of the above situations is related to health.Apart from disease, we need to think of other factorsthat affect our health. For example, if people get cleandrinking water or a pollution free environment theyare likely to be healthy. On the other hand, if peopledo not get adequate food to eat or have to live incramped conditions, they will be prone to illness.

All of us would like to be active and in good spiritsin whatever we may be doing. It isn’t healthy to bedull, inactive, anxious or scared for long stretches oftime. We all need to be without mental strain. All ofthese various aspects of our lives are a part of health.

Pick two situations from the abovecollage that are not related toillness and write two sentences onhow they are related to health.

Would you associate all or some ofthese pictures with ‘health’ ? Inwhat ways? Discuss in groups.

19Chapter 2: Role of the Government in Health Role of the Government in Health Role of the Government in Health Role of the Government in Health Role of the Government in Health


In India, it is often said that weare unable to provide healthservices for all because thegovernment does not have enoughmoney and facilities. After readingthe above left hand column, doyou think this is true? Discuss.

Can you provide a title to thesecolumns?

India has the largest number of medical Most doctors settle in urban areas.colleges in the world and is among the People in rural areas have to travel longlargest producers of doctors. distances to reach a doctor. The numberApproximately15,000 new doctors qualify of doctors with respect to the population isevery year. much less in rural areas.

Healthcare facilities have grown About five lakh people die from tuberculosissubstantially over the years. In 1950, every year. This number is almostthere were only 2,717 hospitals in India. unchanged since Independence!In 1991, there were 11,174 hospitals. In Almost two million cases of malaria are2000, the number grew to 18,218. reported every year and this number isn’t

decreasing.

India gets a large number of medical We are not able to provide clean drinkingtourists from many countries. They come water to all. 21per cent of allfor treatment in some of the hospitals in communicable diseases are water borne.India that compare with the best in the world. For example, diarrhoea, worms, hepatitis, etc.

India is the fourth largest producer of Half of all children in India do notmedicines in the world and is also a large get adequate food to eat and areexporter of medicines. undernourished.

Healthcare in IndiaHealthcare in IndiaHealthcare in IndiaHealthcare in IndiaHealthcare in India

Let us examine some of the aspects of healthcare inIndia. Compare and contrast the situation expressedin the first and second columns.

In order to prevent and treat illnesses we needappropriate healthcare facilities such as healthcentres, hospitals, laboratories for testing,ambulance services, blood banks, etc., that canprovide the required care and services that patientsneed. In order to run such facilities we need healthworkers, nurses, qualified doctors and other healthprofessionals who can advice, diagnose and treatillnesses. We also need the medicines and equipmentthat are necessary for treating patients. Thesefacilities are required to take care of us.

21

Hakim Sheik was a member of the Paschim Banga Khet Mazdoor Samity (PBKMS), an organisationof agricultural labourers in West Bengal. One evening in 1992, he accidentally fell off a runningtrain and suffered head injuries. He was in a very serious condition and needed immediatetreatment.

He was taken to a government hospital in Kolkata but they refused to admit him because theydid not have a spare bed. Another hospital did not have the facility or the specialised doctorsnecessary for his treatment. In this way he spent 14 hours in a critical state and was taken toeight different government hospitals, but none of them admitted him.

Finally, he was admitted in a private hospital, where he received treatment. He spent a lot ofmoney on his treatment. Angry and upset over the indifferent attitude of all the hospitals thatrefused to admit him, Hakim Sheik and PBKMS filed a case in the court.

The story of Hakim Sheik

Read the story given above. Thenimagine that you are a Judge inthe court. What would you say toHakim Sheik?

Patients usually have to wait in longqueues in public hospitals, like this one.

India has a large number of doctors, clinics andhospitals. The country also has considerableexperience and knowledge in running a publicpublicpublicpublicpublichealthcare system. This is a system of hospitals andhealth centres run by the government. It has theability to look after the health of a large section of itspopulation scattered over hundreds of thousands ofvillages. We will go into more detail on this later.Moreover, there has been a phenomenaladvancement in medical sciences whereby many newtechnologies and treatment procedures are availablein the country.

However, the second column points out how poorthe health situation in our country is. With all theabove positive developments we are not able toprovide proper healthcare facilities to people. This isthe paradox – something that is contrary to what wewould expect. Our country has the money, knowledgeand people with experience but cannot make thenecessary healthcare available to all. In this chapter,we will look at some of the reasons for this.

Chapter 2: Role of the Government in Health Role of the Government in Health Role of the Government in Health Role of the Government in Health Role of the Government in Health

THE COST OF A CUREAman and Ranjan are good friends. While Ranjancomes from a well-to-do family, Aman’s parents haveto struggle to make ends meet...

Hi Aman! Good tosee you back! How have

you been?

I had viral fever andhad to go to the

hospital...

Oh! Me, too! I just got back toschool on Monday. My Daddytook me to see the doctor

at the new hospital inKingsway. It was very exciting!

The building looked so posh. I thought itwas a five star hotel! Daddy said that wasbecause it was a private hospital, with thebest of facilities.

Daddy had to pay Rs 500 at the reception counteritself – before we even met the doctor! There wasnice music playing and everything was really cleanand shiny.

The doctor asked for many tests...buteveryone was so friendly! The lady who tookmy blood for testing told me so many jokesthat I forgot to feel the pain!

...and have youheard the oneabout Batmanon Reality TV?

After the test results came, we went back to thedoctor. He looked through them and said everythingwas fine, and I only had viral fever. He prescribed lotsof medicines and rest.

...and so young man – this pink pill should betaken three times a day, and the white tablet

once before bed time – that’s for thebodyache! This one is a syrup – don’t

worry, it’s tasty

Thank youDoctor...I feel

betteralready!

You see, I’ve been dying to tell you allabout it! But what aboutyou? Which hospital did

you go to?

Um...it wasn’t as nice as your’sat all! At first, Abba didn’t wantto take me because he said itwould take too much time...

When our turn came, the doctor examined me, andasked for a blood test. Then we had to go and stand inanother long queue! People were crowding around inthe testing room too.

We got the test results after three days...and wentback to the hospital. There was a different doctorthat day.

Show me his OPDcard...and the test results

– quickly please!

He seems to be suffering froma bout of viral fever – nothingto worry about. All he needs is

this one fever-reducingmedicine.

My hospital was nice, butthey gave me too many

medicines and the wholething cost more than

Rs 3,500!

That much! Mytreatment cost just

Rs 150!

...and it really did! We went to a bigGovernment Hospital. We had to wait in a longqueue at the OPD counter. I was feeling so sickthat I had to lean on Abba all the time!


Why did Ranjan have to spend somuch money? Give reasons.

What problems did Aman face inthe public hospital? How do youthink the hospital can work in abetter manner? Discuss.

Where do you go when you are ill?Are there any problems that youface? Write a paragraph based onyour experience.

What problems do we face inprivate hospitals? Discuss.

A doctor in a rural healthcare centregiving medicines to a patient.

Public and private healthcare servicesPublic and private healthcare servicesPublic and private healthcare servicesPublic and private healthcare servicesPublic and private healthcare services

From the above story, you must have understoodthat we can roughly divide up various healthcarefacilities in two categories –

(a) Public health services and

(b) PrivatePrivatePrivatePrivatePrivate health facilities.

Public health servicesPublic health servicesPublic health servicesPublic health servicesPublic health services

The public health service is a chain of health centresand hospitals run by the government. They are linkedtogether so that they cover both rural and urbanareas and can also provide treatment to all kinds ofproblems – from common illnesses to special services.At the village level there are health centres wherethere is usually a nurse and a village health worker.They are trained in dealing with common illnessesand work under the supervision of doctors at thePrimary Health Centre (PHC). Such a centre coversmany villages in a rural area. At the district level isthe District Hospital that also supervises all thehealth centres. Large cities have many governmenthospitals such as the one where Aman was takenand also specialised government hospitals such asthe ones in Hakim Sheik’s story.

The health service is called ‘public’ for manyreasons. In order to fulfil its commitment of providinghealthcare to all citizens, the government hasestablished these hospitals and health centres. Also,the resources needed to run these services areobtained from the money that we, the public, pay tothe government as taxes. Hence, such facilities aremeant for everyone. One of the most importantaspects of the public health system is that it is meantto provide quality healthcare services either free orat a low cost, so that even the poor can seektreatment. Another important function of publichealth is to take action to prevent the spread ofdiseases such as TB, malaria, jaundice, cholera,

25

In what ways is the public healthsystem meant for everyone?

List some public health centres(PHCs) or hospitals near yourplace. From your experience (or byvisiting any one of them), find outthe facilities provided and peoplewho run the centre.

diarrhoea, chikungunya, etc. This has to be organisedby the government with the participation of peopleotherwise it is not effective. For example, when takingup a campaign to see that mosquitoes do not breedin water-coolers, roof tops, etc., this has to be donefor all houses in the area.

Recall the case of Hakim Sheik. Would you like toknow what the court said in this case?

According to our Constitution, it is the primaryduty of the government to ensure the welfare of thepeople and provide health care facilities to all.

The government must safeguard the Right to Lifeof every person. The Court said that the difficultythat Hakim Sheik had to face could have cost himhis life. If a hospital cannot provide timely medicaltreatment to a person, it means that this protectionof life is not being given.

The Court also said that it was the duty of thegovernment to provide the necessary health services,including treatment in emergency situations.Hospitals and medical staff must fulfil their duty ofproviding the necessary treatment. Hakim Sheik wasdenied treatment at various government hospitals.Therefore, the Court asked the State Government togive him the money that he had spent on histreatment.

Private health facilitiesPrivate health facilitiesPrivate health facilitiesPrivate health facilitiesPrivate health facilities

There is a wide range of private health facilities thatexist in our country. A large number of doctors runtheir own private clinics. In the rural areas, one findsRegistered Medical Practitioners (RMPs). Urban areashave large number of doctors, many of themproviding specialised services. There are hospitalsand nursing homes that are privately owned. Thereare many laboratories that do tests and offer specialfacilities such as X-ray, ultrasound, etc. There arealso shops from where we buy medicines.

A woman and her sick child at agovernment hospital. According toUNICEF, more than two millionchildren die every year in India frompreventable infections.


Private health facilities can meanmany things. Explain with the helpof some examples from your area.

In rural areas, a jeep is often used to serveas a mobile clinic for patients.

As the name suggests, private health facilities arenot owned or controlled by the government. Unlikethe public health services, in private facilities,patients have to pay a lot of money for every servicethat they use.

Today the presence of private facilities can be seenall around. In fact now there are large companiesthat run hospitals and some are engaged inmanufacturing and selling medicines. Medical shopsare found in every corner of the country.

Healthcare and equality:Healthcare and equality:Healthcare and equality:Healthcare and equality:Healthcare and equality:Is adequate healthcare available to all?Is adequate healthcare available to all?Is adequate healthcare available to all?Is adequate healthcare available to all?Is adequate healthcare available to all?

In India, we face a situation where private servicesare increasing but public services are not. What isthen available to people are mainly private services.These are concentrated in urban areas. As theseservices are run for profit, the cost of these servicesis rather high. Medicines are expensive. Many peoplecannot afford them or have to borrow money whenthere is an illness in the family.

In order to earn more money, these private servicesencourage practices that are incorrect. At timescheaper methods, though available, are not used.For example, it is common to find doctors prescribingunnecessary medicines, injections or saline bottleswhen tablets or simple medicines can suffice.

In fact, barely 20 per cent of the population canafford all the medicines that they require during an

A post-operative room in a leadingprivate hospital in Delhi.


This pregnant lady has to travel manykilometres to see a qualified doctor.

illness. Hence, even for those whom one might notthink as being poor, medical expenses causehardship. It was reported in a study that 40 per centof people who are admitted to a hospital for someillness or injury have to borrow money or sell someof their possessions to pay for the expenses.

For those who are poor, every illness in the familyis a cause of great anxiety and distress. What is worseis that this situation tends to happen again andagain. Those who are poor are in the first placeundernourished. These families are not eating asmuch as they should. They are not provided basicnecessities like drinking water, adequate housing,clean surroundings, etc., and therefore, are morelikely to fall ill. The expenses on illness make theirsituation even worse.

Sometimes it is not only the lack of money thatprevents people from getting proper medicaltreatment. Women, for example, are not taken to adoctor in a prompt manner. Women’s healthconcerns are considered to be less important thanthe health of men in the family. Many tribal areashave few health centres and they do not run properly.Even private health services are not available.

What can be done?What can be done?What can be done?What can be done?What can be done?

There is little doubt that the health situation of mostpeople in our country is not good. It is theresponsibility of the government to provide qualityhealthcare services to all its citizens, especially thepoor and the disadvantaged. However, health is asmuch dependent on basic amenities and socialconditions of the people, as it is on healthcareservices. Hence, it is important to work on both inorder to improve the health situation of our people.And this can be done. Look at the following example–

Chapter 2: Role of the Government in Health Role of the Government in Health Role of the Government in Health Role of the Government in Health Role of the Government in Health 27


The Kerala experienceThe Kerala experienceThe Kerala experienceThe Kerala experienceThe Kerala experience

In 1996, the Kerala government made some majorchanges in the state. Forty per cent of the entire statebudget was given to panchayats. They could planand provide for their requirements. This made itpossible for a village to make sure that properplanning was done for water, food, women’sdevelopment and education. This meant that watersupply schemes were checked, the working of schoolsand anganwadis was ensured and specific problemsof the village were taken up. Health centres werealso improved. All of this helped to improve thesituation. Despite these efforts, however, someproblems – such as shortage of medicines,insufficient hospital beds, not enough doctors –remained, and these needed to be addressed.

Let us look at an example of another country andits approach to issues of health.

The Costa Rican approachThe Costa Rican approachThe Costa Rican approachThe Costa Rican approachThe Costa Rican approach

Costa Rica is considered to be one of the healthiestcountries in South America. The main reason forthis can be found in the Costa Rican Constitution.Several years ago, Costa Rica took a very importantdecision and decided not to have an army. Thishelped the Costa Rican government to spend themoney that the army would have used, on health,education and other basic needs of the people. TheCosta Rican government believes that a country hasto be healthy for its development and pays a lot ofattention to the health of its people. The Costa Ricangovernment provides basic services and amenitiesto all Costa Ricans. For example, it provides safedrinking water, sanitation, nutrition and housing.Health education is also considered very importantand knowledge about health is an essential part ofeducation at all levels.

The above map of India shows the state ofKerala in pink.

The inside back cover (cover three) of thisbook has a map of India. Using yourpencil outline the state of Kerala onthis map.

29

1. In this chapter you have read that health is a wider concept

than illness. Look at this quote from the Constitution and

explain the terms ‘living standard’ and ‘public health’ in

your own words.

2. What are the different ways through which the

government can take steps to provide healthcare for all?

Discuss.

3. What differences do you find between private and public

health services in your area? Use the following table to

compare and contrast these.


Facility Cost of services Availability of service

Private

Public

An important part of theConstitution says it is the “duty ofthe State to raise the level ofnutrition and the standard ofliving and to improve publichealth.”

4. ‘Improvement in water and sanitation can control many

diseases.’ Explain with the help of examples.


Public: An activity or service that is meant for all people in the country and is mainly organised by

the government. This includes schools, hospitals, telephone services, etc. People can demand

these services and also raise questions about their non-functioning.

