It's too easy to say that India is more restrictive and the West less so. Coming of age, being aware of your body and your forming mind is difficult enough anywhere. That an unattached woman in India of marriageable age has a much harder time in society than the married. This is true not only of India but the world. Society is still a bit suspect of non- procreating females.
Fundamentalism is an awful state of mind, and leads to war.
India is an impassioned country with a lot of potential, power, hurt, and religion. I was a child of the Nehru administration, and with that went a belief in socialism, education, equality, and women's rights, as well as a legacy of non- violence. I think people should stop fighting. I don't think guns should be supplied to anyone. I think the Sri Lanka separatist movement is a tragedy.