Return to India
Its been ten years since I last visited India.
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There has been much said in the press regarding the economic development of the Indian sub-continent with speculation that it is soon to become a major economic power in the world so I was both interested in seeing it for myself and was expecting things to have changed considerably since my last visit. Admittedly we were on a tour with a relaxing break in Goa to it wasn’t to be an entirely representative sample of the economic position of the country but I was sure I would get a rough idea of the progress.
The first leg of our trip was promising with a flight to Goa via Mumbai and a stay at the five-star Leela it was apparent how the fortunes of the upper and upper-middle classes of India had improved. The airports themselves had changed little but with the addition of plasma screens showing contemporary soap-opera and slickly professional news bulletins you could see the trappings of 21st century development. The advertisements looked distinctly American and aspirational, featuring oddly European-looking beautiful people enjoying the trappings of western comfort. The only dissonance was that they seemed to feature only pale-looking tall people who could pass as perhaps Italian, Spanish or Arab in appearance. Looking around the airport or hotel I couldn’t see anyone who fitted this mould which seemed somewhat odd, they were perfectly attractive enough but somehow more “Indian” than the extras and actors on TV. The newspapers were now in colour and a much larger proportion in English than on my last visit, well written and insightful they too sported gossip pages featuring oddly European-looking Bollywood stars.
The hotel was quite revealing too. Considered one of the best in Goa it now had a majority of Indian guests (unheard of ten years ago), most of whom dressed in western clothes, ate in the European menu restaurant and spoke to the [Indian] staff in English at all times. The women avoided the sun (in contrast to the European guests) in a clear effort to distance themselves from the sun-darkened women who worked in the gardens all day. Buy the time we left the Leela I was convinced that India was indeed an up and coming contender in the economic stakes; however that impression wasn’t to last long.
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For the next leg of our trip we took a flight to Delhi which exposed Helena to her first rush-hour taxi trip in an Indian city as we made our way to the hotel. The anarchic flow of eclectic vehicles which make Piccadilly Circus seem quiet in comparison is quite an experience for the uninitiated but that’s when it finally hits home that you are in one of the most populous countries in the world. In spite of the gleaming new over-head metro-rail and the five-star hotels there are still homeless people living on the roadside and as we stopped by roundabouts populated by desperate looking families living in plastic-bag tents, street urchins swarmed around the car rubbing bellies and pleading for money as their parents huddle around small fires giving the city an almost post-apocalyptic resonance in the twilight.
Hence followed a ten-day tour.
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Thoughts and impressions :
Economy and Development
In Goa it was easy to jump to the conclusion that India has come a long way over the last ten years however it soon became apparent that it was more complicated. As we left the cities and resorts it was clear that India is suffering from the same challenges that face most developing countries, that of wealth distribution, poor infrastructure and corruption. While the lot of the wealthy has improved considerably the middle classes and poor have benefited only modestly and the infrastructure is still in a shambles, this situation is exacerbated by the corruption at all levels. Until corruption is dealt with I don’t see this situation changing any time soon and in spite of the grumbling I don’t see much will to change that in the near-term, again like other developing countries there is a climate of blame against previous rulers (mostly unfounded in my opinion).
The first example of this was on the very first day of our tour when taking an early train to Jaipur. Two members of our party had their bags stolen as we boarded the train, loosing their passports, money, credit cards and cameras in one fell swoop the [Indian] guide dutifully went to the transport police who naturally laughed in his face. Who do you think co-ordinates the thievery and creams off a cut? Well I was very surprised at our guide’s naivety.
Another bugbear for the unwary is the torn banknote. The slightest tear in your banknote means that nobody will accept it so every time you accept change you have to be on the lookout in case someone is trying to palm you off with one and believe me, if you are a tourist almost everyone is trying to do that. Normally in Europe or America you can return damaged notes to the bank however I was assured that this is not the case in India so I was slightly puzzled by the lack of joined-up thinking on that one.
Environment
Being one of the most densely populated countries in the world means that there is considerable pressure on the environment to provide sufficient food for the 1.2 Billion people of India. This situation is exacerbated by poor land management and as our bus made its way through the countryside it was clear that it was straining under the load, although it was a historically fertile area I could see large patches of land that were showing signs of collapse. With seemingly every meter of land being exploited this was of some concern and with the population growing at an astounding rate still a grave situation in the making.