Private: An activity or service that is organised by an individual or company for their own profit.

Medical tourists: This refers to foreigners who come to this country specifically for medical treatment

at hospitals that offer world–class facilities at a lower cost than what they would have to pay in

their own countries.

Communicable diseases: These are diseases that are spread from one person to another in many

ways such as through water, food , air, etc.

OPD: This is the short form for ‘Out Patient Department’. This is where people are first brought in

and treated in a hospital without being admitted to any special ward.


Howthe StateGovernmentWorksLast year, we discussed thefact that government works atthree levels – local, state andnational – and looked at thework of local government insome detail. In this chapter,we examine the work of thegovernment at the statelevel. How does this takeplace in a democracy?What is the role of aMember of theLegislative Assembly(MLA) and Ministers? Howdo people express theirviews or demand actionfrom government? We lookat these questions throughthe example of health.

3CHAPTER

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WHOSE RESPONSIBILITY?

Hey, look at this...it says thatthere is a water shortage inour state, and people are

falling sick!

“...In many villages, people were found to bedrinking unclean water. Streams have dried up, andso have tanks. In the worst-affected areas, villagershave been carrying water across great distacnes.”

“People at the district HQ Patalpuram receive watersupply once in three days. The District Hospital here isoverflowing with patients – a large number of whom

are children with acute diarrhoea...”

Who is an MLA?Who is an MLA?Who is an MLA?Who is an MLA?Who is an MLA?

In the above section, you have read about someevents in Patalpuram. You may be familiar with someofficial names such as Collector, Medical Officer, etc.But have you heard of an MLA and the LegislativeAssembly? Do you know the MLA of your area? Canyou identify which party she or he belongs to?

Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) areelected by the people. They then become membersof the legislative assembly and also form the

On the TV news, they said ten peoplehave died from diarrhoea! Is that

possible? Can one really die from it?

Who knows? Justhope I don’t get it!

Ha ha!

My mother said not to have any iceddrinks from the market. She gave one ofher lectures this morning, “You have to

be responsible for your health,Shirin!”

Suddenly...

STOP!

Really! Why? Hashe done something? Shh...I saw him on TV

too. He is a member ofthe Opposition!

What a loud voice he has...he must bea leader or something...

...and we demand that theauthorities take immediate action to

bring the public health situationunder control! Our MLA must take

the responsibility for this!

This road is blocked due to the rally.They have gheraoed the MLA’s residence.

Ha ha – theyseem more angry

about what hehasn’t done!

What is happening in Patalpuram ?

Why is this problem serious?

What action do you think can betaken in the above situation andwho do you think should take thisaction? Discuss.

That afternoon...

31Chapter 3: How the State Government Works How the State Government Works How the State Government Works How the State Government Works How the State Government Works


Discuss the following terms withyour teacher–public meeting,States in India, constituency,majority, ruling party andopposition.

Can you explain the followingterms–majority, ruling party,opposition with reference to yourstate.

government. In this way we say that the MLAsrepresent people. The example below will help usunderstand this better.

Every state in India has a Legislative Assembly.Each state is divided into different areas orconstituencies. For example, look at the map below.It shows that the state of Himachal Pradesh is dividedinto 68 assembly constituencies. From eachconstituency,constituency,constituency,constituency,constituency, the people elect one representative whothen becomes a Member of the Legislative Assembly(MLA). You would have noticed that people stand forelections in the name of different parties. These MLAs,therefore, belong to different political parties.

How do people who are MLAs become ministers orchief minister? A political party whose MLAs havewon more than half the number of constituencies ina state can be said to be in a majoritymajoritymajoritymajoritymajority. The politicalparty that has the majority is called the ruling partyand all other members are called the opposition opposition opposition opposition opposition. Forexample, the Legislative Assembly of the state ofHimachal Pradesh has 68 MLA constituencies.

The state of Himachal Pradesh iscoloured in green in the abovethumbnail map of India.

Using a pencil outline the following on themap on inside back cover (cover three):

(i) the state that you live in;(ii) the state of Himachal Pradesh.

33

Construct a table, similar to theone given for Himachal Pradesh,for your state.

Results of the Assembly Elections in H.P. in 2003

Political party Number of MLAs elected

Indian National Congress (INC) ..................................................... 43

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ............................................................. 16

Other political parties ....................................................................... 03

Independents (who don’t belong to any party)........................... 06

Total ................................................................................ 68

The Head of the State is the Governor.She/He is appointed by the CentralGovernment to ensure that the StateGovernment works within the rules andregulations of the Constitution.

At times, the ruling party may notbe a single party but a group ofparties working together. This iscalled a coalition. Discuss withyour teacher.

Candidates from various political parties won the2003 assembly elections and became MLAs. Since thetotal number of MLAs in the Legislative Assembly is68, a political party would have needed to have morethan 34 MLAs in order to gain a majority. The IndianNational Congress with 43 MLAs had the majority andit became the ruling party. All other MLAs became theopposition. In this case, Bharatiya Janata Party wasthe major opposition party, since it had the largestnumber of MLAs after the Indian National Congress.Among the opposition were other parties, including thosewho had been elected as independent candidates.

After the elections, the MLAs belonging to the rulingparty will elect their leader who will become the chiefminister. In this case, the Congress Party MLAs choseShri Virbhadra Singh as their leader and he becamethe chief minister. The chief minister then selectsother people as ministers. After the elections, it isthe Governor of the state who appoints the chiefminister and other ministers.

The chief minister and other ministers have theresponsibility of running various governmentdepartments or ministries. They have separate offices.A Legislative Assembly is a place where all the MLAs,whether from the ruling party or from the oppositionmeet to discuss various things. Hence, some MLAshave dual responsibilities: one as an MLA and the otheras a minister. We will read about this further.

Chapter 3: How the State Government Works How the State Government Works How the State Government Works How the State Government Works How the State Government Works

A debate in the Legislative AssemblyA debate in the Legislative AssemblyA debate in the Legislative AssemblyA debate in the Legislative AssemblyA debate in the Legislative Assembly

Afreen, Sujata and many other students from theirschool travelled to the state capital to visit theLegislative Assembly which was housed in animpressive building. The children were excited. Aftersecurity checks, they were taken upstairs. There wasa gallery from where they could see the large hallbelow. There were rows and rows of desks.

This Assembly was going to have a debate on acurrent problem. During this time, MLAs can expresstheir opinions and ask questions related to the issueor give suggestions about what should be done bythe government. Those who wish to, can respond tothis. The minister then replies to the questions andtries to assure the Assembly that adequate steps arebeing taken.

The chief minister and other ministers have totake decisions and run the government. We usuallyhear about them or see them in the news channelsor in the papers. However, whatever decisions arebeing taken have to be approved by the members ofthe legislative assembly. In a democracy, thesemembers can ask questions, debate an importantissue, decide where money should be spent, etc. Theyhave the main authority.

MLA 1:MLA 1:MLA 1:MLA 1:MLA 1: In my constituency of Akhandagaon,during the last three weeks, there were 15 deathsbecause of diarrhoea. I think it is a shame that thisgovernment has not been able to check the situationof a simple problem like diarrhoea while proclaimingitself to be a champion of technology. I would callthe attention of the minister in charge of health totake immediate measures to control the situation.

MLA 2: MLA 2: MLA 2: MLA 2: MLA 2: My question is why are governmenthospitals in such a bad situation? Why is thegovernment not appointing proper doctors and othermedical staff in the district? I would also like to knowhow the government plans to deal with this situation


Can you identify the MLAs of theruling party and the opposition inthe illustration? Colour the rulingparty in one colour and theopposition in another.

which is affecting a large number of people and isalso spreading. This is an epidemic.

MLA 3:MLA 3:MLA 3:MLA 3:MLA 3: My constituency of Tolpatti too has aserious shortage of water. Women travel up to 3 or 4kilometres to collect water. How many tankers havebeen put into service to supply water? How manywells and ponds have been cleaned and disinfected?

MLA 4:MLA 4:MLA 4:MLA 4:MLA 4: I think my colleagues are exaggerating theproblem. The government has taken steps to controlthe situation. Water tankers have been put intoservice. ORS packets are being distributed. Thegovernment is doing everything possible to helppeople.

MLA 5:MLA 5:MLA 5:MLA 5:MLA 5: We have very poor facilities in our hospitals.There are hospitals that do not have a doctor and nomedical staff has been appointed for the last fewyears. In another hospital, the doctor has gone on along leave. This is a shame. I think the situation isgoing from bad to worse. How are we going toensure that ORS packets reach all families in theaffected areas?

MLA 6:MLA 6:MLA 6:MLA 6:MLA 6: The opposition members are unnecessarilyblaming the government. The previous governmentdid not pay any attention to sanitation. We have nowtaken up a drive to clear the garbage that has beenlying around for years. 1 2

5

3 4

6


What were the main argumentsput forward by different MLAswho thought that the governmentwas not taking the situation in aserious manner?

If you were the health minister,how would you respond to theabove discussion?

Do you think the above debatewould have been useful in someways? How? Discuss.

In the working of the government,explain the difference betweenbeing an MLA and an MLA who isalso a minister.

In the earlier section you have read about a debatein the Legislative Assembly. The members weredebating the action taken or not taken by thegovernment. This is because the MLAs are togetherresponsible for the work of the government. Incommon usage the word ‘government’ refers togovernment departments and various ministers whohead them. The overall head is the chief minister.More correctly, this is called the executive part ofthe government. All the MLAs who gather together(assemble) in the legislative assembly are called theLegislature. They are the ones who authorise andsupervise their work. As we saw in the earlier section,it is from among them that the head of the executive,or the chief minister is formed.

Working of the governmentWorking of the governmentWorking of the governmentWorking of the governmentWorking of the government

The Legislative Assembly is not the only place whereopinions are expressed about the work of thegovernment and action is demanded. You will findnewspapers, TV channels and other organisationsregularly talking about the government. In ademocracy, there are various ways through whichpeople express their views and also take action. Letus look at one such way.

Soon after the discussion in the assembly, therewas a press conferencepress conferencepress conferencepress conferencepress conference organised by the healthminister. Large numbers of people from differentnewspapers were present. The minister and somegovernment officials were also present. The ministerexplained the steps the government had taken.Reporters asked many questions at this meeting.These discussions were then reported in differentnewspapers. The following page has one such report.

During the next week, the chief minister and theminister for health visited Patalpuram district. Theywent to visit the families who had lost their relativesand also visited people in the hospitals. Thegovernment announced a compensation for these

37

Write two measures that thegoverment undertook forcontrolling diarrhoea?

What is the purpose of apress conference? How doesthe press conference help youget information on what thegoverment is doing?

families. The chief minister also said that he thoughtthe problem was not only one of sanitation but alsoof a lack of clean drinking water. He said that a high-level enquiry committee will be asked to look intothe needs of the district to provide sanitation facilitiesand would request the minister for Public Works totake care of the needs of proper water supply in theregion.

As you saw above, the people in power like thechief minister and the minister have to take action.They do so through various departments like thePublic Works Department, the AgricultureDepartment, the Health Department, the EducationDepartment and so on. They also have to answerquestions that are asked in the Legislative Assemblyand convince people asking the questions that propersteps are being taken. At the same time, newspapersand the media widely discuss the issue and thegovernment has to respond, for example, by holdingthe press conferences.

During the last few weeks,there have been manydeaths in some districts ofour state. There has been astrong reaction that thegovernment has not takenthis seriously. The healthminister explained today ata press conference that hisgovernment has asked allthe collectors and the chiefmedical officers to takeurgent measures. The mostimportant problem is thatof drinking water. Theminister said that they

Government smells the garbageChief Minister promises funds for work

intend to supply drinkingwater to every villagethrough tanker trucks.The chief minister haspromised funds for thiswork. They also plan tostart a campaign to informpeople about the steps thatcan be taken to preventdiarrhoea. When a reporterasked him as to what stepsare being taken to see thatgarbage that has been lyingaround for months isquickly collected, the chiefminister said that he wouldlook into this.

Patalpuram | Ravi Ahuja

Chapter 3: How the State Government Works How the State Government Works How the State Government Works How the State Government Works How the State Government Works

In a democracy, people organise meetingsto voice their opinions and protestagainst the government.

The government can also decide to make new lawsfor the state regarding sanitation and health facilities.For example, it may make it compulsory formunicipal corporations to ensure that there areadequate toilets in every urban area. It may alsoensure that a health worker is appointed in everyvillage. This act of making laws on certain issues isdone in the Legislative Assembly of each state. Thevarious government departments then implementthese laws. Laws for the entire country are made inthe Parliament. You will read more about theParliament next year.

In a democracy, it is the people who elect theirrepresentatives as Members of the LegislativeAssembly (MLAs) and, thus, it is the people who havethe main authority. The ruling party members thenform the government and some members areappointed ministers. These ministers are in chargeof various departments of the government such ashealth in the above example. Whatever work is doneby these departments has to be approved by themembers of the legislative assembly.

Find out with the help of yourteacher, the work done by thegovernment departmentsmentioned above, and fill in thetable.

Name of department Examples of their work

School Education

Public Works Department

Agriculture

After introducing the topic and having a brief discussionwith the whole class, the teacher divides the class into groups.The group discusses the issue and decides what it would liketo include in the wall-paper. Children then workindividually or in pairs to read the collected material andwrite their observations or experiences. They can do thisthrough creating stories, poems, case studies, interviews, etc.

The group looks at the material that they haveselected, drawn or written. They read each other’swriting and provide feedback to each other. Theymake decisions on what should be included andfinalise the layout for the wallpaper.

A wallpaper projectA wallpaper projectA wallpaper projectA wallpaper projectA wallpaper project

A wallpaper is an interesting activity through whichresearch can be done on particular topics of interest.The following photographs explain the differentaspects involved in creating a wallpaper in aclassroom.

Chapter 3: How the State Government Works How the State Government Works How the State Government Works How the State Government Works How the State Government Works 39

Each group then presents the wallpaper to the entire class. It is important thatmore than one member of the group is asked to present and that each group isallotted the same amount of time to discuss their work. After each group haspresented, it would be a good idea to have a feedback session on the following –What more could they do on their own? How could their work be organisedbetter? How could writing and presentation be improved upon?

Do a similar wallpaper projectabout any issue connected withthe working of your StateGovernment like an educationprogramme, any law and orderissue, midday meal scheme, etc.

This wallpaper about the 2006dengue epidemic was prepared bychildren of Class VI B of KendriyaVidyalaya II, Hindon, Ghaziabad,Uttar Pradesh.


1. Use the terms ‘constituency’ and ‘represent’ to explain

who an MLA is and how is the person elected?

2. How did some MLAs become Ministers? Explain.

3. Why should decisions taken by the Chief Minister and

other ministers be debated in the Legislative Assembly?

4. What was the problem in Patalpuram? What discussion/

action was taken by the following? Fill in the table.


Public meeting

Legislative Assembly

Press conference

Chief Minister


Constituency: A particular area from which all the voters living there choose their representatives.

This could be, for example, a panchayat ward or an area that chooses an MLA.

Majority: This is a situation when more than half the number in a group supports a decision or an

idea. This is also called a simple majority.

Opposition: This refers to elected representatives who are not members of the ruling party and

who play the role of questioning government decisions and actions as well as raise new issues for

consideration in the Assembly.

