Not Just Cows, Beggars, Dirt and Bad Roads
I am not saying India doesn't have these problems. India has these problems and may be many more. But, India, isn't just synonymous with problems. It's a living, ever evolving, developing country with hopes, ambition and hopeful of a better future.
Poverty
Happens to be the first weapon in every India-baiters arsenal! Is there any country in this World without poverty? Any major city without slums , prostitutes and beggars? As most of us globe-trotting Indians have found, there isn't a major Western country/City where Homeless don't sleep over benches in the parks, that are free of slums, beggars and prostitutes. It's also a fact that good number of people live in Trailer parks, unable to afford a decent house.
Strangely our Western friends don't seem to notice 'Poverty' in their own backyard, when at home. They seem to realize the existence of this alien term only while visiting India and other developing countries.
Yes, the number of poor in India is more than any other country. And so is our population. Even if India were to have same poverty ratio as most developed nations, the number of poor will still be larger than the population of some countries [ not suprising since the population growth in India per year is greater than the total population of some developed countries]. So it's given that any visitor will run into a lot of poor people.
If a person were to *specifically* look for poverty, he/she is likely to find more poor, than the actual numbers. Anyone not wearing latest fashion is not poor. A lot of *really* rich Indians dress and live modestly [ to avoid Income tax raids ]. Spending lavishly on clothing is a recent Urban, youth phenomenon, which hasn't, yet, become imbibed by the entire society. Indian dress sense also differs from the West [ our preference for colorful attire]. There are also conmen who act poor to swindle tourists (Indians included). So, it's possible that many of "poor" people you saw, might be living a better quality of life than the one you envisioned [ in terms of food and housing]
The proportion of poor in India is proportionally high compared to others. But that was not always the case. There was a time, pre-independence, when gold, diamonds and other precious stones were sold in the streets in baskets. United India had 25% share in World Trade (equal to that of Europe) in those days. Then British colonialism happened. Not only were treasure of immensurate value stolen from our temples and palaces, even the tombs (Taj Mahal) wasn't spared. It's disconcerting for an Indian, with the sense of history, to see Westerners shed crocodile [false] tears about India's poverty, when our most precious legacy "Kohinoor" diamonds (costliest in the World) lies locked up in the museums of The West [London].
It's not just the valuables in stone that were stolen (ever wondered why GBP hovers at a higher rate than US Dollar?), but our home-based cottage industries were also utterly destroyed to make way for England's factory-made goods. No, they didn't die in fair market competition. They were burnt down by the British. In the about 300 years of British rule, Worlds (once) largest producers were turned into the largest consumers. Since the cottage industries were the primary source of income for the people, it caused massive unemployment. Some of the worst famines in history [where millions perished] happened during the British rule.
Gandhi, for all his impractical philosophies, understood the importance of small-scale cottage industries in providing jobs to the multitudes, there by eliminating unemployment. One of the reasons he was opposed to massive Industrialization. But his succesors abandoned micro-level industry development under the garb of socialism. Understand that India was under total Government control and industrial/financial monopoly till a decade back [ there was a time when it required to obtain a licence to own a TV]. Considering post-liberalization, that we have made noticable [not to a Western eye] progress in a short span
The other major factor for unemployment has been the 'McCaulay Education' system introduced by the British. As per it's founder McCaulay it was meant to be a system to develop Indians as clerks [who unquestioningly accept orders] under the British. The quaity of output can be guaged from the purpose it was meant to fulfill. Unfortunately, Indian governments have stuck to the same format [owing majorly to the colonial slavish mentality], producing millions of unemployed with no vocational skills, other than being a clerk in government office. Lucky are those few who got into professional courses like Medical or Engineering. Most of the rest are left to the fate [with absolutely zero job skills].
On the one hand there is a huge demand for plumbers, electricians etc. in the cities. It is extremely hard to find one, and get him to work. On the other, there are millions roaming the streets unemployed. McCaulay system with it's overtly-high preference for White-collar jobs has killed the 'dignity of labor'. So the unemployed are ready to steal, but not ready for decent paying manual jobs.
Fortnately, a large number of newer opportunities like BPO, Call centers, CPA and other avenues of alternative employment have opened for our youth in recent years. With the flow of jobs to India from the West, the condition will hopefully improve. With proper planning, resource management and loans, unemployment can be reduced to a great extent. [So the next time you whine about Indians stealing your jobs, keep our 'poverty' in mind ;-)]
After explaining the reasons for your benefit, I have a question to the pitying visitors. What have you done to help those poor people? [other than blog thousands of pages about them]. You definitely can do something to help given the imbalance between your currencies and Indian Rupee. How many of you have even attempted to help? One Mother Theresa for millions of visitors visting India every year? The intent here is NOT to force you to help. A poor man needs a job and the sick - medicines. False pity is the last thing they need [from you].
So, the next time you find a poor Indian, Don't Pity Him/Her. Instead, hang your heads in shame for the Western colonialism that has turned generations into desitutes; that is if you have any righteousness left in you. Otherwise pretend that the truth doesn't exist and blog yet another 'I pity the poor in India living under sub-human conditions' post.
Poverty
Happens to be the first weapon in every India-baiters arsenal! Is there any country in this World without poverty? Any major city without slums , prostitutes and beggars? As most of us globe-trotting Indians have found, there isn't a major Western country/City where Homeless don't sleep over benches in the parks, that are free of slums, beggars and prostitutes. It's also a fact that good number of people live in Trailer parks, unable to afford a decent house.
