Modernization And Philosophical Tradition India And Third World

Author(s): Sachindranath Ganguly
Publisher: Sachindranath Ganguly

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MODERNIZATION AND PHILOSOPHICAL TRADITION 59
this sense, play a reasonable role towards enhancing, though indirectly, the productive level of a conntry. In India and the Third World nations, on the contrary, it will be wrong to say that the educational infra-structure is being maximally dominated or used by the capitalist sector. As a matter of fact, the intellectuals, as a class, have accumulated an undesirable amount of power of their own and an unreasonably large part of our economy is spent for this class-a class which is alienated and farthest from the production platform of the country. In short, this class is systematically substituting the process of modernization by that of modernity. This explains why we have English in top level education, why we have a vertical rather than horizontal distribution of education and also why, (especially in West Bengal) an unbelievably large amount of money is used by this tertiary sector. The result is, our education has completely sacrificed the two most vital factors— Need' and 'Relevance'. Our present education is neither needed nor relevant whether for the people of the country or even for the capitalists of the country. It is, therefore, a dispensable cultural appendix (highly inflamed) on the people and national economy. A challenge of modernization thus has to be not merely a challenge to Indian tradition but also to this dangerous phenomenon of modernity. This is why we have said that in erstwhile colonies, superstructure has an enhanced role and importance, the superstructure not merely negatively contributes in maintaining a status quo, but positively substitutes an unproductive model and/or image for that of a productive one.
CONCLUSIONS :
O Modernization has not been intensive and extensive enough in India in the sense of a structural transformation.
The prevalence of caste system and subsequent Westernization have created and maintained an alienation between the people and the elites and have thereby kept up the conditions for a dual society.
O The hope lies in further industrialisation through which only there can be a class polarisation which will help dissolve the old caste system and consequently bring the real challenge to our tradition. But such industrialization has to be rurally oriented keeping in mind the fact of colonization and consequent drain on the peasantry of the country. At times, therefore, we may even have to incorporate aspects of tradition and fight the queer phenomenon called "modernity". O
REFERENCES AND SUGGESTED READINGS
1. Irfan Habib, "Potentialities of Change in the Economy of Moghul India," 2. Barrington Moore, Social Origins of Dictatorship and Democracy. 3. M.N. Srinivas. Social Change in Modern India. 4. S.N. Ganguly, "Historical Models of Change and Modernity in India", V.B.
Journal of Philosophy, 1971,