Press Conference: A gathering of journalists from the media who are invited to hear about and

ask questions on a particular issue and are then expected to report on this to the larger public.

5. What is the difference between the work that MLAs do in

the Assembly and the work done by government

departments?

Chapter 3: How the State Government Works How the State Government Works How the State Government Works How the State Government Works How the State Government Works 41

UNITTHREE

Gender


Gender is a term that you may often haveheard. It is a term, however, that is noteasily understood. It tends to remaindistant from our lives and restricted todiscussions during training programmes.In fact, it is something that all of usexperience in our lives on a daily basis. Itdetermines, for example, who we are andwhat we will become, where we can go andwhere not, the life choices available to usand those we eventually make. Ourunderstanding of gender is often based onthe family and society that we live in. Thisleads us to think that the roles we see menand women around us play are fixed andnatural. In fact, these roles differ acrosscommunities around the world. By gender,then, we mean the many social values andstereotypes our cultures attach to thebiological distinction ‘male’ and ‘female’. Itis a term that helps us to understand manyof the inequalities and power relationsbetween men and women in society.

The following two chapters explore theconcept of gender without actually usingthe term. Instead, through differentpedagogic tools like case studies, stories,classroom activities, data analysis andphotographs, students are encouraged toquestion and think about their own livesand the society around them. Gender isoften mistakenly thought to be somethingthat concerns women or girls alone. Thus,care has been taken in these chapters todraw boys into the discussion as well.

Chapter 4 uses two case studies, situatedin different places and points in time toshow how girls and boys are brought upor socialised differently. This enables themto understand that the process ofsocialisation is not uniform; instead it issocially determined and changescontinuously over time. The chapter alsoaddresses the fact that societies assigndifferent values to the roles men andwomen play and the work they do, whichbecomes a basis for inequality anddiscrimination. Through a storyboard,students discuss the issue of housework.Done primarily by women, housework isoften not considered ‘work’ and, thereforemade invisible and devalued.

Chapter 5 further develops ideas aroundgender inequalities in the world of work anddescribes women’s struggles for equality.Through a classroom activity, studentsbegin questioning existing stereotypesregarding work and career choices. Thechapter also points out that opportunitieslike education are not equally available toboys and girls. By reading about the livesof two Indian women, from the ninteenthand twentieth centuries, students see howwomen struggled to change their lives bylearning to read and write. Change on alarge scale usually takes place throughcollective struggles. The chapter concludeswith a photo-essay that gives examples ofdifferent strategies the women’s movementhas used to fight for change.

43

Growing up asBoys and GirlsBeing a boy or a girl is animportant part of one’sidentity. The society we growup in teaches us what kind ofbehaviour is acceptable forgirls and boys, what boys andgirls can or cannot do. Weoften grow up thinking thatthese things are exactly thesame everywhere. But do allsocieties look at boys andgirls in the same way? We willtry and answer this questionin this chapter. We will alsolook at how the different rolesassigned to boys and girlsprepare them for their futureroles as men and women. Wewill learn that most societiesvalue men and womendifferently. The roles womenplay and the work they do areusually valued less than theroles men play and the workthey do. This chapter will alsoexamine how inequalitiesbetween men and womenemerge in the area of work.

4CHAPTER

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In what ways do the experiencesof Samoan children and teenagersdiffer from your own experiencesof growing up? Is there anythingin this experience that you wishwas part of your growing up?

A Class VII Samoan childin his school uniform.

Why do girls like to go to schooltogether in groups?

Growing up in Samoa in the 1920sGrowing up in Samoa in the 1920sGrowing up in Samoa in the 1920sGrowing up in Samoa in the 1920sGrowing up in Samoa in the 1920s

The Samoan Islands are part of a large group of smallislands in the southern part of the Pacific Ocean. Inthe 1920s, according to research reports on Samoansociety, children did not go to school. They learntmany things, such as how to take care of children ordo household work from older children and fromadults. Fishing was a very important activity on theislands. Young people, therefore, learnt to undertakelong fishing expeditions. But they learnt these thingsat different points in their childhood.

As soon as babies could walk, their mothers orother adults no longer looked after them. Olderchildren, often as young as five years old, took overthis responsibility. Both boys and girls looked aftertheir younger siblings. But, by the time a boy wasabout nine years old, he joined the older boys inlearning outdoor jobs like fishing and plantingcoconuts. Girls had to continue looking after smallchildren or do errands for adults till they wereteenagers. But, once they became teenagers they hadmuch more freedom. After the age of fourteen or so,girls also went on fishing trips, worked in theplantations, learnt how to weave baskets. Cookingwas done in special cooking-houses, where boys weresupposed to do most of the work while girls helpedwith the preparations.

Growing up male inGrowing up male inGrowing up male inGrowing up male inGrowing up male inMadhya Pradesh in the 1960sMadhya Pradesh in the 1960sMadhya Pradesh in the 1960sMadhya Pradesh in the 1960sMadhya Pradesh in the 1960s

The following is adapted from an account ofexperiences of being in a small town in MadhyaPradesh in the 1960s.

From Class VI onwards, boys and girls went toseparate schools. The girls’ school was designed verydifferently from the boys’ school. They had a centralcourtyard where they played in total seclusion and

45Chapter 4: Growing up as Boys and Girls Growing up as Boys and Girls Growing up as Boys and Girls Growing up as Boys and Girls Growing up as Boys and Girls

Make a drawing of a street or apark in your neighbourhood. Showthe different kinds of activitiesyoung boys and girls may beengaged in. You could do thisindividually or in groups.

Are there as many girls as boys inyour drawing? Most probably youwould have drawn fewer girls. Canyou think of reasons why thereare fewer women and girls in yourneighbourhood streets, parks andmarkets in the late evenings or atnight?

Are girls and boys doing differentactivities? Can you think ofreasons why this might be so?What would happen if youreplaced the girls with the boysand vice-versa?

safety from the outside world. The boys’ school hadno such courtyard and our playground was just abig space attached to the school. Every evening, onceschool was over, the boys watched as hundreds ofschool girls crowded the narrow streets. As thesegirls walked on the streets, they looked so purposeful.This was unlike the boys who used the streets as aplace to stand around idling, to play, to try out trickswith their bicycles. For the girls, the street was simplya place to get straight home. The girls always wentin groups, perhaps because they also carried fearsof being teased or attacked.

After reading the two examples above, we realisethat there are many different ways of growing up.Often we think that there is only one way in whichchildren grow up. This is because we are mostfamiliar with our own experiences. If we talk to eldersin our family, we will see that their childhoods wereprobably very different from ours.

We also realise that societies make cleardistinctions between boys and girls. This begins froma very young age. We are for example, given differenttoys to play with. Boys are usually given cars to playwith and girls dolls. Both toys can be a lot of fun toplay with. Why are girls then given dolls and boyscars? Toys become a way of telling children that theywill have different futures when they become menand women. If we think about it, this difference iscreated in the smallest and most everyday things.How girls must dress, what games boys should play,how girls need to talk softly or boys need to be tough.All these are ways of telling children that they havespecific roles to play when they grow up to be menand women. Later in life this affects the subjects wecan study or the careers we can choose.

In most societies, including our own, the roles menand women play or the work they do, are not valuedequally. Men and women do not have the samestatus. Let us look at how this difference exists inthe work done by men and women.


Ma, we are going on aschool excursion. Rosie Ma’am

needs volunteers. Can’t youtake a holiday from office

and volunteer?

‘MY MOTHERDOES NOT WORK’

Harmeet’s motheralways comes for

excursions, beauseshe doesn’t work.

Shonali, how canyou say that! You

know that Jaspreetaunty is up at 5 a.m.everyday doing allthe housework!

Yes, but that’s not realwork, it’s just house work!

Oh! That’s what youthink, do you? Let’s go over

to their house and askJaspreet what she thinks!

Harsharan, Shonalithinks that your wife

is not a workingperson!

But isn’t that correct aunty?My mother is a housewife –

she does not work!

Then Jaspreet, why don’tyou just relax and let them

manage everything for achange?

Great idea!OK, I’ll go on strike

tomorrow!

What fun! We’ll take careof everything tomorrow

– with Papa!

Oh God! Look at the time!Where’s my breakfast? Why aren’t

the children ready?

Ha, ha!

How would I know?I’m on strike, remember?Besides, Mangala has also

taken leave today.

Oh-ho! That’sthe school bus! I’ll

have to dropthem in the car.

Hurry, hurry! Andask Harmeet to switch

on the pump!

At the Singh’s house

Next morning, 7:30 a.m.

HONKHONK


But, what about the kids’ lunch boxes?

Oh no! Forgotabout that!

I’ll give you some money. Justbuy something from the

canteen today...

Ma already gave usmoney for that!

Evening, 6.00 p.m.

I’m exhausted! How aboutsome tea? Oh, I forgot...yourstrike...I’ll make some myself.

The house looks like itwas hit by a hurricane!

Did you expect it to remain in exactly thesame condition in which you left it this

morning, dear?

Harmeet, whereon earth are the

tea leaves?

Hee hee...I wonder if they

still believe I don’twork?...and now I haveto remind them thatChachaji and Chachiji

are comingfor dinner.

DINGDING

Valuing houseworkValuing houseworkValuing houseworkValuing houseworkValuing housework

Harmeet’s family did not think that the work Jaspreetdid within the house was real work. This feeling isnot unique to their families. Across the world, themain responsibility for housework and care-givingcare-givingcare-givingcare-givingcare-givingtasks, like looking after the family, especiallychildren, the elderly and sick members, lies withwomen. Yet, as we have seen, the work that womendo within the home is not recognised as work. It isalso assumed that this is something that comesnaturally to women. It, therefore, does not have tobe paid for. And society devaluesdevaluesdevaluesdevaluesdevalues this work.

49

Melani with her daughter.

Were Harmeet and Shonali correctin saying that Harmeet’s motherdid not work?

What do you think would happenif your mother or those involvedin doing the work at home wenton a strike for a day?

Why do you think that men andboys generally do not dohousework? Do you think theyshould?

Lives of domestic workersLives of domestic workersLives of domestic workersLives of domestic workersLives of domestic workers

In the story above, Harmeet’s mother was not theonly one who did the housework. A lot of the workwas done by Mangala, their domestic helper.Many homes, particularly in towns and cities,employ domestic workers. They do a lot of work –sweeping and cleaning, washing clothes anddishes, cooking, looking after young children orthe elderly. Most domestic workers are women.Sometimes, even young boys or girls are employedto do this work. Wages are low, as domestic workdoes not have much value. A domestic worker’sday can begin as early as five in the morning andend as late as twelve at night! Despite the hardwork they do, their employers often do not showthem much respect. This is what Melani, adomestic worker had to say about her experienceof working in Delhi – “My first job was with a richfamily that lived in a three-storeyed house. Thememsahib was very strange as she would shoutto get any work done. My work was in the kitchen.There were two other girls who did the cleaning.Our day would begin at 5 o’clock. For breakfastwe would get a cup of tea and two dry rotis. Wecould never get a third roti. In the evening, whenI cooked the food, the two other girls would begme to give them an extra roti. I would secretlygive it to them and make an extra one for myself.We were so hungry after working through the day!We could not wear chappals in the house. In thewinter, our feet would swell up with the cold. Iused to feel scared of the memsahib but also feltangry and humiliated. Did we not work all day?Did we not deserve to be treated with somerespect?”

In fact, what we commonly term as houseworkactually involves many different tasks. A numberof these tasks require heavy physical work. Inboth rural and urban areas women and girls haveto fetch water. In rural areas women and girlscarry heavy headloads of firewood. Tasks like

Chapter 4: Growing up as Boys and Girls Growing up as Boys and Girls Growing up as Boys and Girls Growing up as Boys and Girls Growing up as Boys and Girls


State Women Paid Women Unpaid Women Men Paid Men Unpaid Men(Work hours (Housework (Total) (Work hours (Housework (Total)per week) hours per week) per week) hours per week)

Haryana 23 30 ? 38 2 ?Tamil Nadu 19 35 ? 40 4 ?

Many women like Shonali’s mother inthe story and the women in Tamil Naduand Haryana who were surveyed workboth inside and outside the home. This isoften referred to as the double burden ofwomen’s work.

washing clothes, cleaning, sweeping and picking uploads require bending, lifting and carrying. Manychores, like cooking, involve standing for long hoursin front of hot stoves. The work women do isstrenuous and physically demanding — words thatwe normally associate with men.

Another aspect of housework and care-giving thatwe do not recognise is that it is very time consuming.In fact, if we add up the housework and the work,women do outside the home, we find that womenspend much more time working than men and havemuch less time for leisure.

Below is some data from a special study doneby the Central Statistical Organization of India(1998-1999). See if you can fill in the blanks.

Women’s work and equalityWomen’s work and equalityWomen’s work and equalityWomen’s work and equalityWomen’s work and equality

As we have seen the low value attached to women’shousehold and care-giving work is not an individualor family matter. It is part of a larger system ofinequality between men and women. It, therefore,has to be dealt with through actions not just at thelevel of the individual or the family but also by thegovernment. As we now know, equality is animportant principle of our Constitution. TheConstitution says that being male or female shouldnot become a reason for discrimination. In reality,inequality between the sexes exists. The governmentis, therefore, committed to understanding the reasonsfor this and taking positive steps to remedy thesituation. For example, it recognises that burden ofchild-care and housework falls on women and girls.

What are the total number of workhours spent by women in Haryanaand Tamil Nadu each week?

How does this compare with thetotal number of work hours spentby men?

51

Children at an Anganwadi centre in avillage in Madhya Pradesh.

This naturally has an impact on whether girls canattend school. It determines whether women canwork outside the house and what kind of jobs andcareers they can have. The government has set upanganwadis or child-care centres in several villagesin the country. The government has passed laws thatmake it mandatory for organisations that have morethan 30 women employees to provide crèche facilities.The provision of crèches helps many women to takeup employment outside the home. It also makes itpossible for more girls to attend schools.



This poster was created by a women’s group inBengal. Can you write an interesting slogan forthe poster?

What do you think this poster is trying to say?

53


1. Are the statements given alongside true or false. Support

your answer with the use of an example –

2. Housework is invisible and unpaid work.

Housework is physically demanding.

Housework is time consuming.

Write in your own words what is meant by the terms

‘invisible’, ‘physically demanding’, and ‘time consuming’?

Give one example of each based on the household tasks

undertaken by women in your home.

3. Make a list of toys and games that boys typically play and

another for girls. If there is a difference between the two

lists, can you think of some reasons why this is so? Does

this have any relationship to the roles children have to

play as adults?

4. If you have someone working as a domestic help in your

house or locality talk to her and find out a little bit more

about her life – Who are her family members? Where is

her home? How many hours does she work? How much

does she get paid? Write a small story based on these

details.

a. All societies do not thinksimilarly about the roles that boysand girls play.

b. Our society does not makedistinctions between boys andgirls when they are growing up.

c. Women who stay at home donot work.

d. The work that women do is lessvalued than that of men.


Identity: Identity is a sense of self-awareness of who one is. Typically, a person can have several

identities. For example, a person can be a girl, a sister and a musician.

Double-burden: Literally means a double load. This term is commonly used to describe the women’s

work situation. It has emerged from a recognition that women typically labour both inside the

home (housework) and outside.

Care-giving: Care-giving refers to a range of tasks related to looking after and nurturing. Besides

physical tasks, they also involve a strong emotional aspect.

