The Nature and Manifestations of Power in 21

st
Century India
The nature of power and its manifestations within any particular society has been the
source of study for historians throughout several centuries. Modern historical and sociological
studies, however, have extended the notion of power beyond just that of political or economic
power. Rather, 21
st
century studies of power have expanded to include iterations of power that
include cultural and social elements, including power structures rooted in notions such as beauty,
fashion, education, and social relationships. When analyzing the Foundations of power structures
and their manifestations in 21
st
century India, it is clear that there is no one foundation nor one
single manifestation of power. This conclusion, however, is not surprising, as even the most
cursory study of India will result in an understanding that it is a vastly diverse state in almost any
single facet.
My first experience with the power structures of India came through a lecture and
discussion with Dr. Chiranjiv Singh, who met with the Teachers for Global Classrooms fellows on
our very first day in Bangalore, India. Upon discussing the now defunct caste system in India, Dr.
Singh argued that while the traditional power structure of the caste system that provided the
foundation for Indian and Hindu socio-political relations for centuries was abolished with the
creation of the new Indian state in the mid-20
th
century, there was still a very clearly acknowledged
and visible caste system in 21
st
century India. Now, however, this power structure was not rooted
in family heritage, but rather, ones education. More specifically, those Indians who were granted
access to English-language education were vastly more socially and economically power than those
who did not receive such training. This was even more evident in our school visits, as the more
progressive private schools, such as the Purnapramati School in Bangalore and SAI International
School in Bhubaneswar, provided extensive English-language training, whereas the more poorly
funded government schools had far fewer students who were conversant in the English language.
Culturally, power structures are both implicit and explicitly. The modern, implicit caste
system described by Dr. Singh, relating to the value and power of English education, is one that
drives Indian culture. Street signs and business advertisements all include at least an English
translation, if not an exclusively English name or phrase. A reflection of not only the past imperial
power structure of the British, but also the underlying expectation of Indians that English language
is synonymous with social, political, and economic power. Notions of power founded on the
principles of a foreign culture may help advance those exclusive groups to whom access is
presented, but more importantly, and more damaging, is the cultural implications. First and
foremost, it implies that the Indian culture is not as powerful as that of the English-speaking
cultures. Second, in turn, it allows that original Indian culture to face some foundational issues that
could result in a disintegration of its own elements, or at least a synthesis of foreign and indigenous
cultures. More explicitly, the power of beauty is present no matter where you look in India. Most
striking were the print and televised advertisements for skin lightening creams and treatments,
implying that ones power and worth is derived not even through knowledge of the English
language or association with the former, formalized caste system, but rather through ones
appearance. Power structures founded on such false constructs only result in the diminishing of
those perceived to be less than others who are viewed as superior. When ones power and worth
is associated with artificial elements (and this is not just an attack on dark skinned Indian women,
but also dark-skinned Indian men), deeper psychological conflicts are created within the individual
and the society itself.
1
Just shortly after leaving India, it was announced that the Indian government
had, through its Advertising Standards Council of India, placed limitations on the types and
amounts of ads promoting such fair skinned products, as people with dark skin shouldnt be shown

1
For further analysis of this subject, see Aneel Karnanis Doing Well by Doing Good Case Study: Fair and Lovely
Whitening Cream, Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, March 2007.
www.un.org/esa/.../DWDG.Fair.Lovely.SMJ.pdf

as unsuccessful in any aspect of life especially in relation to being attractive to the opposite sex,
matrimony, job placement, promotions and other prospects.
2

As an educator, I left India wondering how these 21
st
century notions of power impact the
various and diverse classrooms within the Indian education system. Do lighter skinned girls
receive more attention from other students and teachers than those with darker skin? Are there
similar assumptions or stereotypes embedded unconsciously (or consciously) into the curriculum
and daily lives of these students? Besides combatting advertisements that perpetrate such
interpretations of power, are there more formal and foundational necessary to target children
BEFORE such ads make an impact? As for the power associated with English education, in an ever
expanding, and already over crowded, school system, how can Indian education reformers and
experts ensure that the schools do not propagate an informal caste system?


2
Will New Guidelines Change Indias Light-Skin Obsession? India Real Time, 22 August 2014.
http://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2014/08/22/will-new-ad-guidelines-change-indias-obsession-with-lighter-
skin/?mod=e2tw