My first experience with the power structures of India came through a lecture and discussion with Dr. Chiranjiv Singh, who met with the Teachers for Global Classrooms fellows on our very first day in Bangalore, India. Upon discussing the now “defunct” caste system in India, Dr. Singh argued that while the traditional power structure of the caste system that provided the foundation for Indian and Hindu socio-political relations for centuries was abolished with the creation of the new Indian state in the mid-20th century, there was still a very clearly acknowledged and visible caste system in 21st century India. Now, however, this power structure was not rooted in family heritage, but rather, one’s education. More specifically, those Indians who were granted access to English-language education were vastly more socially and economically power than those who did not receive such training. This was even more evident in our school visits, as the more progressive private schools, such as the Purnapramati School in Bangalore and SAI International School in Bhubaneswar, provided extensive English-language training, whereas the more poorly funded government schools had far fewer students who were conversant in the English language.
Culturally, power structures are both implicit and explicitly. The modern, implicit caste system described by Dr. Singh, relating to the value and power of English education, is one that drives Indian culture. Street signs and business advertisements all include at least an English translation, if not an exclusively English name or phrase. A reflection of not only the past imperial power structure of the British, but also the underlying expectation of Indians that English language is synonymous with social, political, and economic power. Notions of power founded on the principles of a foreign culture may help advance those exclusive groups to whom access is presented, but more importantly, and more damaging, is the cultural implications. First and foremost, it implies that the Indian culture is not as powerful as that of the English-speaking cultures. Second, in turn, it allows that original Indian culture to face some foundational issues that could result in a disintegration of its own elements, or at least a synthesis of foreign and indigenous cultures. More explicitly, the power of beauty is present no matter where you look in India. Most striking were the print and televised advertisements for skin lightening creams and treatments, implying that one’s power and worth is derived not even through knowledge of the English language or association with the former, formalized caste system, but rather through one’s appearance. Power structures founded on such false constructs only result in the diminishing of those perceived to be “less than” others who are viewed as superior. When one’s power and worth is associated with artificial elements (and this is not just an attack on dark skinned Indian women, but also dark-skinned Indian men), deeper psychological conflicts are created within the individual and the society itself.[1] Just shortly after leaving India, it was announced that the Indian government had, through its Advertising Standards Council of India, placed limitations on the types and amounts of ads promoting such fair skinned products, as “people with dark skin shouldn’t be shown as ‘unsuccessful in any aspect of life’ … especially ‘in relation to being attractive to the opposite sex, matrimony, job placement, promotions and other prospects.’”[2]
As an educator, I left India wondering how these 21st century notions of power impact the various and diverse classrooms within the Indian education system. Do lighter skinned girls receive more attention from other students and teachers than those with darker skin? Are there similar assumptions or stereotypes embedded unconsciously (or consciously) into the curriculum and daily lives of these students? Besides combatting advertisements that perpetrate such interpretations of power, are there more formal and foundational necessary to target children BEFORE such ads make an impact? As for the power associated with English education, in an ever expanding, and already over crowded, school system, how can Indian education reformers and experts ensure that the schools do not propagate an informal caste system?
[1] For further analysis of this subject, see Aneel Karnani’s “Doing Well by Doing Good Case Study: ‘Fair and Lovely’ Whitening Cream,” Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, March 2007. www.un.org/esa/.../DWDG.Fair.Lovely.SMJ.pdf
[2] “Will New Guidelines Change India’s Light-Skin Obsession?” India Real Time, 22 August 2014. http://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2014/08/22/will-new-ad-guidelines-change-indias-obsession-with-lighter-skin/?mod=e2tw