{"id":9885,"date":"2026-08-01T00:01:16","date_gmt":"2026-08-01T05:01:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rarebit.org\/?p=9885"},"modified":"2026-07-31T21:03:44","modified_gmt":"2026-08-01T02:03:44","slug":"a-great-problem-1963","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rarebit.org\/?p=9885","title":{"rendered":"A Great Problem\u00a0(1963)"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"width: 640px;\" class=\"wp-video\"><!--[if lt IE 9]><script>document.createElement('video');<\/script><![endif]-->\n<video class=\"wp-video-shortcode\" id=\"video-9885-1\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" preload=\"metadata\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"video\/mp4\" src=\"https:\/\/rarebit.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/A-Great-Problem.mp4?_=1\" \/><a href=\"https:\/\/rarebit.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/A-Great-Problem.mp4\">https:\/\/rarebit.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/A-Great-Problem.mp4<\/a><\/video><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Is a short educational cartoon aimed at addressing and providing solutions to an overpopulation problem in rural farming communities in India. The film was created by the Films Division of India and utilizes an &#8220;everyman&#8221; character to reach its audience. The film leans on national pride, claiming to uplift rural workers and the nation by encouraging family planning. Despite its intent, there is a clear bias toward smaller families and a condescending colonial tone. The colonial tone comes from the voice actor, who sounds British and speaks to the audience in a manner found in children&#8217;s cartoons. The animation talks down to its audience and fails to provide any nuance in its argument for smaller families, leading to the impression that rural families will have a lack of choice. Small families are presented as the only correct answer to population strains, despite the economic benefit that larger family units could provide to rural workers.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559738&quot;:240,&quot;335559739&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">A Great Problem<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0was created after the Indian Independence movement, the Great Depression, and World War II, historical events that left India reeling from poverty,\u00a0increased social awareness\u00a0created higher tensions between economic classes, and greater governmental expectations. (Chandra et al., 2026)\u00a0The British colony&#8217;s economic exploitation left deep financial wounds on India&#8217;s economy. It also\u00a0imposed\u00a0Western ideals of education and communication, as well as\u00a0increasing\u00a0national connection through\u00a0its\u00a0railway system. (Chandra et al., 2026)\u00a0This unique combination\u00a0of circumstances\u00a0laid the foundation for\u00a0a steady\u00a0movement toward greater education, governmental accountability, and workers&#8217; rights.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559738&quot;:240,&quot;335559739&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">In India&#8217;s fight for independence, figures such as\u00a0Mahatma\u00a0Gandhi promoted the mobilization of every class. He encouraged peasants, workers, women, and students to remain nonviolent\u00a0and\u00a0to\u00a0take solace in\u00a0moral\u00a0preeminence\u00a0against British\u00a0moral values\u00a0while\u00a0embracing civil disobedience and\u00a0working to become\u00a0self-reliant. (Chandra et al., 2026). According to Bipan Chandra et al., this created a culture that rejected British colonialism but did not\u00a0directly\u00a0antagonize British people. In 1947, the British withdrew\u00a0from the Indian subcontinent, and\u00a0after\u00a0much strife\u00a0the nation\u00a0was partitioned\u00a0into India and Pakistan. During this period, there was massive population displacement, communal violence, and poverty.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559738&quot;:240,&quot;335559739&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">According to\u00a0Ilana L\u00f6wy, post-World War II Western\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">demographers, public health experts and politicians\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">were concerned with the reduced death rates and high birth rates in developing countries.\u00a0(2012)\u00a0They warned India against the risks of overpopulation,\u00a0which they claimed could lead to\u00a0famines, riots, political instability, the\u00a0incursion\u00a0of communism, and\u00a0war\u2014even though\u00a0the\u00a0countries in the developed world were\u00a0unconcerned with\u00a0their\u00a0own booming populations.\u00a0(L\u00f6wy, 2012)\u00a0A\u00a0birth-control method promoted by the West was a contraceptive\u00a0foamed\u00a0tablet\u00a0made of spermicide. (L\u00f6wy, 2012). The tablet was inconsistent as a preventive measure and quickly lost credibility among the public, with the failure\u00a0being\u00a0attributed by Western experts to the perceived &#8220;backwardness&#8221; of users, reflecting a paternalistic and colonial attitude toward developing populations. In the 1960s and 1970s, stricter forms of population control were put in place, such as the forced sterilization of impoverished men. (BBC, 2014).<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:240,&quot;335559739&quot;:240,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">This is where the animation industry came in.\u00a0Poverty limited\u00a0access to education, so animation was used as an\u00a0affordable and wide-reaching tool to influence public\u00a0perception.\u00a0Government support was\u00a0also\u00a0vital to the survival of Indian animation in the twentieth century, there was limited funding\u00a0in the industry, a lack of private investment, insufficient technical\u00a0infrastructure\u00a0and\u00a0few specialized animation schools. (Jones, 2016;\u00a0Bendazzi, 2015).\u00a0In short,\u00a0educational films\u00a0were the main use of\u00a0animations in India\u00a0in the early 20<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">th<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0century.\u00a0Specifically, the Films Division of India\u00a0utilized\u00a0animation to promote nationalism, produce educational films, and promote animation as a tool for public communication.