De-valued: When someone is not given due recognition for a task or job they have done, they can

feel de-valued. For example, if a boy has put in a lot of effort into making a special birthday gift for

his friend and this friend does not say anything about this, then the boy may feel de-valued.


Women Changethe WorldIn the previous chapter, we saw how women’swork in the home is not recognised as work. Wealso read how doing household work and takingcare of family members is a full time job andthere are no specific hours at which it begins orends. In this chapter, we will look at workoutside the home, and understand how someoccupations are seen to be more suitable formen than for women. We will also learn abouthow women struggle for equality. Getting aneducation was, and still is, one way in which newopportunities were created for women. Thischapter will also briefly trace the different types

of efforts made by the women’s movementto challenge discrimination in more recent

years.

5CHAPTER

CHAPTER

CHAPTER

CHAPTER

CHAPTER

A farmer A factory worker A nurse

A scientist A pilot A teacher

Are there more images of menthan women?

In what kinds of jobs were theremore images of men than women?

Have all the nurses been drawn asfemales? Why?

Are there fewer images of femalefarmers? If so, why?

Category Male image Female image

Teacher

Farmer

Factory worker

Nurse

Scientist

Pilot

Who does what work?Who does what work?Who does what work?Who does what work?Who does what work?

Draw images of the following –

See what images your class drew by filling in thetable below. Add up the number of male and femaleimages separately for each occupation.

55Chapter 5: Women Change the World Women Change the World Women Change the World Women Change the World Women Change the World


83.6 per cent of working women in Indiaare engaged in agricultural work. Theirwork includes planting, weeding,harvesting and threshing. Yet, when wethink of a farmer we only think of am a n .Source: NSS 61st Round (2004-05)

Category Male image Female image

Teacher 5 25

Farmer 30 0

Factory worker 25 5

Nurse 0 30

Scientist 25 5

Pilot 27 3

How does your class exercisecompare with Rosie Ma’am’sclass exercise?

Rosie Ma’am’s class has 30 children. She did thesame exercise in her class and here is the result.

57

Breaking stereotypesBreaking stereotypesBreaking stereotypesBreaking stereotypesBreaking stereotypes

Engine drivers are men. But 27-year-old Laxmi Lakra, from apoor tribal family in Jharkhand has begun to change things.She is the first woman engine driver for Northern Railways.

Laxmi’s parents are not literate but they struggled andovercame many hardships to make sure their children got aneducation. Laxmi studied in a government school. Even in school,Laxmi helped with the housework and did odd jobs. She studiedhard and did well and then went on to get a diploma inelectronics. She then took the railway board exam and passedit on her first attempt.

Laxmi says, “I love challenges and the moment somebody says itis not for girls, I make sure I go ahead and do it.” Laxmi has hadto do this several times in her life – when she wanted to take electronics; when she rodemotorcycles at the polytechnic; and when she decided to become an engine driver.

Her philosophy is simple – “As long as I am having fun without harming anyone, as long as I amdoing well and helping my parents, why should I not lead a lifestyle of my choice?”

(Adapted from Driving Her Train by Neeta Lal, Women’s Features Service)

Fewer opportunities and rigid expectationsFewer opportunities and rigid expectationsFewer opportunities and rigid expectationsFewer opportunities and rigid expectationsFewer opportunities and rigid expectations

A lot of the children in Rosie Ma’am’s class drewwomen as nurses and men as army officers. Thereason they did this is because they feel that outsidethe home too, women are good at only certain jobs.For example, many people believe that women makebetter nurses because they are more patient andgentle. This is linked to women’s roles within thefamily. Similarly, it is believed that science requiresa technical mind and girls and women are not capableof dealing with technical things.

Because so many people believe in thesestereotypesstereotypesstereotypesstereotypesstereotypes, many girls do not get the same supportthat boys do to study and train to become doctorsand engineers. In most families, once girls finishschool, they are encouraged by their families to seemarriage as their main aim in life.

Chapter 5: Women Change the World Women Change the World Women Change the World Women Change the World Women Change the World


Read the story below and answerthe questions –

If you were Xavier, what subjectwould you choose and why?

In your experience, what are someof the other pressures that boysexperience?

Xavier was happy with the results of his Class Xboard exams. Though his marks in Science andMaths were not high, he had done well in hisfavourite subjects – History and Languages. Whenhis parents saw his report card, however, they didnot look pleased at all...

My Goodness! Xavier, you havemanaged only 65% in Maths. Your marks

in Physics are low too...

I know Mama, but it’sokay, because I don’t

want to take Maths orScience. I want to

study History.

Why do you want to take History?Think about your future.

You have to get a good job! History will not help. It has no scope!

But, but, I don’t likeMaths or Science!

Be sensible, son. Take Maths, and you canstudy computers side by side. The job marketfor computers is very good.

It is important to understand that we live in asociety in which all children face pressures from theworld around them. Sometimes, these come in theform of demands from adults. At other times, theycan just be because of unfair teasing by our ownfriends. Boys are pressurised to think about gettinga job that will pay a good salary. They are also teasedand bullied if they do not behave like other boys.You may remember that in your Class VI book youread about how boys at an early age are encouragednot to cry in front of others.

59

Ramabai (1858–1922), shown abovewith her daughter, championed the causeof women’s education. She never went toschool but learnt to read and write fromher parents. She was given the title‘Pandita’ because she could read andwrite Sanskrit, a remarkableachievement as women then were notallowed such knowledge. She went on toset up a Mission in Khedgaon near Punein 1898, where widows and poor womenwere encouraged not only to becomeliterate but to be independent. They weretaught a variety of skills from carpentryto running a printing press, skills thatare not usually taught to girls even today.The printing press can be seen in thepicture on the top left corner. Ramabai’sMission is still active today.

Learning for changeLearning for changeLearning for changeLearning for changeLearning for change

Going to school is an extremely important part ofyour life. As more and more children enter schoolevery year, we begin to think that it is normal for allchildren to go to school. Today, it is difficult for usto imagine that school and learning could be seenas “out of bounds” or not appropriate for somechildren. But in the past, the skill of reading andwriting was known to only a few. Most children learntthe work their families or elders did. For girls, thesituation was worse. In communities that taught sonsto read and write, daughters were not allowed to learnthe alphabet. Even in families where skills likepottery, weaving and craft were taught, thecontribution of daughters and women was only seenas supportive. For example, in the pottery trade,women collected the mud and prepared the earthfor the pots. But since they did not operate the wheel,they were not seen as potters.

In the nineteenth century, many new ideas abouteducation and learning emerged. Schools becamemore common and communities that had neverlearnt reading and writing started sending theirchildren to school. But there was a lot of oppositionto educating girls even then. Yet many women andmen made efforts to open schools for girls. Womenstruggled to learn to read and write.


Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain and her dreams about ‘Ladyland’Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain and her dreams about ‘Ladyland’Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain and her dreams about ‘Ladyland’Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain and her dreams about ‘Ladyland’Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain and her dreams about ‘Ladyland’

Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain was born into a rich family who owned a lot of land. Though she knew howto read and write Urdu, she was stopped from learning Bangla and English. In those days, English wasseen as a language that would expose girls to new ideas, which people thought were not correct forthem. Therefore, it was mostly boys who were taught English. Rokeya learnt to read and writeBangla and English with the support of her elder brother and an elder sister. She went on tobecome a writer. She wrote a remarkable story titled Sultana’s Dream in 1905 topractise her English skills when she was merely 25 years old. This story imagineda woman called Sultana who reaches a place called Ladyland. Ladyland is aplace where women had the freedom to study, work, and create inventionslike controlling rain from the clouds and flying air cars. In this Ladyland, themen had been sent into seclusion – their aggressive guns and otherweapons of war defeated by the brain-power of women. As Sultanatravels in Ladyland with Sister Sarah, she awakes to realise that shewas only dreaming.

As you can see, Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain was dreaming of womenflying planes and cars even before girls were being allowed togo to school! This was the way in which education and learninghad changed Rokeya’s own life. Rokeya did not stop at gettingeducation just for herself. Her education gave her the powernot only to dream and write, but also to do more – to helpother girls go to school and to build their own dreams. In1910, she started a school for girls in Kolkata, and to this day,the school is still functioning.

Learning to read and write led somewomen to question the situation ofwomen in society. They wrote stories,letters and autobiographies describingtheir own experiences of inequality. Intheir writings, they also imagined newways of thinking and living for bothmen and women.

Let us read about the experience of RashsundariDevi (1800–1890), who was born in West Bengal,some 200 years ago. At the age of 60, she wrote herautobiography in Bangla. Her book titled Amar Jibanis the first known autobiography written by an Indianwoman. Rashsundari Devi was a housewife from arich landlord’s family. At that time, it was believedthat if a woman learnt to read and write, she wouldbring bad luck to her husband and become a widow!Despite this, she taught herself how to read and writein secret, well after her marriage.

“I would start working at dawn, and I would stillbe at it until well beyond midnight. I had no rest inbetween. I was only fourteen years old at the time. Icame to nurture a great longing: I would learn toread and I would read a religious manuscript. I was

Unlike Rashsundari Devi and RokeyaHossain, who were not allowed to learnto read and write, large numbers of girlsattend school in India today. Despite this,there continue to be many girls who leaveschool for reasons of poverty, inadequateschooling facilities and discrimination.Providing equal schooling facilities tochildren from all communities and classbackgrounds, and particularly girls,continues to be a challenge in India.

unlucky, in those days women were not educated.Later, I began to resent my own thoughts. What iswrong with me? Women do not read, how will I doit? Then I had a dream: I was reading the manuscriptof Chaitanya Bhagabat (the life of a saint)… Later inthe day, as I sat cooking in the kitchen, I heard myhusband say to my eldest son: “Bepin, I have left myChaitanya Bhagabat here. When I ask for it, bring itin.” He left the book there and went away. When thebook had been taken inside, I secretly took out apage and hid it carefully. It was a job hiding it, fornobody must find it in my hands. My eldest son waspractising his alphabets at that time. I hid one ofthem as well. At times, I went over that, trying tomatch letters from that page with the letters that Iremembered. I also tried to match the words withthose that I would hear in the course of my days.With tremendous care and effort, and over a longperiod of time, I learnt how to read…”

After learning the alphabet, Rashsundari Devi wasable to read the Chaitanya Bhagabat. Through herown writing she also gave the world an opportunityto read about women’s lives in those days.Rashsundari Devi wrote about her everyday lifeexperiences in details. There were days when shedid not have a moment’s rest, no time even to sitdown and eat!

Schooling and education todaySchooling and education todaySchooling and education todaySchooling and education todaySchooling and education today

Today, both boys and girls attend school in largenumbers. Yet, as we will see, there still remaindifferences between the education of boys and girls.India has a census every 10 years, which counts thewhole population of the country. It also gathersdetailed information about the people living inIndia – their age, schooling, what work they do, andso on. We use this information to measure manythings, like the number of literate people, and theratio of men and women. According to the 1961census, about 40 per cent of all boys and men

Chapter 5: Women Change the World Women Change the World Women Change the World Women Change the World Women Change the World 61


School level All boys SC boys ST boys All girls SC girls ST girls Total

Primary (Classes 1-5) 34 37 49 29 36 49 31

Elementary (Classes 6-8) 52 57 69 53 62 71 52

Secondary (Classes 9-10) 61 71 78 65 76 81 63

Source: Select Education Survey, GOI 2003-2004

What percentage of children leaveschool at the elementary level?

At which level of education do yousee the highest percentage ofchildren leaving?

Why do you think that thepercentage of Adivasi girls andboys leaving school is higher thanthat of any other group?

(7 years old and above) were literate (that is, theycould at least write their names) compared to just15 per cent of all girls and women. In the most recentcensus of 2001, these figures have grown to 76 percent for boys and men, and 54 per cent for girls andwomen. This means that the proportion of both menand women who are now able to read and have atleast some amount of schooling has increased. But,as you can also see, the percentage of the male groupis still higher than the female group. The gap hasnot gone away.

Here is a table that shows the percentage of girlsand boys who leave schools from different socialgroups. Scheduled Caste (SC) is the official term forDalit, and Scheduled Tribe (ST) is the official termfor Adivasi.

You have probably noticed in the above table thatSC and ST girls leave school at a rate that is higherthan the category ‘All Girls’. This means that girlswho are from Dalit and Adivasi backgrounds are lesslikely to remain in school. The 2001 census alsofound that Muslim girls are less likely, than Dalitand Adivasi girls, to complete primary school. Whilea Muslim girl is likely to stay in school for aroundthree years, girls from other communities spendaround four years in school.

There are several reasons why children from Dalit,Adivasi and Muslim communities leave school. Inmany parts of the country, especially in rural andpoor areas, there may not even be proper schoolsnor teachers who teach on a regular basis. If a school

63

From the given table, convert thefigures of primary class childrenwho leave school into a bardiagram. The first twopercentages have already beenconverted for you in the bardiagram on the left.

1010101010

2020202020

3030303030

4040404040

5050505050

AllAllAllAllAllboysboysboysboysboys34%34%34%34%34%

SCSCSCSCSCboysboysboysboysboys37%37%37%37%37%

00000

Boys and girls

Perce

ntag

es

is not close to people’s homes, and there is notransport like buses or vans, parents may not bewilling to send their girls to school. Many familiesare too poor and unable to bear the cost of educatingall their children. Boys may get preference in thissituation. Many children also leave school becausethey are discriminated against by their teacher andclassmates, just like Omprakash Valmiki was.

Women’s movementWomen’s movementWomen’s movementWomen’s movementWomen’s movement

Women and girls now have the right to study and goto school. There are other spheres – like legal reform,violence and health – where the situation of womenand girls has improved. These changes have nothappened automatically. Women individually, andcollectively have struggled to bring about thesechanges. This struggle is known as the Women’sMovement. Individual women and women’sorganisations from different parts of the country arepart of the movement. Many men support thewomen’s movement as well. The diversity, passionand efforts of those involved makes it a very vibrantmovement. Different strategies have been used tospread awareness, fight discrimination and seekjustice. Here are some glimpses of this struggle.


CampaigningCampaigningCampaigningCampaigningCampaigning

Campaigns to fight discriminationand violence against women are animportant part of the women’smovement. Campaigns have also ledto new laws being passed. A law waspassed in 2006 to give women whoface physical and mental violencewithin their homes, also calleddomestic violence, some legalprotection.

Similarly, efforts made by thewomen’s movement led the SupremeCourt to formulate guidelines in 1997to protect women against sexualsexualsexualsexualsexualharassmentharassmentharassmentharassmentharassment at the workplace andwithin educational institutions.

In the 1980s, for example, women’sgroups across the country spoke outagainst ‘dowry deaths’ — cases ofyoung brides being murdered by theirin-laws or husbands, greedy for moredowry. Women’s groups spoke outagainst the failure to bring thesecases to justice. They did so bycoming on to the streets, approachingthe courts, and by sharinginformation. Eventually, this becamea public issue in the newspapers andsociety, and the dowry laws werechanged to punish families who seekdowry.

Satyarani, an active member of the women’s movement,sitting on the steps of the Supreme Court surrounded by legalfiles gathered during the course of a long legal battle to seekjustice for her daughter who was murdered for dowry.

Raising AwarenessRaising AwarenessRaising AwarenessRaising AwarenessRaising Awareness

An important part of the women’smovements’ work is to raise publicawareness on women’s rights issues.Their message has been spread throughstreet plays, songs and public meetings.

