Neela: Victory Song

Then and Now: India

Discusses life in India in the late 1930s. Topics include:

• India’s long struggle for freedom from the British was growing stronger
• Bengal is in northeast India, where many Bengalis were rice farmers in small villages
• Neela’s family was Hindu, the most common religion in India
• Girls were married between ages eleven and fourteen, often to someone of the same caste in another village
• Married women were expected to be quiet and polite, to serve her husband, and to obey his parents
• Hindu weddings were lavish celebrations
  • A young girl, such as Neela, wearing a sari indicates that she is almost ready to be married, too
  • The jewelry Neela wore symbolized her family’s wealth, and people knew it would belong to her dowry
  • A girl without a good dowry couldn’t hope for a good marriage
• The British ruled India for nearly 200 years
  • They brought schools, universities, railroads, and a comprehensive system of laws
  • They didn’t treat Indians as equals
• When Indian people held demonstrations for their rights, British police and soliders responded with violence
• Some were willing to fight and kill for India’s independence, but others, led by Mohandas Gandhi, adopted a radical new way of protesting through nonviolence
• In 1930 alone, more than 60,000 peaceful protesters were jailed
  • When news of Britain’s actions traveled around the world, Britain was forced to give in to more of India’s demands
• In 1947, India finally won its independence
• Today, India is the world’s largest democracy
  • Many Indians still live in rural villages
  • Most girls still only receive a few years of schooling and are expected to marry a husband chosen by her parents
  • Poverty is widespread in India, although cities like Calcutta and New Dehli have modern industries and universities where women can become computer scientists, engineers, teachers, or doctors