The constitution of India imparts equal rights for men and women. But there are certain social evils prevailing in the society which tend to hamper the success of the country.
India is a land of cultures and traditions. Many traditions which were set for purpose have taken a worse form today in the name of social evils.
Social evils mean a condition which demands to be reformed or totally banned. For the development of the country it is very important to remove all the social evils else our country will not progress.
There have been numerous reformers and socialites who have fought against them such as Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Mother Teresa, Mahatma Gandhi, Ishwar Chandra Vidya Sagar etc. All have fought for the rights of people and have successfully helped in removing many social evils from the society such as sati system etc.
Let’s look at some of the major Social Evils prevailing in the society.
Gender Inequality
The major evil which India is still fighting is of gender inequality. In many areas especially villages, people still prefer boy than a girl. This has resulted in female infanticide.
People kill the baby girl in the womb itself. This is leading to reduction in the population of the girls. Every child is gift of god and we should accept it.
Many families tend to have many babies in hope of getting a baby boy. This also leads to poverty and overpopulation of the country.
Child Marriage
The legal age for marrying a girl is 18 years and a boy is 21 years. But in some villages, they marry the children at an early age. This leads to complicated problem in the married lives.
It also affects their health badly. Children are forced to have family responsibilities at an early age of life. They should be allowed to enjoy their childhood rather than indulging in house hold activities.
Dowry system
Dowry is when parents give their daughters some gifts on her marriage. But now days, dowry has taken its worse form. Rather than gift, the groom side demands heavy dowry. If bride side is unable to fulfill the dowry, either the marriage is broken or she is physically tortured.
Some cases of brides burning themselves or committing suicide have come to notice. Government is taking strict action against the dowry demanders. People living in cities are well aware of the consequences and hence they don’t demand it anymore.
Bribe and corruption
Corruption is when an officer or any person takes gifts/ cash for doing a person’s work. This system is badly affecting the nation’s growth. There are very few honest officers left in the country. But the government of India takes a strict action, in case anyone is found guilty.
The person is suspended or is dismissed permanently. The citizens of the country should not either take bribe or accept any. In case anyone offers you a bribe or accepts a bribe should be immediately reported to the police. So that a valid action can be taken against that person.
Adulteration
This is another social evil which should be eradicated as soon as possible. People are mixing adulterants or similar items in the food items so that they can make more money at the same price. Ghee, sugar and oil are the most adulterated ones.
Milk is adulterated with water, turmeric with yellow powder etc. Even the medicines sold are sometimes adulterated. So we should buy branded ones.
Child Labour
Child labour is a condition when children below the age of 14 years work in homes, industries or other institutions for making money. Over population and lack of education is the main cause behind this. Child labour can lead to some very devastating consequences such as robbery, criminal offense and other small thefts etc.
Government of India has made a rule that no one will employ a child less than 14 years in homes or industries or coal mines. We should not play with the emotions of the children and ruin their childhood. Rather they should be given education properly.
Caste system
This is the biggest social evil which has its roots way deep. The complete society is divided into many groups either by caste or by color. People from lower caste still face many problems in villages and are considered untouchables.
We as responsible citizens of India should aim at removing and not following these practices. We all should join hands to make our country free from social evils.
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