Saturday, August 29, 2015

Is India civilized?

India is the world’s largest democracy, but is it civilized? I ask because of stories from India that seem like the people live in the 10th century. They sit atop the global slavery index with 14 million adults and children trapped in modern slavery. Poverty is endemic and institutionalized. Plus, Indian’s still fight over the caste system, which is illegal by statute, but still practiced by custom. And, the caste system is still used to justify horrific punishments for violating antiquated social norms.

Is it really permissible to punish two innocent sisters for the actions of their brother simply because they are members of the lowest caste in their village? The news this week is full of outrage over two sisters from a village near Delhi who were sentenced to be raped for ‘crimes’ committed by their brother who ran off with a married woman from a higher caste. Is that even a crime? It’s a caste issue, which feels a lot like our American racist BS.

Is India civilized? I think its fair to ask the question. I ask the same questions about America too. Are you listening Kentucky?