GS 1, Indian Society, TLP-UPSC Mains Answer Writing
1. How has religiosity and religious beliefs shaped the values of the Indian society? illustrate. (10 Marks)
धार्मिकता और धार्मिक विश्वासों ने भारतीय समाज के मूल्यों को किस प्रकार आकार दिया है? वर्णन करें।
Approach-
Candidates need to write about what is religiosity and religious beliefs directly answer how it had shaped the Indian value system and how it influenced the morality of Indian society.
Introduction
We define religiosity as the degree to which someone is involved in organized religious activity and religious practice, the degree to which their behavior, life, and person feels hope in a religious sense is known as religious beliefs.
Body
Religiosity and religious beliefs shaping values of Indian society:
- Religion is a unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred thing which unite in to one single moral community. For example in India Hinduism Islam Sikhism forms a community. People belonging to a particular religion closely identify themselves with the religious group.
- It had helped in the development of ethical values Care for the parents, protection of children, helping the poor and disabled , honesty are certain values, preached by religion.
- According to religious morality, maintenance of wife and children is the bounden duty of the husband in Indian society as per value system developed by religion.
- The verses from Bhagwat Gita in Hinduism contribute to improve self-reflection, better the senses and expands one’s inner development, through attitudinal changes in the individuals. It offers us the tools to connect with our deepest insubstantial spirit, and leads us to participate in the battle of life.
- Human values are inculcated from the Vedic teachings to lead a peaceful integrated life. Veda is the source of all Dharma i.e. religion, morality, righteousness and good conduct.
- Indians value religious tolerance due to values developed by religion as per pew survey people in all six major religious groups overwhelmingly say they are very free to practice their faiths, and most say that people of other faiths also are very free to practice their own religion.
- Indian Society has evolved systems of social stratification based on teaching of religion which in the past helped in accommodating outsiders, but concomitantly it has also been the reason for discrimination and prejudice.
- The practice of mixing up religion with politics or using religion beliefs or practice for the sake of political and economic gains is a reason for conflict between communities and competition. It give birth for communalism Example The Bhiwandi communal riot (1970).
Conclusion
Indian society is an exemplification of multicultural, multi-ethnic and multi-ideological constructs, which co-exist, at once striving to strike harmony and also to retain its individuality.
