“Sociologist Satish Saberwal elaborates upon the modern context by sketching three aspects to the modern framework of change in colonial India.” Which three aspects are being talked about? Describe any two of them.

“Sociologist Satish Saberwal elaborates upon the modern context by sketching three aspects to the modern framework of change in colonial India.” These three aspects are – Modes of communication, Forms of organisation, and the nature of ideas.

• Different modes of communication – The development of the new technology led to the increase in the emergence of the new forms of communication such as printing press, telegraph, and microphone, movement of goods and the people from one place to another through steamship and railways. There are numerous examples of this development in India, for example – social reformers from Punjab and Bengal exchanged their ideas with the reformers of the Madras and Maharashtra, in 1864 Keshav Chandra Sen of Bengal visited Madras, Pandita Ramabai travelled to different parts of the country. Also, some visited various other countries for example - Christian missionaries travelled to different corners present-day Nagaland, Mizoram and Meghalaya.

• The nature of ideas – As the development took place new ideas began to emerge such as ideas of liberalism and freedom, homemaking and marriage, a self-conscious pride in culture and tradition and new roles for mothers and daughters. Education has become important; also for society and the country to become modern, but at the same time preserve its ancient heritage. The topic of female education was put forward strongly and discussed deeply. Reformers discussed that it is important for women to get an education for the progress of society. Social reformers Jotiba Phule opened the first school for women in Pune. Meaning of tradition and modernity was discussed deeply among them. Thus, the 19th century was the period of the questioning, reinterpretations, intellectual and social growth.

Various social reform movements have different ideas to be discussed such as problems that the upper caste, middle-class women and men faced. Other problems were related to the injustice faced due to indiscrimination and the emergence of social evils due to the decline of the true spirit of Hinduism. For some caste and gender discrimination was fundamental to religion. The meaning of polygamy and purdah was intensely discussed by the Muslim social reformers for example - Jahanara Shah Nawas at the All India Muslim Ladies Conference proposed a resolution against the evils of polygamy. This became the topic of debate in Muslim Press like the leading journal for women in Punjab, called Tahsib-e-Niswan stood in favour of this but others disapproved.

There were some ideas which became the theme of debate in the community also such as the Brahmo Samaj opposed the practice of Sati. An organisation called Dharma Sabha was formed by the orthodox community of Bengal and appealed against the British who argued that reformers had no right to interpret sacred texts.