India - Stark Contrasts!

I recently came back from my vacation in India. I love India. It's where I was born, where I studied and was raised for a better part of my life. Now that I stay in the US, and only go back for vacations and family visits, I can talk about how it has developed and perhaps not....

What I found in most places I traveled to was ...The roads need to get better. People need to be more civic minded. People need to realize that the Government cannot do everything! Ofcourse - you can also see that the Government employees are only interested in making sure that their wallets are well padded and more money flows under the table than in public. Thats for another discussion.

The reason I write this is is - I've visited a couple of Software Development shops there. They're awesome. Some of the larger ones have canteens to buy food at (not vending machines, but actual food) and a very nice atmosphere. I was surprised at the number of flat screens. I also visited a number of malls ( you cannot believe the number of these complexes that have sprouted up all over the city - even in almost villages!). You can get some of the finest designer items from Gucci to Versace to anything you name it you get it. Whats even more surprising is, that most of these shops have buyers - and most of them are middle class working men and women!

Here's where the stark contrast comes in. When you enter any of these malls - it feels like you've been transported into a different country. The creature comforts, the designer brands and what not. Exit that mall and you're back in the midst of bad roads and sometimes very polluted air. I think this tells more on the government of the city, state & country more than anything else. The people in India are very creative. They make the best of what they have. Yet - the Government does not reciprocate, their employees - all they do is pad their pockets with bribes, and spend that money in these malls, but no services are provided to the public.

Until that mentality changes, until the people demand more, get educated (they try, but a huge uneducated population is better for the politicians - give them a beer and ask them for their vote) and DEMAND more - I don't think the city is going to change.

They changed to an open market, because the country as a whole was pushed to the brink with it's debt and policies. I hope the country is not pushed again to the brink due to the lack of infrastructure. This is probably the best time for India to reinvest in the infrastructure - not just by private industry, but by the government too....

I guess I could have summed this whole post into one word - Infrastructure!

I wish I did have pictures though. It would definitely show the stark contrasts.