ProtestingProtestingProtestingProtestingProtesting

The women’s movement raises its voice when violationsviolationsviolationsviolationsviolations against women take place orfor example, when a law or policy acts against their interests. Public rallies anddemonstrations are a very powerful way of drawing attention to injustices.

Showing SolidarityShowing SolidarityShowing SolidarityShowing SolidarityShowing Solidarity

The women’s movement is also about showingsolidarity with other women and causes.

Above: Women are holding upcandles to demonstrate thesolidarity between the people ofIndia and Pakistan. Every year, on14 August, several thousand peoplegather at Wagah on the border ofIndia and Pakistan and hold acultural programme.

Below: On 8 March, International Women’s Day, women all overthe world come together to celebrate and renew their struggles.

1. How do you think stereotypes, about what women can or

cannot do, affect women’s right to equality?

2. List one reason why learning the alphabet was so

important to women like Rashsundari Devi, Ramabai and

Rokeya.

3. “Poor girls drop out of school because they are not interested

in getting an education.” Re-read the last paragraph on page

62 and explain why this statement is not true.

4. Can you describe two methods of struggle that the

women’s movement used to raise issues? If you had to

organise a struggle against stereotypes, about what

women can or cannot do, what method would you employ

from the ones that you have read about? Why would you

choose this particular method?



Stereotype: When we believe that people belonging to particular groups based on religion, wealth,

language are bound to have certain fixed characteristics or can only do a certain type of work, we

create a stereotype. For example, in this chapter, we saw how boys and girls are made to take

certain subjects not because he or she has an aptitude for it, but because they are either boys or

girls. Stereotypes prevent us from looking at people as unique individuals.

Discrimination: When we do not treat people equally or with respect we are indulging in

discrimination. It happens when people or organisations act on their prejudices. Discrimination

usually takes place when we treat some one differently or make a distinction.

Violation: When someone forcefully breaks the law or a rule or openly shows disrespect, we can

say that he or she has committed a violation.

Sexual harassment: This refers to physical or verbal behaviour that is of a sexual nature and

against the wishes of a woman.

Chapter 5: Women Change the World Women Change the World Women Change the World Women Change the World Women Change the World 67

68

UNITFOUR

69

Media and Advertising


Today, the media and advertising are apervasive presence in the lives of youngpeople, who may or may not have takenthe opportunity to seriously reflect uponthis fact. This Unit offers some ways bywhich we can begin to think about these.

The focus in ‘Understanding Media’ is onexplaining the strong links between mediaand technology and media and bigbusiness. It explains how the media ‘setsthe agenda’ through influencing ourperception of issues worth devoting timeand attention to, and issues that areneglected or overridden. In ‘UnderstandingAdvertising’ we have focused both oncritically analysing how advertisingstrategies influence customers, as well asdemonstrating what goes into the makingof an advertisement. The significance of a‘brand’ and the need to promote theuniqueness of a product is a key part ofadvertising. The chapter identifies themechanisms that advertisements use toappeal to the consumer, and explains howthese are powerfully linked to theconsumer’s self-image.

Chapters 6 and 7 foreground thewidespread effects of the media andadvertising, and attempt to connect theissues under discussion to the learner’sown lives. At the end of the media chapter,we expect the learner to recognise the roleof big business in the media coverage ofevents — the way ‘news’ is selected for

coverage, and the explicit/implicitdimensions of that coverage. We use twofictitious news reports to demonstrate thatthere is seldom just one version of a storyor an event. Building on this, we expectthe learner to develop the skills requiredto critically analyse a newspaper report ora TV story through scrutinising theinformation provided, as well asunderstanding the logic behind theexclusion of certain perspectives.

In the advertising chapter, two fictitiousadvertisements have been created tosystematically take the learner through thetechniques of crafting advertisements thatappeal to the consumer. The examplesfocus on the significance of the key terms‘brand’ and ‘brand values’ that are integralto advertising. These ideas can bestrengthened by selecting examples fromactual advertisements and structuringsimilar questions around them.

Both chapters conclude by linking theircontents to the idea of democracy. Bothemphasise, through using examples oflocal media as well as social advertising,how mainstream media and advertisingtend to favour those who have greaterfinancial as well as social resources. Thispoint can be reinforced in the classroomby using local examples of media stories,as well as posing questions about the waysin which advertising is changing what islocally available as well as locally valued.

69

Understanding MediaWhat is your favourite TV programme? What do you like listening to onthe radio? Which newspaper or magazine do you usually read? Do yousurf the internet and what have you found most useful about it? Did youknow that there is one word that is often used to collectively refer tothe radio, TV, newspapers, Internet and several other forms ofcommunication. This word is ‘media’. In this chapter, you will readmore about the media. You will find out what is required to make itwork, as well as the ways in which the media affects our daily lives. Canyou think of one thing that you have learnt from the media this week?

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Look at the collage on the left andlist six various kinds of media thatyou see.

An artist’s impression of Gutenbergprinting the first sheet of the Bible.

Ask older members of your familyabout what they used to listen toon the radio when there was noTV around. Find out from themwhen the first TV came to yourarea. When was cable TVintroduced?

How many people in yourneighbourhood use the Internet?

List three things that you knowabout some other part of theworld from watching television?

Everything ranging from the stall at the local fair tothe programme that you see on TV can be calledmedia. Media is the plural form of the word ‘medium’and it describes the various ways through which wecommunicate in society. Because media refers to allmeans of communication, everything ranging froma phone call to the evening news on TV can be calledmedia. TV, radio and newspapers are a form of mediathat reaches millions of people, or the masses, acrossthe country and the world and, thus, they are calledmass media.

Media and technologyMedia and technologyMedia and technologyMedia and technologyMedia and technology

It would probably be difficult for you to imagine yourlife without the media. But cable television and thewidespread use of the Internet is a recentphenomenon. These have been around for less thantwenty years. The technology that mass media useskeeps changing.

Newspapers, television and radio can reachmillions of people because they use certaintechnologies. We also tend to discuss newspapersand magazines as the print media; and TV and radioas the electronic media. Why do you thinknewspapers are called print media? As you readfurther, you will find that this naming is related tothe different technologies that these media use. Thefollowing photographs will give you a sense of theways in which technology that mass media uses haschanged over the years and continues to change.

Changing technology, or machines, and makingtechnology more modern, helps media to reach morepeople. It also improves the quality of sound and theimages that you see. But technology does more thanthis. It also changes the ways in which we think aboutour lives. For example, today it is quite difficult forus to think of our lives without television. Televisionhas enabled us to think of ourselves as members ofa larger global world. Television images travel huge

71Chapter 6: Understanding Media Understanding Media Understanding Media Understanding Media Understanding Media


Can you list three differentproducts that are advertisedduring your favourite TVprogramme?

Take a newspaper and count thenumber of advertisements in it.Some people say that newspapershave too many advertisements. Doyou think this is true and why?

John L. Baird sits in front of theapparatus with which he demonstrated tothe Royal Institute, his invention, the‘televisor’, an early television.

With electronic typerwriters, journalismunderwent a sea-change in the 1940s.

distances through satellites and cables. This allowsus to view news and entertainment channels fromother parts of the world. Most of the cartoons thatyou see on television are mostly from Japan or theUnited States. We can now be sitting in Chennai orJammu and can see images of a storm that has hitthe coast of Florida in the United States. Televisionhas brought the world closer to us.

Media and moneyMedia and moneyMedia and moneyMedia and moneyMedia and money

The different technologies that mass media use areexpensive. Just think about the TV studio in whichthe newsreader sits – it has lights, cameras, soundrecorders, transmission satellites, etc., all of whichcost a lot of money.

In a news studio, it is not only the newsreaderwho needs to be paid but also a number of otherpeople who help put the broadcast together. Thisincludes those who look after the cameras and lights.Also, as you read earlier the technologies that massmedia use keep changing and so a lot of money isspent on getting the latest technology. Due to thesecosts, the mass media needs a great deal of moneyto do its work. As a result, most television channelsand newspapers are part of big business houses.

Mass media is constantly thinking of ways to makemoney. One way in which the mass media earnsmoney is by advertising different things like cars,chocolates, clothes, mobile phones, etc. You musthave noticed the number of advertisements that youhave to see while watching your favourite televisionshow. While watching a cricket match on TV, thesame advertisements are shown repeatedly betweeneach over and so you are often watching the sameimage over and over again. As you will read in thefollowing chapter, advertisements are repeated in thehope that you will go out and buy what is advertised.

73

The cost to advertise on a news channelvaries from Rs 500 to Rs 8,000 per 10seconds depending on the popularity ofthe channel.

Media and democracyMedia and democracyMedia and democracyMedia and democracyMedia and democracy

In a democracy, the media plays a very importantrole in providing news and discussing events takingplace in the country and the world. It is on the basisof this information that citizens can, for example,learn how government works. And often, if they wishto, they can take action on the basis of these newsstories. Some of the ways in which they can do thisis by writing letters to the concerned minister,organising a public protestpublic protestpublic protestpublic protestpublic protest, starting a signaturecampaign, asking the government to rethink itsprogramme, etc.

Given the role that the media plays in providinginformation, it is important that the information bebalanced. Let us understand what we mean by abalanced media report by reading two versions ofthe same news event given on the next page.

Chapter 6: Understanding Media Understanding Media Understanding Media Understanding Media Understanding Media


Violent protests by owners

and workers brought the

city to a standstill today.

People getting to work

could not do so on time

because of huge traffic

jams. The owners and

workers are protesting the

government’s decision to

close down polluting

factory units. Although the

government did take this

decision rather hastily, the

protestors have known for

quite some time that their

units are not legal.

Crackdown on polluting factories

Protestors block roads and disrupt traffic

Moreover the levels of

pollution in the city will be

greatly reduced by this

closure. Mr. Jain a well-

known figure in the city

said, “With our city

gradually becoming

Indias’s new business hub,

it is important that it be a

clean and green city.

Polluting factories should

be moved. The factory

owners and workers

should accept the

relocation being offered by

the government instead of

protesting.”

Radhika Malik | INN

Are the above stories in the twonewspapers similar? And if not,why not? What, in your view, arethe similarities and thedifferences?

If you read the story in the Newsof India, what would you thinkabout the issue?

The closure of one lakh factories in thecity’s residential areas is likely to becomea serious issue. On Monday, thousands of factoryowners and workers took to the streets to stronglyprotest this closure. They said that theirlivelihoods would be lost. They say that the faultlies with the municipal corporation because itcontinued to issue licenses for new factories tobe set up in residential areas.They also say thatthere were no adequate relocation efforts. Theowners and workers plan a one-day city bandhto protest against this closure. Mr. Sharma, oneof the factory owners said, “The government saysthat it has done a lot to relocate us. But the areasthey have sent us to have no facilities and havenot been developed for the last five years.”

Closure of factories causes unrestDaily News ServiceNews of India Report

India Daily Report

The fact is that if you had read either newspaperyou would only know one side of the story. If youhad read the News of India, you would most likelythink of the protestors as a nuisance. Theirdisrupting traffic and continually polluting the citywith their factories leaves you with a bad impressionabout them. But on the other hand, if you had readthe story in the India Daily, you would know thatthe protests are because a lot of livelihoods will belost if the factories close because the relocation effortshave not been adequate. Neither of these stories is abalanced report. A balanced report is one thatdiscusses all points of view of a particular story andthen leaves it to the readers to make up their minds.

Writing a balanced report, however, depends onthe media being independent. An independent mediameans that no one should control and influence itscoverage of news. No one should tell the media what

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In many of our homes, TV is on a lot of the time. In many ways, a lot of our impressionsabout the world around us are formed by what we see on TV: it is like a ‘window on theworld’. How do you think it influences us? TV has different types of programmes, soapoperas, like Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, game shows, like Kaun Banega Crorepati, reality TVshows like Big Boss, news, sports and cartoons.Before, in between and after each programmeare advertisements. Since TV time costs so muchmoney, only those programmes that can attractthe maximum number of viewers are shown. Canyou think of what such programmes might be?Think of what are the kinds of things that TVshows and what it does not. Does it show usmore about the lives of the rich or the poor?

We need to think about what TV does to us,how it shapes our views of the world, our beliefs,attitudes and values. We need to realise that it gives us a partial view of the world. Whilewe enjoy our favourite programmes, we should always be aware of the large excitingworld beyond our TV screens. There is so much happening out there that TV ignores. Aworld beyond film stars, celebrities and rich lifestyles, a world that all of us need to reachout to and respond to in various ways. We need to be active viewers, who questionwhatever we see and hear, while we may enjoy it too!

What does TV do to us and what can we do with TV?

Do you think it is important toknow both sides of the story?Why?

Pretend that you are a journalistfor a newspaper and write abalanced story from the two newsreports.

can be included and what should not be included ina news story. An independent media is important ina democracy. As you read above, it is on the basis ofthe information that the media provides that we takeaction as citizens, so it is important that thisinformation is reliable and not biased.

However, the reality is that media is far fromindependent. This is mainly because of two reasons.The first is the control that the government has onthe media. When the government prevents either anews item, or scenes from a movie, or the lyrics of asong from being shared with the larger public, thisis referred to as censorshipcensorshipcensorshipcensorshipcensorship. There have been periodsin Indian history when the government censored themedia. The worst of these was the Emergencybetween 1975-1977.



While the government does continue to censorfilms, it does not really censor the media’s coverageof news. Despite the absence of censorship by thegovernment, most newspapers nowadays still fail toprovide a balanced story. The reasons for this arecomplicated. Persons who research the media havesaid that this happens because business housescontrol the media. At times, it is in the interest ofthese businesses to focus on only one side of thestory. Media’s continual need for money and its linksto advertising means that it becomes difficult formedia to be reporting against people who give themadvertisements. Media is, thus, no longer consideredindependent because of its close links to business.

Besides the above, the media also tends to focuson a particular aspect of a story because they believethis makes the story interesting. Also, if they wantto increase public support for an issue, they oftendo this by focusing on one side of a story.

Setting agendasSetting agendasSetting agendasSetting agendasSetting agendas

The media also plays an important role in decidingwhat stories to focus on, and therefore, decides onwhat is newsworthy. For example, the annualfunction at your school is unlikely to make the news.But if a famous actor is invited as the Chief Guest,then the media might be interested in covering it. Byfocusing on particular issues, the media influencesour thoughts, feelings and actions, and brings thoseissues to our attention. Due to the significantinfluence it plays in our lives and in shaping ourthoughts, it is commonly said that the media ‘setsthe agenda’.

Very recently, the media drew our attention toalarming levels of pesticides in cola drinks. Theypublishedpublishedpublishedpublishedpublished reports that indicated the high level ofpesticides and, thus, made us aware of the need toregularly monitor these colas according tointernational quality and safety standards. They did

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Recognising that the media will not be interested incovering ‘small’ issues that involve ordinary people andtheir daily lives, several local groups have come forwardto start their own media. Several people use communityradio to tell farmers about the prices of different cropsand advise them on the use of seeds and fertilisers.Others make documentary films with fairly cheap andeasily available video cameras on real-life conditionsfaced by different poor communities, and, at times, haveeven given the poor these video cameras to make filmson their own lives.

