Social structure
Indian society is governed by a large number of complex rules and in Rajasthan society functions in a very traditional way. If in the big cities, the lines seem to move a little, it is not the case in the countryside. The caste system, religion, family, sex, status generate as many rules and customs to which Indians adhere.
The varna hierarchizes and organizes society in its broadest sense. The members of a caste belong to it by birth. They are expected to marry within the group and to follow the rules concerning many aspects of life (food prohibitions, purification rituals, etc.). Some members of lower and middle castes tend to adopt the prohibitions of the higher castes, hoping to be assimilated into them. This process is called "sanscritization". The jati determines the profession, which at least the eldest son is supposed to perpetuate.
Religion sets the pace for daily life with many rites and rules to follow to ensure a better future life. However, the differences between religions are significant and the weight of religion differs depending on whether one belongs to the large Hindu majority, the Muslim minority or the Jain, Sikh, Christian, Parsi or Buddhist communities.
The family is an anchor, but also a rigid framework in which everyone has an assigned place. Gender determines certain obligations and behaviors. Men and women have well-defined roles within the family circle and in society. Traditionally, the woman manages the household, while the man is devolved to the outside life. This does not prevent some women from working. For example, they are responsible for carrying basins of sand or piles of bricks on their heads on construction sites.
The status implies responsibilities from which no one is supposed to escape. Access to wealth and power varies considerably and differences in socio-economic status are evident. The poor and the rich live side by side, and it is not uncommon to see a prosperous man walk past gaunt inhabitants without paying much attention. In many villages, sturdy concrete houses stand next to fragile adobe huts. Even when they are not so glaring, these class distinctions mark virtually every settlement.
The family
The importance of family ties does not fail to surprise Westerners traveling in Rajasthan, and the individual freedom that we hold so dear seems a curious fantasy. All major decisions, including the choice of a profession, a spouse or the name of a newborn child, are made by the parents. Life is divided into 4 ages with fairly precise limits: childhood and the time of study; marriage and children; retirement; renunciation. The life of the majority of the population is regulated like music paper.
In the rural areas of Rajasthan, the Indians have kept the principle of the joint family. Several generations live under the same roof. The father keeps his sons, their wives and children under his authority. When families grow, a floor is added to the house or the land is divided to build a new house. Each working son is required to turn over his income to the father, who manages the family budget. No one tries to escape from this environment, which leaves little room for privacy, and is ultimately secure.
In the big cities, the younger generations are moving away from this model, especially in educated environments where the permanent control exercised by parents or in-laws is perceived as a brake on progress. Nevertheless, children are still expected to take care of their aging parents. Traditionally, this responsibility falls to the eldest son. You will be surprised, however, by the conservatism of Indian youth, who rarely think of breaking away from family authority.
The wedding
It is the major event in the life of any Indian, the one that marks the entry into society. Arranged marriage is the rule. The parents will look for a wife for their son in their caste and preferably in the community. The physical appearance, the diplomas, the social rank, the financial wealth, the horoscopes of the future spouses, everything is studied. Love marriages are still very rare, and parents are called upon to find a life partner, even when they have gone to live abroad. The dowry, although illegal, is at the center of negotiations between parents. The girl provides her trousseau, often a bed and a wardrobe for the bedroom, kitchen utensils (food processor, pots and pans, spice box...), a sewing machine, gifts and money for the family that is preparing to welcome her. The young man gives his wife jewelry and clothes.
The young wife leaves her parents to live with her in-laws, a change that is often painful. The young woman falls under the control of her mother-in-law who will teach her the rules of the household, and under that of her husband who will dictate to her how to behave. Sari accidents" are not uncommon in Indian kitchens: the wife is burned alive after an argument with her mother-in-law or in case of non-payment of the dowry.
Traditionally, weddings take place in November and December or in April. The Hindu wedding is a colorful celebration that lasts for about ten days. The first days are punctuated by ritual ceremonies, pujas, which bring together members of the immediate family. Every morning, a Brahmin performs the haldi ceremony, where the legs and arms of the bride and groom are smeared with turmeric paste. On the penultimate day, the groom and his male relatives visit the bride's family. The women at home hold a mock wedding ceremony. No men are allowed to participate in this event. One woman disguises herself as a man, another plays the role of the bride and the wedding ceremony is mocked with laughter. The actual wedding celebration takes place in the bride's family. The bride and groom circle the sacred fire 7 times and exchange flower garlands. A great feast with a pantagrual meal is given. The next day, the bride and groom return to the family of the bridegroom. New ritual ceremonies mark the arrival of the couple in the house. The groom's family then gives a big party with a meal to introduce the couple to friends, neighbors, acquaintances. The more guests the better and 600 guests is considered a small wedding in India. The families get into considerable debt for these weddings, which are always more lavish than the families can afford.
Child marriage
The customary practice of child marriage is still very much alive in Rajasthan, despite its prohibition in 1929 by the Child Marriage Restraint Act. The legal age for marriage is 18 for a woman and 21 for a boy. Although reliable statistics are difficult to obtain, a 2016 UNICEF report states that 60% of girls married in Rajasthan were married when they were minors. This practice has its roots in the Akha Teej festival held in May. On the occasion of the harvest festival, young girls are given in marriage to young boys. These marriages are an opportunity to make financial arrangements, land consolidation or convergence of interests between the two families. The girl from the family then receives financial and in-kind compensation from the boy's family. The girl will not join her in-laws until she reaches puberty.