Strangely our Western friends don't seem to notice 'Poverty' in their own backyard, when at home. They seem to realize the existence of this alien term only while visiting India and other developing countries.
Yes, the number of poor in India is more than any other country. And so is our population. Even if India were to have same poverty ratio as most developed nations, the number of poor will still be larger than the population of some countries [ not suprising since the population growth in India per year is greater than the total population of some developed countries]. So it's given that any visitor will run into a lot of poor people.
If a person were to *specifically* look for poverty, he/she is likely to find more poor, than the actual numbers. Anyone not wearing latest fashion is not poor. A lot of *really* rich Indians dress and live modestly [ to avoid Income tax raids ]. Spending lavishly on clothing is a recent Urban, youth phenomenon, which hasn't, yet, become imbibed by the entire society. Indian dress sense also differs from the West [ our preference for colorful attire]. There are also conmen who act poor to swindle tourists (Indians included). So, it's possible that many of "poor" people you saw, might be living a better quality of life than the one you envisioned [ in terms of food and housing]
The proportion of poor in India is proportionally high compared to others. But that was not always the case. There was a time, pre-independence, when gold, diamonds and other precious stones were sold in the streets in baskets. United India had 25% share in World Trade (equal to that of Europe) in those days. Then British colonialism happened. Not only were treasure of immensurate value stolen from our temples and palaces, even the tombs (Taj Mahal) wasn't spared. It's disconcerting for an Indian, with the sense of history, to see Westerners shed crocodile [false] tears about India's poverty, when our most precious legacy "Kohinoor" diamonds (costliest in the World) lies locked up in the museums of The West [London].
It's not just the valuables in stone that were stolen (ever wondered why GBP hovers at a higher rate than US Dollar?), but our home-based cottage industries were also utterly destroyed to make way for England's factory-made goods. No, they didn't die in fair market competition. They were burnt down by the British. In the about 300 years of British rule, Worlds (once) largest producers were turned into the largest consumers. Since the cottage industries were the primary source of income for the people, it caused massive unemployment. Some of the worst famines in history [where millions perished] happened during the British rule.
Gandhi, for all his impractical philosophies, understood the importance of small-scale cottage industries in providing jobs to the multitudes, there by eliminating unemployment. One of the reasons he was opposed to massive Industrialization. But his succesors abandoned micro-level industry development under the garb of socialism. Understand that India was under total Government control and industrial/financial monopoly till a decade back [ there was a time when it required to obtain a licence to own a TV]. Considering post-liberalization, that we have made noticable [not to a Western eye] progress in a short span
The other major factor for unemployment has been the 'McCaulay Education' system introduced by the British. As per it's founder McCaulay it was meant to be a system to develop Indians as clerks [who unquestioningly accept orders] under the British. The quaity of output can be guaged from the purpose it was meant to fulfill. Unfortunately, Indian governments have stuck to the same format [owing majorly to the colonial slavish mentality], producing millions of unemployed with no vocational skills, other than being a clerk in government office. Lucky are those few who got into professional courses like Medical or Engineering. Most of the rest are left to the fate [with absolutely zero job skills].
On the one hand there is a huge demand for plumbers, electricians etc. in the cities. It is extremely hard to find one, and get him to work. On the other, there are millions roaming the streets unemployed. McCaulay system with it's overtly-high preference for White-collar jobs has killed the 'dignity of labor'. So the unemployed are ready to steal, but not ready for decent paying manual jobs.
Fortnately, a large number of newer opportunities like BPO, Call centers, CPA and other avenues of alternative employment have opened for our youth in recent years. With the flow of jobs to India from the West, the condition will hopefully improve. With proper planning, resource management and loans, unemployment can be reduced to a great extent. [So the next time you whine about Indians stealing your jobs, keep our 'poverty' in mind ;-)]
After explaining the reasons for your benefit, I have a question to the pitying visitors. What have you done to help those poor people? [other than blog thousands of pages about them]. You definitely can do something to help given the imbalance between your currencies and Indian Rupee. How many of you have even attempted to help? One Mother Theresa for millions of visitors visting India every year? The intent here is NOT to force you to help. A poor man needs a job and the sick - medicines. False pity is the last thing they need [from you].
So, the next time you find a poor Indian, Don't Pity Him/Her. Instead, hang your heads in shame for the Western colonialism that has turned generations into desitutes; that is if you have any righteousness left in you. Otherwise pretend that the truth doesn't exist and blog yet another 'I pity the poor in India living under sub-human conditions' post.
posted by Vivek at 2:24 PM
1 Comments:
I read your posts and they were really thought provoking, but somehow I feel that you are getting too defensive. Criticism should be taken as it was intended to be; not judged by who the critic is. I have spent a greater part of my life in India and then some out of it. We, as humans, form opinions always by comparing with what we know. Someone who has lived in "western" countries, where the quality of life is generally better than in India,would tend to be negative. How can you expect the tourist to talk only about museums and palaces ignoring everything he/she would encounter on the way to the palace. I would think it is foolish to say that because we have a billion people we are justified in having 300 million poor among them. The key number is not 30% but 300 million. Then the question arises how did the population ever reach a billion when you cannot afford to have that many. A country with 3% of the world's land has more than 15% of its population. Skewered priorities?
Lastly why do you want help/money from the "foreigners". It's best done when its a DIY!!!!!
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