Another example is a newspaper called Khabar Lahriya which is a fortnightly that is run byeight Dalit women in Chitrakoot district in Uttar Pradesh. Written in the local language,Bundeli, this eight-page newspaper reports on Dalit issues and cases of violence againstwomen and political corruption. The newspaper reaches farmers, shopkeepers, panchayatmembers, school teachers and women who have recently learnt to read and write.

Local media

Fashion shows are very popular with themed ia .

What is the consequence of themedia ‘setting the agenda’ byreporting on the Fashion Weekrather than the slum demolitions?

Can you think of an issue thatdoes not seem important to youbecause it is never featured in themedia?

this despite the government’s resistance by boldlydeclaring that colas were unsafe. In covering thisstory, the media positively helped us focus on anissue that affects our lives and one that we mightnot even have been aware of it had it not been formedia reporting.

There are several instances when the media failsto focus on issues that are significant in our lives.For example, drinking water is a major problem inthe country. Every year, thousands of people sufferand die because they do not get safe drinking water.However, we seldom find the media discussing thisissue. A well-known Indian journalist wrote of howthe Fashion Week, in which clothes designers showtheir new creations to rich people, formed the frontpage headlines of all the newspapers while severalslums were being demolished in Mumbai, the verysame week, and this was not even noticed!

As citizens of a democracy, the media has a veryimportant role to play in our lives because it isthrough the media that we hear about issues related



The print media offers a large variety ofinformation to suit the tastes of differentreaders.

to the working of the government. The media decideswhat to focus on and in this way it ‘sets the agenda’.The government can, at times, prevent the mediafrom publishing a story and this is called censorship.Nowadays, media’s close relationship with businessoften means that a balanced report is difficult to comeby. Given this, it is important for us to be aware thatthe ‘factual information’ that a news report providesis often not complete and can be one-sided. We,therefore, need to analyse the news by asking thefollowing questions: what is the information I amlearning from this report? What information is notbeing provided? From whose point of view is thearticle being written? Whose point of view is beingleft out and why?

79


1. In what ways does the media play an important role in a

democracy?

2. Can you give this diagram a title? What do you understand

about the link between media and big business from this

diagram?

3. You have read about the ways in which the media ‘sets

the agenda’. What kind of effect does this have in a

democracy? Provide two examples to support your point

of view.

4. As a class project, decide to focus on a particular news

topic and cut out stories from different newspapers on

this. Also watch the coverage of this topic on TV news.

Compare two newspapers and write down the similarity

and differences in their reports. It might help to ask the

following questions–

a. What information is this article providing?

b. What information is it leaving out?

c. From whose point of view is the article being written?

d. Whose point of view is being left out and why?


Publish: This refers to newsreports, articles, interviews, stories, etc., that are printed in newspapers,

magazines and books for a wide audience to read.

Censorship: This refers to the powers that government has to disallow media from publishing or

showing certain stories.

Broadcast: In this chapter this word is used to refer to a TV or radio programme that is widely

transmitted.

Public protest: When a large number of people come together and openly state their opposition to

some issue. Organising a rally, starting a signature campaign, blocking roads etc. are some of the

ways in which this is done.


BIG BUSINESS HOUSES

READERS,VIEWERS,

LISTENERS

advertisetheirproducts

MEDIApromotesproductsthroughadvertisements

People buyproductsseen in themedia.Money,therefore,flows back tobig businesshouses

Some own radio,TV, newspaper

UnderstandingAdvertisingToday we are surrounded by advertisements orads as we call them. We watch these ontelevision, listen to them on radio, see them onthe streets and in newspapers and magazines.Even taxis and rickshaws carry advertisementson them. When we go to cinemas, we seeadvertisements before the film begins and onthe Internet, they often pop-up when we go intodifferent websites. What do advertisements do?How do they attract our attention? Read more tofind out…

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Top Taste Daal Care Soap

What are the advertisements selling?

How do they describe the product?

What is the text trying to say? Guests should be served this.

What do the pictures convey? Love of a mother.

Would you want to buy these productsafter seeing the advertisement?

Look at the two advertisementsabove and fill the table.

Do you think there is a problem inusing the image of the mother asthe only person who takes care ofthe child in the Care Soapadvertisement?

Advertisements draw our attention to variousproductsproductsproductsproductsproducts and describe them positively so that webecome interested in buying them. In this chapter,we will focus on the two advertisements that you seeabove to understand what advertising does and howit works.

Building brands and brand valuesBuilding brands and brand valuesBuilding brands and brand valuesBuilding brands and brand valuesBuilding brands and brand values

Have you ever heard of the word brandbrandbrandbrandbrand? Advertisingis all about building brands. At a very basic level,‘branding’ means stamping a product with aparticular name or sign. This is done in order todifferentiate it from other products in the market.

So, let us look again at the advertisements above.Why do you think the manufacturers of the soapand the daal gave their products a specific name?

Chapter 7: Understanding Advertising Understanding Advertising Understanding Advertising Understanding Advertising Understanding Advertising 81


Branding actually came from cattlegrazing. Cattle of different ownersgrazed together in ranches and they oftengot mixed up. The owners thought of asolution. They started marking theircattle with the owner’s sign by using aheated iron. This was called ‘branding’.

Daals or pulses are usually sold loose in themarket. We usually know daals by their differenttypes like masoor ki daal, urad ki daal, etc. Thesenames are not brand names. When a company takesmasoor ki daal and puts it into a packet, it will needto give the daal a special name. It needs to do this sothat we don’t confuse the daal in that particularpacket with the daal that is sold loose. They decideon a name like ‘Top Taste Daal’. This naming of theproduct is called ‘branding’.

Similarly, in the case of the soap, there are manysoaps in the market today. In bigger towns and cities,we no longer just say soap but rather refer to themusing the different names of companies that makethem. Given the many soaps in the market, thecompany will have to give the soap a different andspecial name. By doing this they create anotherbrand of soap.

Just naming the product may not make us buy it.The manufacturers that made the soap and the daalstill have to convince us that their soap and daal arebetter than the others available in the market. Thisis where advertising comes in. It plays a crucial rolein trying to convince us to buy the product that isadvertised.

The task of creating a brand does not stop at givingthe product a special name. For example, just when‘Top Taste Daal’ begins to be sold, another companydecides to also sell daals in a packet and calls this‘Best Taste Daal’. So, now there are two brandeddaals in the market. Both the companies are keenthat you buy their daals.

The consumerconsumerconsumerconsumerconsumer is confused because you reallycannot tell the difference between ‘Top Taste Daal’and ‘Best Taste Daal’. The manufacturer has to givethe consumer a reason to prefer a particular brandof daal. Just naming a daal does not help sell it. So,advertisers begin claiming certain special values fortheir brand. In this way, they try to differentiate it

83

Manufacturers spend crores of rupeesto make sure that we see theiradvertisements wherever we go.

from other similar products. Look below at how thetwo daals try and do this.

From the advertisements, you can now see thatthe two daals are saying different things. ‘Top TasteDaal’ is appealing to our social tradition of treatingguests extremely well. ‘Best Taste Daal’ is appealingto our concern for our children’s health and thatthey eat things that are good for them. Values suchas treating our guests well and making sure ourchildren get nutritious food are used by brands tocreate brand values. These brand values areconveyed through the use of visuals and words togive us an overall image that appeals to us.

Brand values and social valuesBrand values and social valuesBrand values and social valuesBrand values and social valuesBrand values and social values

Advertisements are an important part of our socialand cultural life today. We watch advertisements,discuss them and often judge people according tothe brand products they use. Given thatadvertisements are such a powerful source ofinfluence in our lives, we need to be able tounderstand the ways in which they work.

Chapter 7: Understanding Advertising Understanding Advertising Understanding Advertising Understanding Advertising Understanding Advertising


What does this advertisementwant me to feel when I use thisbrand?

Who is this advertisement talkingto and who is it leaving out?

If you have money to buy theseproducts, how would you feelwhen you see theseadvertisements? If you do nothave money, then how would youfeel?

Let us look more closely at the two advertisementsthat we began the chapter with. If we ask all of thequestions listed, we will realise the way in whichthese two advertisements work.

Branded daals cost much more than daals thatare sold loose because they include the costs ofpackaging and advertising. So, many people cannotafford them. However, because of the advertisement,people who cannot afford Top Taste Daal might beginto feel that they are not treating their guests properly.Gradually, people will come to believe that onlybranded daals are good and will want to buy thedaal that comes in a sealed packet rather than thatwhich is sold loose. But, in reality there is littledifference between daals that are sold loose and thosesold in a packet. We are just made to imagine thedifference because of the advertisement.

In the Care Soap advertisement, once again apersonal emotion is being used. As a mother, if youwant to show your child you care, then you have tobuy this expensive soap. The advertisement uses themother’s concern for her child. It tells the motherthat her love and care is best shown through usingthis particular brand of soap. Because of this,mothers begin to feel that using this soap is a signof how much they love their child. In this way, theadvertisement uses the love of a mother for her childto sell this expensive soap. Mothers who cannotafford this soap might begin to feel that they are notgiving their children the best care.

As you can see with the two advertisements, theyoften target our personal emotions. By linking ourpersonal emotions to products, advertisements tendto influence the ways in which we value ourselvesas persons.

Often several of our cricket heroes and ourfavourite film stars also try and sell products to usthrough advertisements. We may feel tempted to buythese products because persons whom we consider

85

This collage,prepared by schoolchildren, showscelebrit iesp r omo t i n gproducts.It was recentlyreported that a topcricketer signed athree-year contractto do variousadvertisements forRs 180 crores.A popular modelmay chargeRs 5 lakh or moreper advertisement.

The telecast rate for a 30 secondadvertisement on a major TV channel isRs 1.65 lakh.The cost of bringing out aquarter page colour advertisement in aleading newspaper is Rs 8.36 lakh.

our heroes tell us that they are worth buying. Inaddition, advertisements often show us images ofthe lifestyleslifestyleslifestyleslifestyleslifestyles of rich people and seldom show us thereality of peoples’ lives that we see around us.

Advertisements play a big role in our lives. We notonly buy products based on them, but often, havingcertain brand products influences the ways in whichwe think about ourselves, our friends and our family.It is, therefore, important to know how advertisingworks and understand what it does before we chooseto buy the products that advertisements sell. We needto be able to critically understand why they useparticular images, the personal emotion that theyare appealing to and the ways in which this affectshow we think about ourselves when we use theproduct or are not able to buy it.


THE LOVING SOAP

As you know, our company has a strongpresence in all the metros and majorcities. We would like to introduce ournew freshness soap as a very special

soap in the market, and aim to capturea large number of customers within the

first six months of its release!

We need an advertising campaign that willcreate a new interest amongst consumers

who are already used to many brands.

Sir, our first task as an advertising agencyis to determine the consumer profile for

your soap, that is, identify the typicaluser of such a high quality soap. We willconduct market surveys to get a better

idea of this. Then we will visualise acampaign that will appeal to our specific

Target Audience.

Excellent! Then pleasebring in the best market

research professionals forthe job.

At the office of aprominent advertising agency...

How does an advertisement get made?How does an advertisement get made?How does an advertisement get made?How does an advertisement get made?How does an advertisement get made?

Advertising is a very important part of getting peopleto buy a brand. This does not happen easily andseveral hundred books have been written on this.Advertisements aim to get people to buy a particularbrand. This basically means that after we see anadvertisement we should want to buy the brand. Letus see how the persons who make advertisementsdecide on what images, text and personal emotionsto use to sell the product.

A couple of weeks later... The creative team at the agency starts thinking...

Market surveys have revealed that youngmothers between the ages of 21 and 40 areconcerned about the soap they use for theirchildren, and are willing to pay a higher price

for a better product. We should create a brandidentity that appeals to them.

Hmm...good idea.

Once the marketing strategy is considered successful, the advertisementcampaign is finalised and released in various media along with the launch of the new care soap.

The agency makes apresentation to the client...

I like the concept!

Our campaign will be based on the concept:‘Care Soap – Express Your Love Afresh’. Thevisuals will focus on mothers and children to

re-inforce our brand strategy!

The visuals and advertisements arethen tested amongst the target audience.

Yes. I think this promotes anew way of expressing loveand care. I would like to try

this new brand.

How aboutCare Soap?

Yes, that’s abrilliant idea!

All the existing brands ofbaby soap in the market

emphasise ‘naturalness’, etc.We need a different angle.

How about associating our soap withthe loving care of the mother! Weshould say that you cannot fullyexpress your love for your child

without your soap!

We need agood brandname to gowith that.

Thank youMadam!


Social advertisements refer to advertisements made by the State or private agenciesthat have a larger message for society. The following are two social advertisements:

Social advertising

Socialadve r t i s ementr e gard ingeducat ionalrights ofdisabledchi ldren.

Socialadver t i s ementr e gard ingcrossing ofu n m a n n e dra i lwaycrossings.

Who do you think is the targetaudience for the socialadvertisements below?

What is the message that eachsocial advertisement is trying toget across?

Having read about diarhhoeaepidemic in the chapter on StateGovernment, can you make asocial advertisement on whatprecautionary steps should betaken to prevent diarrhoea?

Advertising and democracyAdvertising and democracyAdvertising and democracyAdvertising and democracyAdvertising and democracy

There are various ways in which advertising links toissues of equality in a democratic society.

Advertising a product costs a lot of money. Usually,crores of rupees are spent advertising a brand.Producing and showing advertisements in the mediais very expensive. Because there are so manyadvertisements in the market today, companies haveto show the advertisement again and again to haveit stick in people’s minds.

What this often means is that only large companiescan advertise. If you own a small business, you willnot have the money to show your product on TV ornational newspapers and magazines. So, personswho sell papad, pickles, sweets and jams that theyhave made at home are not considered as fashionableas brand products. They often have to sell their

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Advertising makes us believe that thingsthat are packaged are better than thingsthat do not come in packets.

products in weekly markets and neighbourhoodshops that you will read about in the following unit.

It also makes us believe that things that arepackaged and have a brand name are far better thanthings that do not come in packets. We forget thatthe quality of a product has little to do with thepackaging that it comes in. This shift to packagedproducts negatively affects the sales of several smallbusinesses forcing people out of their livelihoods.

In a democracy in which all people are equal andshould be able to lead a life of dignity, advertisingtends to promote a certain lack of respect for thepoor. They are not the faces we most often see inadvertisements and so we tend to dismiss their livesas worthless.

Advertising, because it appeals to personalemotions also tends to make people who cannotafford certain brands feel bad. They feel that theyare unable to give their loved ones the best care thatbrand products appear to offer.



Juice sellers like this one are losingcustomers who, because of advertising,prefer branded drinks.

Advertising by focusing on the lives of the rich andfamous helps us forget about issues of poverty,discrimination and dignity, all of which are centralto the functioning of equality in a democracy. Morethan just selling us products, advertisements tell ushow we should live our lives, what we should aspireand dream for, how we should express our love, whatit means to be smart, successful and beautiful. Ascitizens of a democratic society, it is important forus to be aware of the strong influence that advertisinghas on our lives. By critically understanding whatadvertisements do, we can make better decisionsabout whether we wish to buy a product or not.

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1. What do you understand by the word brand? List two

reasons why building brands is central to advertising?

2. Choose two of your favourite print advertisements. Now,

look at each of these and answer the following questions:

a. What visuals and text is being used in these

advertisements to attract my attention?

b. What values are being promoted in these

advertisements?

c. Who is this advertisement speaking to and who is it

leaving out?

d. If you could not afford the brand that is being

advertised how would you feel?

