Final reflections on India
I have spent a month in India. I have travelled from Kolcata in the east across the major north to Mumbai in the west and then down the west coast to touch Kerala and Goa. I have travelled by train. I have met a lot of people and talked hugely about India. Of course I have only made a small scratch. How can I know India? But I know it better now than I did a month ago.
Here are some thoughts and some context.
Before I set them down just a few comments about health and food - for many people a big concern when considering India as a destination.
I am delighted and relieved to report in the whole month not a single problem. I have been lucky although I am not aware of anyone telling me they had been ill.
My approach was cautious because I was travelling alone :-
- I only ate Indian food apart from one KFC!
- I never ate salads or peeled fruit even as garnishes.
- I only drank bottled water. You are always provided with a metal mug of water but I didn't drink it. (although I pretty sure it was fine). I used bottled water for teeth cleaning too.
- In the main I ate veg based meals most of the time - no hardship whatsoever - it is easy to be vegetarian in India.
- However I subsequently had fish in Kerala and Goa and some chicken and mutton.
- I ate plenty of hot street food. Wonderful.
- My simple rule - only eat in the busiest places or the busiest vendors. Eat with the locals.
Food in India is a total pleasure. Something outstanding. The variety - the spicing. Just incredible and so common place. Have a go at anything. I wanted to remember the names of the dishes I ate but failed to keep a record. I photographed a lot and attach some below!
Mosquitos - not a significant problem even at dawn and dusk. However they are around. I always wore long trousers and long sleeves. Paul and June told me about the local brand of cream repellent - Odomol. It was effective and cheap and nice to use. Thank you!
Mosquitos - not a significant problem even at dawn and dusk. However they are around. I always wore long trousers and long sleeves. Paul and June told me about the local brand of cream repellent - Odomol. It was effective and cheap and nice to use. Thank you!
Back to my thoughts and observations.
First of all and undoubtedly India is a wonderful country. I am so glad I came. It has been truly a monumental experience and India will always now have a place in my heart. I shall always remember the lovely people perhaps that more than anything. I wish them so well in their lives - lives which at times appear to be not much more than a battle to survive to the next day.
I have been preoccupied with thoughts about where India is heading. India is the I in the BRIC acronym - now perhaps the fastest growing economy in the world. A new economic power house. But in my view nothing is assured. India has a battle on its hands to build a sustainable future and to lift so many of its people out of the grinding poverty that is totally commonplace.
It has several things going for it. Probably most importantly they have a deeply embedded democracy. Secondly it has a deeply religious tradition. This might sound a touch inconsistent from an atheist but I recognise the Hindu ethos ( and for that matter the Muslim Indian ethos) and the alcoholic abstinence that is required is a force for good behaviour. India is in the round a peaceful place and has a great tradition of tolerance - that is evidently not being seen in many other countries. India is largely a cohesive society and this gives them an opportunity to build a better future rather than waste time and energy (and lives) fighting over some ancient religious or tribal argument. It also has the world's biggest potential workforce and a strong tradition of valuing education and the benefits that accrue from it. Indians are also business minded. They want to get on. All these are positive things.
There are some clouds though - some big ones.
The first is its population - India is overcrowded and population is growing rapidly. This presents India with so many difficulties. Fundamentally - enough affordable food - housing - health care and education as well as the ability to create a modern infrastructure that can cope. India is in the main a grinding place to operate in. Roads are so often gridlocked and of course the extremes of climate make it harder still at times. One consequence is air pollution. It is a big issue. The cities are not an environment I would want to live in it for very long. It is a long-term health issue - combined with the fact that India is a hard place to exercise in. You rarely see joggers. The majority of Indians can barely swim. Commuters in to the big cities have brutally long days - so time is an issue too. Middle ranking Indians are getting fatter too. Obesity is on the horizon. There is also so much rubbish and discarded plastic evident all around India. I visited in November - it was hot - but to be there in the height of summer must be close to unbearable for a traveller and I would definitely avoid it.
The next is the dreaded corruption phenomenon. People believe it is bad. Many believe politicians are only really interested in feathering their own nest. I have written about corruption before in my blogs. I think it is killing the Brazilian economy. Let's hope India can keep it in check.
I mentioned religious tolerance. Many people stressed how important it is and how much they want to live in peace and live and let live. But there is a commentary that the current prime minister Mr Modi is too pro Hindu. Others have denied this and simply says in reflects that Hindus are about 80% of the population. Let's hope again their tradition of religious harmony can be maintained. Earlier in the year I was in Turkey. Same issue but there it was Muslims being favoured. It is at the very least demotivating and bound to be a hindrance if people in power use created division to further their own agendas.
Another cloud might be the increasing westernisation of traditional Indian culture. This doesn't have to be a bad thing but many young people ape a western lifestyle especially the educated ones. I have just been in Goa. The majority of tourists are now Indians. They are using the bars - they have the designer gear. India is experiencing quite rapid change. Can it hold it all together? One thing so prized is as elsewhere gradually breaking down - and that is the security and continuity offered by the family unit. Young people are moving away to work. The family care system is no longer as secure. One of the growth businesses is elderly care homes!
Just two other observations. The Indian economy has been booming. There is real wealth here. Mumbai has hundreds of millionaires. But nothing has changed much for the poor. India has hi tec business yes - but it is also one of the world’s sweat shops. Poor people working for peanuts. It is hard to see how this can change and not create mass unemployment because the west will always move its factories to where wages are lowest. If you have a wealth gap getting ever bigger eventually something will have to give. Maybe India will be able to achieve what Japan achieved. When I was a boy everything cheap was made in Japan. Now Japanese products are quality and carry high added value and wages improved. One big vision from Mr Modi is to try to arrest chronic rural poverty by starting village factories and educate not to have so many children!
The last one. I have spoken to quite a few bright young Indians on my travels. They want to move to the West. They do not believe India can ever compete with the West - that rewards for skills and talent will never amount to enough for them. They can do better elsewhere. I have asked would you intend to come back? Why would I want to do that if I can get a base in the West! India is haemorging talented ambitious young people. The West’s gain. India's loss.
These are some of the clouds I see.
But please do not get me wrong. India has momentum. It is a truly fascinating place. So diverse. Sometimes so beautiful. Wonderful rivers. Outstanding wild life. Great food. All those spices. (so easy to be a vegetarian in India.) Sometimes so simple otherwise so complex. It's history is mind boggling. You could loose yourself for a lifetime very easily. As I have said the people are lovely. Being in India is challenging yes, frustrating at times yes but there are rewards everyday - sometimes staggering ones. The Taj Mahal. Amazing. I will always defend India against its detractors. It is a truly great country with real heart and common humanity. Let's hope it can keep it.
Thank you India for a trip that I think in some ways will be life changing for me. We are so lucky.
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