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559738&quot;:240,&quot;335559739&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"TextRun SCXW255627525 BCX0\" lang=\"EN\" xml:lang=\"EN\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW255627525 BCX0\">Works Cited<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Balachandran, Anitha, and Timothy Jones, editors.\u00a0<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">India Animated: Essays on Contemporary\u00a0<\/span><\/i><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559738&quot;:240,&quot;335559739&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Practice<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">. Palgrave Macmillan, 2026. SpringerLink,<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/978-3-032-11179-1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/span><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/978-3-032-11179-1\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/978-3-032-11179-1<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559738&quot;:240,&quot;335559739&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">BBC News. &#8220;Who Are the 100 Women 2014?&#8221;\u00a0<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">BBC News<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, 26 Oct. 2014,<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-asia-india-30040790\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/span><\/a><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559738&quot;:240,&quot;335559739&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-asia-india-30040790\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">www.bbc.com\/news\/world-asia-india-30040790<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559731&quot;:720,&quot;335559738&quot;:240,&quot;335559739&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Bendazzi,\u00a0Giannalberto.\u00a0<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Animation:\u00a0A World\u00a0History. Volume II: The Birth of a Style\u2014The Three\u00a0<\/span><\/i><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559738&quot;:240,&quot;335559739&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Markets<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">. 1st ed., Focal Press, 2015,<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.4324\/9781315720753\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/span><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.4324\/9781315720753\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">https:\/\/doi.org\/10.4324\/9781315720753<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559731&quot;:720,&quot;335559738&quot;:240,&quot;335559739&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Chandra, Bipan, et al.\u00a0<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">India&#8217;s Struggle for Independence, 1857\u20131947<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">. Penguin Books, 1989.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559738&quot;:240,&quot;335559739&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Internet Archive<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, archive.org\/details\/indiasstrugglefo0000unse.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559731&quot;:720,&quot;335559738&quot;:240,&quot;335559739&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Jones, Timothy G. &#8220;Designing for India: Government Animation Education and the Politics of\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559738&quot;:240,&quot;335559739&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Identity.&#8221;\u00a0<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Animation: An Interdisciplinary Journal<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, vol. 11, no. 1, Mar. 2016, pp. 75\u201391,<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/1746847715624580\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/span><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/1746847715624580\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/1746847715624580<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559738&quot;:240,&quot;335559739&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em data-start=\"165\" data-end=\"183\">Family Planning.<\/em> Ministry of Information, Films Division of India, n.d. <em data-start=\"239\" data-end=\"257\">Internet Archive<\/em>, https:\/\/archive.org\/details\/dli.MoI.films.015<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A short educational animation aimed to address and provide solutions to the overpopulation problem in rural farming communities. The film was created by the Films Division of India and utilizes an \u2018everyman\u2019 character to reach their audience.<\/p>\n<p>(Duration: 6:35)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9887,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9885","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-animation","category-frontpage"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rarebit.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9885","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/rarebit.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/rarebit.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rarebit.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rarebit.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=9885"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/rarebit.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9885\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9889,"href":"https:\/\/rarebit.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9885\/revisions\/9889"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rarebit.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/9887"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rarebit.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=9885"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rarebit.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=9885"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rarebit.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=9885"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}