3. Can you explain two ways in which you think advertising

affects issues of equality in a democracy?

4. Making an advertisement requires a lot of creativity. Let

us imagine a situation in which a manufacturer has just

made a new watch. She says that she wants to sell this

watch to school children. She comes to your class and

asks you all to create a brand name as well as an

advertisement for the watch. Divide the class into small

groups and each group create an advertisement for this

watch. Share it with the class.


Product: This refers to a thing or service that has been made for being sold in the market.

Consumer: This refers to the person for whom the goods or products have been made and who

pays money to buy and use them.

Brand: This refers to a special identification or name that is associated with a product. Such

identification is created through the process of advertising.

To influence: This refers to the power to change what someone believes or does.

Lifestyle: In this chapter, this word refers to people’s lives being identified by the products they

own, the clothes they wear, the places they eat in, etc.


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UNITFIVE

93

Markets


These two chapters focus on aspects oflife and commercial cycles associated withmarkets. While some of these processesmay be visible and, therefore, easilyobservable, there are also others that arerelatively unfamiliar.

Chapter 8 discusses ‘Markets AroundUs’. At one level, we study different marketsites: a weekly market, neighbourhoodshops, a shopping complex, etc. At anotherlevel, we explore the intricate question,‘how do goods reach these markets?’ Weexamine how a chain of markets operatesand the role of wholesale markets withinthis, through the case study of a wholesalevegetable market. We usually associate‘market’ with marketplaces, but buying andselling takes place in diverse ways and thechapter discusses how all of this fallswithin a larger understanding of markets.

Chapter 9 looks at how markets offerpeople different opportunities. This is donethrough the ‘story of a shirt’, and the chain

of markets involved in the process.Together with understanding each step ofthe manufacture and circulation of a shirt,we realise that some people stand to gainin the market transaction whereas othersdo not gain as much, or none at all. Theopportunities are highly unequal. Ways doexist, such as those of cooperativemarketing, which can provide a betterreturn to the producers. However, we needto find many more viable avenues forequitable distribution.

These chapters offer an opportunity ofbringing in the experience of local marketsfor discussion in the classroom. A visit toa wholesale market would be of interest,and would allow the learner to find out theprofit margins and details of daily earningsso that those inequalities can be directlyexamined. The experiences of markets arevaried and also quite rich. Hence, oneshould allocate time for some questions,not addressed in the text, which studentsmay wish to discuss.

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Markets Around UsWe go to the market to buy many things – vegetables, soap, toothpaste, masala,bread, rice, dal, clothes, notebooks, biscuits, etc. If we make a list of the goodsthat we purchase, it would be really long. There are many kinds of markets thatwe may visit for our everyday needs: these can include shops, hawker’s stalls inour neighbourhood, a weekly market, a large shopping complex, perhaps even amall. In this chapter, we look at some of these markets and try to understandhow the goods that are sold there reach buyers, who these buyers are, who thesesellers are, and the sorts of problems they face.

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Why do people go to a weeklymarket? Give three reasons.

Who are the sellers in a weeklymarket? Why don’t we find bigbusiness persons in thesemarkets?

Why are things cheap in theweekly market?

Explain with an example howpeople bargain in the market. Canyou think of a situation where thebargain would be unfair?

Sameer is a small trader in the weeklymarket. He buys clothes from a largetrader in the town and sells them in sixdifferent markets in a week. He andother cloth sellers move in groups. Theyhire a mini van for this. His customersare from villages that are near themarketplace. At festival times, such asduring Deepavali or Pongal, he doesgood business.

Sameer: Seller of clothes

Weekly marketWeekly marketWeekly marketWeekly marketWeekly market

A weekly market is so called because it is held on aspecific day of the week. Weekly markets do not havepermanent shops. Traders set up shops for the dayand then close them up in the evening. Then theymay set up at a different place the next day. Thereare thousands of such markets in India. People comehere for their everyday requirements.

Many things in weekly markets are available atcheaper rates. This is because when shops are inpermanent buildings, they incur a lot of expenditure– they have to pay rent, electricity, fees to thegovernment. They also have to pay wages to theirworkers. In weekly markets, these shop owners storethe things they sell at home. Most of them are helpedby their family members and, hence, do not need tohire workers. Weekly markets also have a largenumber of shops selling the same goods which meansthere is competition among them. If some trader wereto charge a high price, people would move to anothershop where the same thing may be available morecheaply or where the buyer can bargain and bringthe price down.

One of the advantages of weekly markets is thatmost things you need are available at one place.Whether you want vegetables, groceries or clothitems, utensils – all of them can be found here. Youdo not have to go to different areas to buy differentthings. People also prefer going to a market wherethey have a choice and a variety of goods.

Shops in the neighbourhoodShops in the neighbourhoodShops in the neighbourhoodShops in the neighbourhoodShops in the neighbourhood

We have seen that the weekly markets offer a varietyof goods. However, we also buy things from otherkinds of markets. There are many shops that sellgoods and services in our neighbourhoods. We maybuy milk from the dairy, groceries from departmentalstores, stationery, eatables or medicines from other

97

Sujata and Kavita were sent to buygroceries from their neighbourhoodshop. This was the shop they usuallywent to. It was crowded today. Theshop owner managed the shopherself with two helpers. When theymanaged to get into the shop, Sujatadictated a list to her. She in turnbegan asking her helpers to weighand pack the items. MeanwhileKavita looked around…

On the top left shelf there weredifferent brands of detergent cakes.Another shelf had toothpastes,talcum powder, shampoo, hair oil.The different brands and differentcolours looked so attractive. On thefloor lay a few sacks.

It took almost 20 minutes to weighand pack all the groceries. ThenSujata showed her “notebook.” Thewoman noted the amount ofRs.1550 in the notebook and gaveit back. She also noted the amountin her big register. Then Sujata took the heavy bags out of the shop. Her family will pay for thepurchases in the first week of next month.

Why did Sujata carry a notebook?Do you think this system isuseful? Can there be problems?

What are the different kinds ofshops that you find in yourneighbourhood? What do youpurchase from them?

Why are goods sold in permanentshops costlier than those sold inthe weekly markets or by roadsidehawkers?

Chapter 8: Markets Around Us Markets Around Us Markets Around Us Markets Around Us Markets Around Us

shops. Many of these are permanent shops, whileothers are roadside stalls such as that of thevegetable hawker, the fruit vendor, the mechanic,etc.

Shops in the neighbourhood are useful in manyways. They are near our home and we can go thereon any day of the week. Usually, the buyer and sellerknow each other and these shops also provide goodson credit. This means that you can pay for thepurchases later, as we saw in Sujata’s case, forexample.


Why do you think the guardwanted to stop Kavita and Sujatafrom entering the shop? Whatwould you say if someone stopsyou from entering a shop in amarket?

You might have noticed that there are differentkinds of sellers even in the neighbourhood markets.Some of them have permanent shops and others selltheir goods on the roadside.

Anzal Mall is a five-floor shoppingcomplex. Kavita and Sujata wereenjoying going up and down inthe lift. It seemed as if it wasmade of glass and they were ableto see outside as they went up.It was fascinating to see so manydifferent kinds of shops such asthe ice-cream, burger, pizza andother food shops; shops full ofhome appliances; footwear andleather items as well asbookshops.

While wandering about on thethird floor they entered a shopthat was selling branded ready-made clothes.The security guardlooked at them as if he wantedto stop them but he did not sayanything. They looked at somedresses and then looked at theprice tag. None of them was lessthan Rs 2,000, almost five times the weekly market price! Sujata whispered to Kavita, “I’ll take you toanother shop which has good quality ready-made clothes at more reasonable prices”.

Shopping complexes and mallsShopping complexes and mallsShopping complexes and mallsShopping complexes and mallsShopping complexes and malls

So far we have seen two kinds of marketplaces –weekly markets and markets in our neighbourhood.There are other markets in the urban area that havemany shops, popularly called shopping complexes.These days, in many urban areas, you also have largemulti-storeyed air-conditioned buildings with shopson different floors, known as malls. In these urbanmarkets, you get both branded and non-brandedgoods. As you have read in the chapter on advertising,

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How do you think yourneighbourhood shop gets itsgoods? Find out and explain withsome examples.

Why is a wholesale tradernecessary?

branded goods are expensive, often promoted byadvertising and claims of better quality. Thecompanies producing these products sell themthrough shops in large urban markets and, at times,through special showrooms. As compared to non-branded goods, fewer people can afford to buybranded ones.

Chain of marketsChain of marketsChain of marketsChain of marketsChain of markets

In the previous sections, you have read aboutdifferent markets from where we buy goods. Fromwhere do you think shop-owners procure their goods?Goods are produced in factories, on farms and inhomes. However, we don’t buy directly from thefactory or from the farm. Nor would the producersbe interested in selling us small quantities such asone kilo of vegetables or one plastic mug.

The people in between the producer and the finalconsumer are the traders. The wholesale trader firstbuys goods in large quantities. For example, thevegetable wholesale trader will not buy a few kilos ofvegetables, but will buy in large lots of 25 to 100kilos. These will then be sold to other traders. Inthese markets, buying and selling takes placebetween traders. It is through these links of tradersthat goods reach faraway places. The trader whofinally sells this to the consumer, is the retailer. Thiscould be a trader in a weekly market, a hawker inthe neighbourhood or a shop in a shopping complex.

We can understand this with the help of thefollowing examples –

Every city has areas for wholesale markets. Thisis where goods first reach and are then supplied toother traders. The roadside hawker whom you readabout earlier would have purchased a large quantityof plastic items from a wholesale trader in the town.He, in turn, might have bought these from another,even bigger wholesale trader in the city. The city


Why do people not bargain inshops located in malls whereasthey bargain in weekly markets?

The above map of Delhi shows four of the10 wholesale markets in the city.

Keshopur

Azadpur

Daryaganj

Okhla


Aftab is one of the wholesale traders who purchases in bulk. Hisbusiness starts around 2 o’clock in the morning when vegetablesreach the market. This is the time when the vegetable market ormandi starts buzzing with activity. The vegetables come in trucks,matadors, tractor trolleys from farms both near and far. Soon theprocess of auctions begins. Aftab participates in this auction anddecides what he will buy. Today, for example, he bought 5 quintals ofcauliflower, 10 quintals of onions. He has a shop in the market wherehe stores the vegetables that he has bought. From here he sells tohawkers and shopkeepers who start coming to the market aroundsix in the morning. They have to organise their purchases so thatthey can start their shop for the day around ten in the morning.

Aftab –The wholesaler in the city

wholesale trader would have bought a large quantityof plastic items from the factory and stored them ina godown. In this way, a chain of markets is set up.When we purchase, we may not be aware of the chainof markets through which these goods travel beforethey reach us.

Markets everywhereMarkets everywhereMarkets everywhereMarkets everywhereMarkets everywhere

So far we have seen different marketplaces wherepeople buy and sell a variety of goods and services.All these markets are in a specific locality and workin a particular manner and time. However, it is notalways necessary that one has to go to the market topurchase goods. You can place orders for a varietyof things through the phone and these days throughthe Internet, and the goods are delivered at yourhome. In clinics and nursing homes, you may havenoticed sales representatives waiting for doctors.Such persons are also engaged in the selling of goods.Thus, buying and selling takes place in differentways, not necessarily through shops in the market.

The markets that we looked at above are the onesthat we recognise easily. However, there are marketsthat we may not be so aware of. This is because a

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People in urban areas can enter marketswithout stepping out of their homes viathe Internet. They use their credit cards tomake ‘online purchases’.

large number of goods are bought and sold that wedon’t use directly. For example, a farmer usesfertilisers to grow crops that he purchases fromspecial shops in the city and they, in turn get themfrom factories. A car factory purchases engine, gears,petrol tanks, axles, wheels, etc. from various otherfactories. We don’t usually see all the buying andselling, but only the final product – the car in theshowroom. The story is similar for any other good.

Markets and equalityMarkets and equalityMarkets and equalityMarkets and equalityMarkets and equality

In this chapter, we have looked at shop owners in aweekly market and those in a shopping complex.They are very different people. One is a small traderwith little money to run the shop whereas the otheris able to spend a lot of money to set up the shop.They also earn unequal amounts. The weekly markettrader earns little compared to the profit of a regularshop owner in a shopping complex. Similarly, buyersare differently placed. There are many who are notable to afford the cheapest of goods while others arebusy shopping in malls. Thus, whether we can bebuyers or sellers in these different markets depends,among other things, on the money that we have.

We have also examined the chain of markets thatis formed before goods can reach us. It is through

A car being put together in a factory.



Malls, like the one above, sell expensiveand branded goods.

this chain that what is produced in one place reachespeople everywhere. When things are sold, itencourages production and new opportunities arecreated for people to earn. However, do they offerequal opportunities? We will try to understand thisthrough the story of a shirt in the next chapter.

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1. In what ways is a hawker different from a shop owner?

2. Compare and contrast a weekly market and a shopping

complex on the following:

Market Kind of goods sold Prices of goods Sellers Buyers

Weekly market

Shopping complex


Weekly market: These markets are not daily markets but are to be found at a particular place on

one or maybe two days of the week. These markets most often sell everything that a household

needs ranging from vegetables to clothes to utensils.

Mall: This is an enclosed shopping space. This is usually a large building with many floors that has

shops, restaurants and, at times, even a cinema theatre. These shops most often sell branded

products.

Wholesale: This refers to buying and selling in large quantities. Most products, including vegetables,

fruits and flowers have special wholesale markets.

Chain of markets: A series of markets that are connected like links in a chain because products

pass from one market to another.

3. Explain how a chain of markets is formed. What purpose

does it serve?

4. ‘All persons have equal rights to visit any shop in a

marketplace.’ Do you think this is true of shops with

expensive products? Explain with examples.

5. ‘Buying and selling can take place without going to a

marketplace.’ Explain this statement with the help of

examples.


A Shirt inthe MarketThis chapter tells us the storyof a shirt ! It begins with theproduction of cotton and endswith the sale of the shirt. Weshall see that a chain ofmarkets links the producer ofcotton to the buyer of theshirt in the supermarket.Buying and selling takes placeat every step in the chain.Does everyone benefit equallyfrom this? Or do some peoplebenefit more than others? Weshall find out.

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Did Swapna get a fair price on thecotton?

Why did the trader pay Swapnaa low price?

Where do you think large farmerswould sell their cotton? How istheir situation different fromSwapna?

A cotton farmer in KurnoolA cotton farmer in KurnoolA cotton farmer in KurnoolA cotton farmer in KurnoolA cotton farmer in Kurnool

Swapna, a small farmer in Kurnool (Andhra Pradesh)grows cotton on her small piece of land. The bolls ofthe cotton plant are ripe and some have alreadyburst, so Swapna is busy picking cotton. The bolls,which carry the cotton in them, do not burst openall at once so it takes several days to harvest thecotton.

Once the cotton is collected, instead of selling it atKurnool cotton market, Swapna and her husbandtake the harvest to the local trader. At the beginningof the cropping season, Swapna had borrowedRs 2,500 from the trader at a very high interest rateto buy seeds, fertilisers, pesticides for cultivation.At that time, the local trader made Swapna agree toanother condition. He made her promise to sell allher cotton to him.

