India has had numerous of great leaders throughout history. Some more well known than others, but nevertheless all have one thing in common, and that is the improvement of their great country. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, or better known as Father of Nation, was born on October 2, 1869 and was killed on January 30, 1948. He played an important role in winning freedom for India. And how did he come to accomplish everything he did? Well, through “ahimsa” (no harm or no violence) and “satyagraha” (determined but nonviolent resistance). Some examples of “ahimsa” and “satyagraha” done by Gandhi are: boycotts, non-cooperation, writing letters, passive resistance, led peaceful marches, and fasted. Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi was born on November 19, 1917 and assassinated by her own Sikh bodyguard on October 31, 1984. She became president of India National Congress in 1959, was Minister of information and broadcasting Lal Bahadur Shastri’s government, became Prime Minister in 1966, nationalized major banks in 1969, led India to a war against Pakistan in 1971 etc. Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu, or better known as Mother Teresa, was born on August 26, 1910 and died on September 5, 1997. She started Missionaries of Charity in 1950, received Nobel Prize for peace in 1979, and received Bharat Ratna in 1980.
Poverty in India is a major issue. Rural Indians depend on agricultural incomes, which mean they also depend on rain patterns and the monsoon season, while Urban Indians depend on jobs that are very scarce. As of 2010, more than 37% of Indian’s population still lives below the poverty line. The division of resources in India is uneven, which means that there are different poverty ratios for different states. There are also other reasons why poverty in India is so high, like the fact that the average Indian family is often large, therefore they need more resources to support their family which equals to more money, which they don’t have. Another cause of poverty in India is the caste system, also the major reason for rural poverty, and the main reason for poverty in urban area is the increase population in the cities. Since 1970, the Indian government has accomplished various programs to destroy poverty, and has had some success, but still there are many things that have to be fixed in India and done, to put to an end to this serious issue once and for all. There are two main natural disasters that seriously affect India. Tropical Cyclogenesis is popular in the Bay of Bengal in India. Cyclone season is from April to December. Averages for each year are eight storms with wind speeds more than 63 km/h. A great cyclone was the Cyclone 05B on October 29, 1999; it was equivalent to a category 5 hurricane. Almost 2 million people were left homeless; another 20 million lives were interrupted by the cyclone. India agriculture is immensely dependent on the monsoon season as a source of water. Throughout history droughts have led to major Indian famines, including Bengal famine of 1770, the 1876-1877 famine, the 1899 famine, and the Bengal famine of 1943, which over 5 million died from starvation and famine related illnesses.
There are many health issues that affect the Indian people among this are: tuberculosis, dengue fever, chikungunya, skeletal fluorosis, HIV/AIDS, malnutrition, obesity, the 2008 H5N1 outbreak, the 2009 Gujarat hepatitis, and leprosy. Malnutrition in India is ranked 2nd worldwide and is most commonly found in rural areas. Each day, approximately 1,000 Indian children die because of diarrhea alone. In 2010 it was predicted that India was going to have approximately 50.8 million diabetics. Another very serious health issue affecting India is HIV/AIDS. It was first detected in 1986 and a statistic, made on 2009, shows that India ranks 3rd worldwide with 2,400,000 people living with HIV/AIDS, this includes adults and children. The Indian constitution provides equality for both men and women, but for women it is often denied in many parts, especially in the rural areas. Agricultural societies were based on physical labor, therefore dominated by men, and women were considered their slaves. Women were denied education and cultural development, and most of the time weren’t allowed to step out of the house, unless they wore a veil and could not socialize with other people unless her husband allowed her. Despite industrialization, and the fact that now women have began to get an education and started to work, in the Indian society males still dominate and looks down upon women. When a female is born it is considered to be a disaster, but when a male is born they celebrate it. Another ridiculous practice that affects women is dowry, which treats women like cattle to be bought and sold.
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