Travellers’ Outlook
While travel agencies are keen to warn travellers to the sub-continent on the dangers of “culture shock” they are not very specific as to what you have to face every time you leave your hotel room. Nothing has changed in that respect as you continually face a barrage of hawkers, peddlers and fake guides at every turn. Every child you talk to demands money and almost every financial transaction is laced with a dishonest scheme. It can certainly get the unseasoned traveller down and India is by far the worst of all the developing counties when it comes to this aspect of the country. When visiting sites of interest any attempt to view at leisure or take in the atmosphere is shattered by the endless stream of fake guides, or even government official guides who insist that there is no charge for their services but then demand a tip at the end. Don’t expect any peace and quiet and pace yourself because each is an exhausting experience. On my last trip you could often photograph people at your leisure but this time you would almost be guaranteed a demand for money, even from middle-class Indians and its only a matter of time before you become quite rude to people who try to talk to you, if only out of self preservation. If you are considering a visit, be warned - its hard work and not for the faint-hearted.
Conclusions
While the history and culture of India is fascinating I wouldn’t exactly call it fun, an eye-opener yes but with only the occasional respite from the endemic corruption and poverty it can be hard going. I find it hard to reconcile the positive economic reports from investment houses with the reality of India as there has been so little improvement in the infrastructure with the electricity failing almost every day and the transport a death-defying experience. I would think twice about investing in a country so mired in corruption and edging towards an environmental cataclysm.
Another thing you notice about India is how selfish and jealous many Indians are towards one another which seems to add to the day-to-day stresses of life there, and its not just me, this is a regular topic of discussion. There was a crushingly honest assessment of the situation in an article I read in the Indian Times on an internal flight which likened the culture of spite to everyone sitting on chairs with one hand gripping their seat in order to protect themselves with the other hand firmly gripping their neighbour’s in order to pull it from under them. Maybe a harsh assessment but a cultural aspect which may be denying many the fruits of development.
The best thing I can say about it is if you have problems with your spoilt child this is the place to take them in order to make them appreciate what they have. They will grow-up ten years in two weeks. Its an experience.
Thanks Wolfie for this account of your journey and the wonderful pictures. It wasn’t an easy one though as it seems, and you were in a guided tour, more sheltered than a traveler making the journey on his own. I think once you start traveling as a couple you become the target of beggers. One carpet salesman from Istanbul, with whom we had some frank talk (he was educated at the Lycée Français and we were the only French speaking travelers he could talk with last September), told us how they evaluate tourists for their financial potential. They have many accurate assumptions on tourists and their number one target are married couples.
Married couples (and believe me they know when you are married, even if you decided to remove the wedding ring) are richer than non married couples because if they can afford traveling while having all these other expanses like paying the house, etc…it means they are rich. Married couples between 40 and 60 are a target for the same reasons and some additional ones. Between 40 and 60 one might have children at private school or university and additional epxanses, affording to travel for a couple that age means that they can spend some non budgeted money, etc…
As for improvised guides they are everywhere. The worst is when your local guide considers you as a source of income and makes you a hostage driving you from one boutique to another for your shopping and banking some commission money from the stores you visit. In Cuba, this December, we discovered that a meal at the private house we were staying in for one night, having kept our 5 stars hotel in Santigao for a one night two days trip to Baracoa with a local chauffeur guide, was even more expansive than the hotel’s restaurant. We should have asked but we didn’t assuming that a private house that rents a room for 30 euros a night was not going to ask such a high price for the meal. The chauffeur might have taken some commission from the house owner for providing clients…
On environment and economy you are right. These countries havn’t got what it takes to hold all these economic promises but that they got the Human potential, educated people who can work long hours for very low wages, not just factory workers, and this is what western economies are preying upon in these countries
Globalisation was, and still is, sold to ordinary people in the West on the basis that we would all share economic prosperity more fairly and that all of us would become better off as a result.
It’s not working out like that is it? I have never been to India but I have visited a few other ‘developing’ countries as part of my work and one thing I am damned sure of is that globalisation in its current form ultimately benefits no-one except for the oligarchs running those countries… and the oligarchs running our countries. You don’t have to travel as far as India to see how the Game is being played
Love the pictures BTW - the colour and texture are beautiful