Consequences of modernization and sources of dissatisfaction

Modernization did not make India a modern country. India is still considered to be a part of the developing countries, partly traditional and partly modern. What modernization did was that it produced a dual society: comprising of a small, modern and assertive elite and a large marginal and impoverished masses. For initial years of planning India did achieve a higher state of industrialization and urbanization but it also witnessed increased level of poverty and inequality. Gradually, it became more vivid that in the course of development and modernization India is experiencing a crisis in the form of high level of poverty, widened regional inequality, urban-rural divide, communal and caste conflicts, loss of faith in governance, and rising aspirations among people. A few new concerns were also noted:

• Commodification: money becoming the most salient indicator of happiness, development, love and affection.

• Competition and conflicts: between geographical regions, between urban and rural areas, between social groups, between the rich and the poor, between men and women, between industry and agriculture.

• Improvement in life expectancy (which resulted in explosive population growth to continue for decades).

• Reduction in fertility (often strengthening a gender bias in reproduction).

• Aging of population (coupled with the problem of the old age security at a time when the institution of family is in a severe crisis), induced by demographic transition (i.e., mortality decline followed by decline in average number of children per woman).

• More uncertainties and more chaos.