Positive & Negative Aspects of Socio-Cultural Reform Movement

 Positive Aspects

1. Liberation of individual from conformity out of fear psychosis.
2. Worship made a more personal affair
3. Cultural roots to the middle classes—thus mitigating the sense of humiliation; much needed self-respect gained Fostered secular outlook
4. Encouraged social climate for modernisation
5. Ended India’s cultural, intellectual isolation from rest of the world
6. Evolution of national consciousness

Negative Aspects

1. Narrow social base
2. Indirectly encouraged mysticism
3. Overemphasis on religious, philosophical aspects of culture while underemphasising secular and moral aspects
4. Hindus confined their praise to ancient Indian history and Muslims to medieval history—created a notion of two separate peoples and increased communal consciousness
5. Historical process of evolution of composite culture arrested to some extent