Cultivation of cotton requires high levels of inputssuch as fertilisers and pesticides and the farmershave to incur heavy expenses on account of these.Most often, the small farmers need to borrow moneyto meet these expenses.

At the trader’s yard, two of his men weigh thebags of cotton. At a price of Rs 1,500 per quintal,the cotton fetches Rs 6,000. The trader deductsRs 3,000 for repayment of loan and interest and paysSwapna Rs 3,000.

Swapna:Swapna:Swapna:Swapna:Swapna: Rs 3,000 only!

Trader:Trader:Trader:Trader:Trader: Cotton is selling cheap. There is a lot of cottonin the market.

Swapna:Swapna:Swapna:Swapna:Swapna: I have toiled so hard for four months togrow this cotton. You can see how fine and clean thecotton is this time. I had hoped to get a much betterprice.

2. Ginning millbuys the cotton.

1. Trader sells thecotton at the Kurnoolcotton market.

3. Ginning mill removesthe seeds and pressesthe cotton into bales.

4. Spinningmill buysthe bales.

6. Spinningmill sells theyarn to yarndealers.

5. Spinningmill spins thecotton intoyarn.

Chapter 9: A Shirt in the Market A Shirt in the Market A Shirt in the Market A Shirt in the Market A Shirt in the Market 105


A shop in Erode.

Trader:Trader:Trader:Trader:Trader: Amma, I am giving you a good price. Othertraders are not even paying this much. You can checkat the Kurnool market, if you do not believe me.

Swapna:Swapna:Swapna:Swapna:Swapna: Don’t be angry. How can I doubt you? Ihad only hoped that we would earn enough from thecotton crop to last us a few months.

Though Swapna knows that cotton will sell for atleast Rs 1,800 per quintal, she doesn’t argue further.The trader is a powerful man in the village and thefarmers have to depend on him for loans not only forcultivation, but also to meet other exigencies suchas illnesses, children’s school fees. Also, there aretimes in the year when there is no work and noincome for the farmers, so borrowing money is theonly means of survival.

Swapna’s earning from cotton cultivation is barelymore than what she might have earned as a wagelabourer.

The cloth market of ErodeThe cloth market of ErodeThe cloth market of ErodeThe cloth market of ErodeThe cloth market of Erode

Erode’s bi-weekly cloth market in Tamil Nadu is oneof the largest cloth markets in the world. A largevariety of cloth is sold in this market. Cloth that ismade by weavers in the villages around is alsobrought here for sale. Around the market are officesof cloth merchants who buy this cloth. Other tradersfrom many south Indian towns also come andpurchase cloth in this market.

On market days, you would also find weaversbringing cloth that has been made on order from themerchant. These merchants supply cloth on orderto garment manufacturers and exporters around thecountry. They purchase the yarn and giveinstructions to the weavers about the kind of cloththat is to be made. In the following example, we cansee how this is done.

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1.This is a merchant’s shop in the bazaar.Over the years, these traders havedeveloped extensive contacts withgarment firms around the country fromwhom they get orders. These traderspurchase the yarn (thread) from others.2. The weavers live in villages aroundand take the yarn supplied by thesetraders to their homes where the loomsare located in sheds adjacent to theirhouses. This photograph shows apowerloom in one such home.The weavers and their families spendlong hours working on these looms.Most weaving units have about 2– 8powerlooms on which the yarn is woveninto cloth. A variety of sarees, towels,shirting, ladies dress material andbedsheets are produced in these looms.3. They then bring back the finished clothto the traders. Here, they can be seengetting ready to go to the merchant in thetown. The trader keeps an account of theyarn given and pays them money forweaving this into cloth.

11111 22222

33333

What are the following peopledoing at the Erode cloth market–merchants, weavers, exporters?

In what ways are weaversdependent on cloth merchants?

Putting-out systePutting-out systePutting-out systePutting-out systePutting-out systemmmmm––––– weavers producingweavers producingweavers producingweavers producingweavers producingcloth at homecloth at homecloth at homecloth at homecloth at home

The merchant distributes work among the weaversbased on the orders he has received for cloth. Theweavers get the yarn from the merchant and supplyhim the cloth. For the weavers, this arrangementseemingly has two advantages. The weavers do nothave to spend their money on purchase of yarn. Also,the problem of selling the finished cloth is taken careof. Weavers know from the outset what cloth theyshould make and how much of it is to be woven.

However, this dependence on the merchants bothfor raw materials and markets means that themerchants have a lot of power. They give orders forwhat is to be made and they pay a very low price formaking the cloth. The weavers have no way of

Chapter 9: A Shirt in the Market A Shirt in the Market A Shirt in the Market A Shirt in the Market A Shirt in the Market


Weaver’s cooperativeWeaver’s cooperativeWeaver’s cooperativeWeaver’s cooperativeWeaver’s cooperative

We have seen that the weavers are paid very little by themerchant under the putting out system. Weaver’s cooperativesare one way to reduce the dependence on the merchant and toearn a higher income for the weavers. In a cooperative, peoplewith common interests come together and work for their mutualbenefit. In a weaver’s cooperative, the weavers form a group andtake up certain activities collectively. They procure yarn fromthe yarn dealer and distribute it among the weavers. Thecooperative also does the marketing. So, the role of the merchantis reduced, and weavers get a fair price on the cloth.

At times, the government helps the cooperatives by buying cloth from them at a reasonableprice. For instance, the Tamil Nadu government runs a Free School Uniform programme inthe state. The government procures the cloth for this programme from the powerloom weaver’scooperatives. Similarly, the government buys cloth from the handloom weaver’s cooperativesand sells it through stores known as Co-optex. You might have come across one of thesestores in your town.

If the weavers were to buy yarn ontheir own and sell cloth, theywould probably earn three timesmore. Do you think this ispossible? How? Discuss.

Do you find similar ‘putting-out’arrangements in making papads,masalas, beedis? Find out aboutthis in your area and discuss inclass.

You might have heard ofcooperatives in your area. It couldbe in milk, provisions, paddy, etc.Find out for whose benefit theywere set up?

knowing who they are making the cloth for or at whatprice it will be sold. At the cloth market, themerchants sell the cloth to the garment factories. Inthis way, the market works more in favour of themerchants.

Weavers invest all their savings or borrow moneyat high interest rates to buy looms. Each loom costsRs 20,000, so a small weaver with two looms has toinvest Rs 40,000. The work on these looms cannotbe done alone. The weaver and another adult memberof his family work upto 12 hours a day to producecloth. For all this work, they earn aboutRs 3,500 per month.

The arrangement between the merchant and theweavers is an example of putting-out system,putting-out system,putting-out system,putting-out system,putting-out system,whereby the merchant supplies the raw material andreceives the finished product. It is prevalent in theweaving industry in most regions of India.

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What are the demands foreignbuyers make on the garmentexporters? Why do the garmentexporters agree to thesedemands?

How do the garment exportersmeet the conditions set by theforeign buyers?

The garment exporting factory near DelhiThe garment exporting factory near DelhiThe garment exporting factory near DelhiThe garment exporting factory near DelhiThe garment exporting factory near Delhi

The Erode merchant supplies the cotton clothproduced by the weavers to a garment exportingfactory near Delhi. The garment exporting factorywill use the cloth to make shirts. The shirts will beexported to foreign buyers. Among the foreign buyersare businesspersons from the US and Europe whorun a chain of stores. These large stores do businessstrictly on their own terms. They demand the lowestprices from the supplier. In addition, they set highstandards for quality of production and timelydelivery. Any defects or delay in delivery is dealt withstrictly. So, the exporterexporterexporterexporterexporter tries his best to meet theconditions set by these powerful buyers.

Faced with such pressures from the buyers, thegarment exporting factories, in turn, try to cut costs.They get the maximum work out of the workers atthe lowest possible wages. This way they canmaximise their own profits and also supply thegarments to foreign buyers at a cheap price.

Women workers sewing buttons in agarment factory.



Payment to workers (per month)

Tailoring .......................................................Rs 3,000

Ironing ..........................................................Rs 1.50 (per piece)

Checking ......................................................Rs 2,000

Thread cuttingand buttoning .............................................Rs 1,500

Write a letter to the Ministerasking for what you think wouldbe proper payment to the workers.

The Impex garment factory has 70 workers. Mostof them are women. Most of these workers areemployed on a temporary basis. This means thatwhenever the employer feels that a worker is notneeded, the worker can be asked to leave. Workers’wages are fixed according to their skills. The highestpaid among the workers are the tailors who get aboutRs 3,000 per month. Women are employed as helpersfor thread cutting, buttoning, ironing and packaging.These jobs have the lowest wages.

The shirt in the United StatesThe shirt in the United StatesThe shirt in the United StatesThe shirt in the United StatesThe shirt in the United States

A number of shirts are on display at a large clothesshop in the United States, and are priced at $26.That is, each shirt sells for $26 or around Rs 1,200.

Use the diagram shown in the margin to fillin the blanks below.

The businessperson purchased the shirts fromthe garment exporter in Delhi for Rs _______ per shirt.He then spent Rs _______ for advertising in the media,and another Rs _______ per shirt on storage, displayand all other charges. Thus, the cost to this personis Rs 600 while he sells the shirt for Rs 1,200. Rs__________ is his profit on one shirt! If he is able tosell a large number of shirts, his profit will be higher.

The garment exporter sold the shirt at Rs 200 perpiece. The cloth and other raw materials cost himRs 70 per shirt. The workers’ wages cost another

Why do you think more women areemployed in the Impex garmentfactory? Discuss.

PurchaseRs 200

Storage, etc.Rs 100

AdvertisingRs 300

ProfitRs 600

The shirt below shows the profitmade by the businessperson, andthe various costs that he had topay. Find out from the diagrambelow, what the cost priceincludes.

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Compare the earnings per shirt ofthe worker in the garment factory,the garment exporter and thebusinessperson in the marketabroad. What do you find?

What are the reasons that thebusinessperson is able to make ahuge profit in the market?

You have read the chapter onadvertising. Why does thebusinessperson spend Rs 300 pershirt on advertising? Discuss.

People who gained in the market

People who didn’t gainas much in the market

1. ________________________

2. ________________________

3. ________________________

1. ________________________

2. ________________________

3. ________________________

Rs 15 per shirt. The cost of running his office cameto Rs 15 per shirt. Can you calculate the profit pershirt for the garment exporter?

Who are the gainers in the market?Who are the gainers in the market?Who are the gainers in the market?Who are the gainers in the market?Who are the gainers in the market?

A chain of markets links the producer of cotton tothe buyer at the supermarket. Buying and sellingtakes place at every step in the chain. Let us recallwho were the people who were involved in thisprocess of buying and selling. Did they all gain asmuch? There were people who made profits in themarket and there were some who did not gain asmuch from this buying and selling. Despite theirhaving toiled very hard, they earned little. Can youplace them in the table shown here?

Market and equalityMarket and equalityMarket and equalityMarket and equalityMarket and equality

The foreign businessperson made huge profitsprofitsprofitsprofitsprofits in themarket. Compared to this, the garment exportermade only moderate profits. On the other hand, theearnings of the workers at the garment export factoryare barely enough to cover their day-to-day needs.Similarly, we saw the small cotton farmer and theweaver at Erode put in long hours of hard work. Butthey did not get a fair price in the market for whatthey produced. The merchants or traders aresomewhere in between. Compared to the weavers,they have earned more but it is still much less thanthe exporter. Thus, not everyone gains equally inthe market. Democracy is also about getting a fairwage in the market. Whether it is Kanta or Swapna,if families don’t earn enough how would they thinkof themselves as equal to others?

On one hand, the market offers peopleopportunities for work and to be able to sell thingsthat they grow or produce. It could be the farmerselling cotton or the weaver producing cloth. On theother hand, it is usually the rich and the powerful



Did you know that the readymade clothesthat you buy require the work of so manydifferent persons?

that get the maximum earnings from the market.These are the people who have money and own thefactories, the large shops, large land holdings, etc.The poor have to depend on the rich and the powerfulfor various things. They have to depend for loans (asin the case of Swapna, the small farmer), for rawmaterials and marketing of their goods (weavers inthe putting out system), and most often foremployment (workers at the garment factory).Because of this dependence, the poor are exploitedin the market. There are ways to overcome these suchas forming cooperatives of producers and ensuringthat laws are followed strictly. In the last chapter,we will read about how one such fish-workers’cooperative was started on the Tawa river.

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1. What made Swapna sell the cotton to the trader instead

of selling at the Kurnool cotton market?

2. Describe the conditions of employment as well as the

wages of workers in the garment exporting factory. Do

you think the workers get a fair deal?

3. Think of something common that we use. It could be

sugar, tea, milk, pen, paper, pencil, etc. Discuss through

what chain of markets this reaches you. Can you think of

the people that help in the production or trade?

4. Arrange the statements given alongside in the correct

order and then fill in the numbers in the cotton bolls

accordingly. The first two have already been done for you.

1➪➪➪➪➪ ➪➪➪➪➪

➪➪➪➪➪

➪➪➪➪➪➪➪➪➪➪

3➪➪➪➪➪

1. Swapna sells the cotton to the trader.2. Customers buy these shirts in asupermarket.3. Trader sells cotton to the Ginning Mill.4. Garment exporters buy the cloth frommerchants for making shirts.5. Yarn dealers or merchants give theyarn to the weavers.6. The exporter sells shirts to thebusinessperson from the USA.7.Spinning mill buys the cotton and sellsyarn to the yarn dealers.8.Weavers return with the cloth.9. Ginning mill cleans the cotton andmakes it into bales.

➪➪➪➪➪


Ginning mill: A factory where seeds are removed from cotton bolls. The cotton is pressed into

bales to be sent for spinning into thread.

Exporter: A person who sells goods abroad.

Profit: The amount that is left or gained from earnings after deducting all the costs. If the costs are

more than the earnings, it would lead to a loss.

➪➪➪➪➪

➪➪➪➪➪



References

◆ Dreze, Jean and Aparajita Goyal. 2003. ‘Future of Mid-day Meals’.In Economic and Political Weekly.

◆ Hossein, Sakhwat Rokeya. 1905. (reprint) 1988. Sultana’s Dream.Feminist Press, New York.

◆ Kumar. Krishna. 1986. “Growing Up Male” in Seminar 318.

◆ Mazumdar, Indrani. 2007. Women and Globalization: The Impact on WomenWorkers in the Formal and Informal Sectors in India. Stree, Kolkata.

◆ Mead, Margaret. 1928, 1973. (edition) Growing Up In Samoa.American Museum of Natural History, Washington D.C.

◆ Parks, Rosa. 2000. Quiet Strength. Grand Rapids, Zondervan, Michigan.

◆ Rashsundari Devi. 1999. Words to Win. Translated and with anintroduction by Tanika Sarkar. Zubaan, New Delhi.

◆ Roy, Tirthankar. 1999. ‘Growth and Recession in Small-Scale Industry: AStudy of Tamil Nadu Powerlooms’ Economic and Political Weekly.

◆ Valmiki, Omprakash. 2003. Joothan: A Dalit’s Life. SAMYA, Kolkata.

◆ Zubaan. 1996. Poster Women: A Visual History of the Women’s Movementin India. Zubaan, New Delhi.

◆ www.cehat.org/rthc/policybrieffinal.pdf

◆ www.infochangeindia.org

7th social-political sciences-social and political life-2.pdf

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