Many citizens of the cities and associations are protesting against this practice from another time. Thus, the Akha Teej of 2016 saw the birth of an original operation. Ravi Jindal, president of an association of suppliers of tents and marquees, required the birth certificate of both spouses before renting them equipment. More than 45,000 vendors and renters of party tents rallied to this cause. This initiative has been taken up by invitation card printers who now ask for identification. While the initiative may seem trivial, Ravi Jindal claims to have saved 4,000 to 5,000 children from early marriage.
The place of women
Despite colorful outfits and bright jewelry, women do not have the upper hand in Rajasthan. From an early age, the girl child receives less attention than her brother. In the countryside and when family incomes are low, education is limited to the first years of school. Parents are mainly concerned with providing a dowry(dahej), which sometimes requires several years of savings. A local proverb sums up the arrival of a girl in the family: "to raise a girl is to plough the neighbor's field". For many families, a daughter's education is limited to making her a good wife: learning to cook, sew, run a house, take care of her husband and other members of the household. Living at the service of her husband and in-laws, the young woman's main task is to make children (preferably sons), raise them and keep the house. She must abide by strict rules. She is not allowed to speak to her father-in-law or brothers-in-law who are older than her husband, and she must cover her face in their presence. She is not allowed to address her husband by his first name in public. In poor rural areas, she is required to fetch water from the well and wood from the countryside. In wealthy areas, she lives in a secluded part of the house, under the purdah rule, without being able to speak to visitors. She is then assisted by an army of servants whom she is responsible for governing. But this rule, fortunately, has fallen into disuse.
In the cities, the strict rules that confined women to the home are being diluted by necessity or concern for modernity. Women from middle-class or wealthy backgrounds are studying and working. The income generated allowed them to ensure a better future for their children and to live more comfortably in cities where prices were constantly rising.
Despite being banned by the British in 1829, the tradition of sati (the sacrifice of the widow in the pyre of her husband) continued until 1987, when the last case was recorded. The 18-year-old Roop Kumar jumped into her husband's pyre in a small village in Rajasthan. 35 years later, the young girl is idolized by part of the population of her village, who have elevated her to devi status, worshipping her.
Education
India has caught up in literacy with a rate of 84.7 per cent for men and 70.3 per cent for women by 2021. Rajasthan is lagging behind. While the literacy rate is close to the national average for men at 80.08%, it is catastrophic for women. Only 57.6% of women in Rajasthan can read and write. This is the largest gender gap in the whole of India. It is an unequivocal confirmation of the attention paid to women's status in the state. There are several reasons for this poor performance. School enrolment is almost non-existent in desert areas and among tribal populations. In some districts, enrolment is as low as 10 per cent. In the rest of the countryside, every village has its own government school, at least for the younger children. Rajasthan has 105,379 elementary schools. Schooling is free, but the compulsory uniform, supplies and books are paid for by the families. Many families cannot afford such expenses and send only one child per family.
Education has become a major issue in India, almost an industry. Families who can afford it are bleeding to ensure a superior education for their children. Advertisements for private schools, from primary to university level, are plastered all over the city walls, displayed in 4x3 format, and show an intense competition. Paradoxically, Rajasthan is the state with the largest number of universities. More than one million young people are in higher education and there were 5.26% more students enrolled in 2021 than in the previous year.
Social protection
India and Rajasthan are not the champions of social protection. With one of the largest populations in the world, and a labour system that is often underground, it is difficult to ensure that every citizen is well protected. The government is focusing on revising and strengthening social protection for workers in the organized sector. Civil servants and employees of large private sector companies have health coverage, pensions and sometimes unemployment insurance. Only 10 percent of the working population has health coverage. In 2015, Narendra Modi introduced a program for the working poor. For a symbolic contribution of about 15 rupees per year, the worker can benefit from a capital sum of up to Rs 200,000 in case of an accident at work. However, medical or hospitalization expenses are not covered and many Indians do not seek medical treatment. Similarly, the pension scheme benefits only private sector employees and civil servants. However, the New Pension Scheme introduced in 2004 and expanded in 2009 allows voluntary participation by all workers aged 18 to 60. The capital is not blocked and can be withdrawn at any time, although the aim is to ensure that a pension is paid out from the age of 60. Unemployment insurance is limited to employees in the private sector and civil servants and is highly regulated. In order to benefit from it, one must have been dismissed for economic reasons or be permanently unable to work, have at least three years' seniority in the company and earn less than Rs 15,000 per month. The compensation amounts to 50% of the salary and is paid for one year. During the entire period of compensation, the unemployed person is provided with social security coverage for him and his family. Rajasthan has developed a form of unemployment insurance for young graduates who are struggling to enter the job market. Young graduates under 30 years of age can benefit from this scheme for a maximum of 2 years. They receive Rs 4,000 per month for men and Rs 4,500 for women.
