INDIA 360 | INDIAN MIDDLE CLASS
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India 360: The radical middle class
Published on Wed, Jan 17, 2007 at 01:39, Updated on Sun, Jun 17, 2007 at 16:04 in India section
Tags: India 360, Indian Middle Class , New Delhi
CNN-IBN will be carrying a special series on the subject as a lead up to the Republic Day celebrations. The series will take a look at how ordinary citizens have come together and made a difference to the society.
With the BMC elections just around the corner, CNN-IBN is giving all Mumbaikars a platform to raise their voice. Mumbaikars can tell us what they think they want changed in their neighbourhood.
If you have any pictures or video that you want to bring to notice ahead of the BMC elections please send them to us.
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email: citizen@ibnlive.com
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New Delhi: Growth in citizen power and civic consciousness has changed the way the Indian middle class functions. In 2006, India witnessed that the middle class frustration finally found articulation, thanks to two relatively new forms of technology: the satellite news channels and the SMS.
The great Indian middle class is also now bigger and more prosperous than ever before and believes that it is the engine of India's progress. The class believes that India is the world's largest democracy only because they subscribe to liberal values.
Be it "justice for Jessica and Priyadarshini" or "punishment for the Mumbai blasts accused", in the last one year, India has seen how ordinary citizens have come together and made a difference to the society.
India 360 focuses on how the citizens of the financial capital of India - Mumbai - make a difference in the way they live.
From traffic snarls to bad roads, it's citizen power that has solved problems for Mumbaikars and for people around the country. The question that was raised on India 360 was: Is the middle class the prime mover of civic activism?
On the panel of experts to answer the question were DG, Bureau of Police Research and Development, Kiran Bedi - someone who has contributed a great deal in arousing civic consciousness; Member, National Campaign for People's Right to Information, Shailesh Gandhi; and author of The Great Indian Middle Class Pavan K Varma.
Till about last year, the middle class was looked upon as a class that was very happy to continue to suffer. They would raise their voice occasionally, but it was not as if they were interested in taking their voices beyond a certain point. So what is it that has changed now that this class has adopted an aggressive stance?
To this Pavan K Varma said, "First we must understand that traditionally, the middle class in India has been exceptionally insular, not particularly noteworthy for its social activism, certainly oblivious to any issue beyond it's immediate interest. Now, however, a change has come about. What is important is to assess what is the quantum of change. How much has changed and whether we are moving towards a new form of euphoria which overrates the civic activism that we have seen till now and are we assessing it objectively for what it;s worth."
He said that in his view, the middle class had changed in its reaction to issues which immediately are part of its world. He said that aiding the middle class in this was the communications revolution and the media revolution.
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The middleclass under discussion is no middle class. They are the real upper class economically. They are rich people. They
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-INDIAN middle classes are irrelevant for votebank politicians..india is worlds largest funtioning secular democracy because of democratic mindset of indias
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I dont agree that middle class were before oblivious, bur the fact is because of technical advancement we are able
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