Filth and Disease
Any poor soul unfortunate enough to land on the wasteland either
voluntarily or by accident, will first notice the overpowering stench of
uncovered garbage, pouring out onto the streets. Move two feet forward, you
step into a juicy turd of unknown origin. Stumble four feet backward and,
you’re suddenly hounded by a half eaten rat whose guts are still infested with
maggots the size of a thumb. Suddenly the thought of eating the rarely
sought-after Italian delicacy, Casu Marzu (maggot-infested cheese), doesn’t
seem so unthinkable anymore. All you can think of doing is extracting yourself
from the disease ridden and overflowing sewage of the Indian streets, and
getting onto the soonest flight from whence you came. Indian germs and microbes
are renowned for their ability to thrive in the toughest of conditions. These microscopic
bad boys can swallow and spit out whole populations of Ebola and HIV viruses,
while simultaneously mutating to transform into stronger strains than the deadliest
known ones on record. Be sure to prepare yourself with some handy electrolytes
and loads of durable toilet paper - Diarrhoea is certainly in the stars for
you. Watch out also, for brief but excruciatingly painful spells of Malaria,
Cholera, Tuberculosis and genital pustules. Make sure you’re up to date on your
Rabies and Tetanus shots while you’re at it. You don’t necessarily need to
encounter a rusty nail or a rabid canine to pick up either. Surprisingly enough.
Caste, Religion and Superstitious hocus pocus
Did you think political upheavals back home or a bad health insurance
plan were the end of the world? In Indian society, people still follow a kind
of crude feudal hierarchy which has been shrugged off by the rest of the world
since after the Dark Ages. People are looked down upon and ostracised simply
because they’re too poor or belong to a low caste. Matrimonial matches are
arranged based on an individual’s caste and religious beliefs, wherein a dowry
(more like ransom) is required only from the girl’s family. Talk about paying
someone to marry you. As a result, female foeticides are no longer a thing of
the past, with mothers undergoing large scale shade abortions on the quiet, to
get rid of a girl child. Baby girls are found discarded like common thrash in
the gutters, and are swept beneath the rug of oblivion by the dozen. It was
until the mid-1900 that women underwent shady procedures to get rid of unwanted
pregnancies around the world. India still hasn’t seen the light of the day. If
a girl child does miraculously survive to marriageable age, she is required to
give her husband a son, or subjected to abuse by him and his family. Parents are still criticized for educating and
believing in their daughter’s abilities to create a career and support
themselves. It is deemed a waste of time and money to allow women to prove
themselves in India. Well, why should a woman have to prove her worth at all,
you say? Good question. In addition to infanticides, crimes such as rapes,
honour killings, acid attacks and child marriage are glorified. The patriarchal
society still stamps down on issues like gender inequality; with women largely
being victimized and abused in all cases. Believe in fighting for the justice
of innocents and operating on the right side of the law? Avoid India like the
plague.
You think Friday the 13th and black cat phobias are silly
and irrational? The range of superstitious mumbo jumbo particularly in rural
India is frustrating and frankly, even I haven’t the patience to go through the
ridiculous list. Even worse are the rising numbers of innocents that are harmed
as a result of these outdated beliefs.
Malnutrition and Food poisoning
This probably wouldn’t account as a factor to take into consideration
when choosing a tourist destination. However, the collective health of citizens
is an often underestimated but effective indication of a nation’s economic
progress and the general standard of living. A vast and appalling majority of
Indians are despairingly bone-thin and almost skeletal in appearance. Obesity
is a term that is unheard of and rarely uttered in India. Food has to be
thoroughly checked before purchase, because you never know if you’re being
swindled into buying dried legumes or pebbles disguised as beans. Similarly,
the content of adulterated milk, questionable spice powders and even the
quality of drinking water need to be ascertained before consumption. Does it
come as much of a surprise that most of the people there are too worn out to be
productive before the dawn of another work day? If you accidentally happen to
eat out at vending machines or stalls in some of the metropolitan cities; you
need to start praying that you last to see another day, or better still, don’t
venture out at all. If the bugs don’t kill you, the food probably will.
High population growth and Bad
Infrastructure
India boasts the second highest populated country in the world, after
China. The sad reality being that China possessed better technology,
infrastructure and an even lower infant mortality rate than India. India still
lags way behind other developing countries such as Africa and certain Asian
countries in terms of economic growth. An innovation or technological advancement
takes years to be implemented within India and even longer to maintain after,
with things breaking down repeatedly. The roads still have potholes, diseases
such as malaria and dysentery are still prevalent despite countries elsewhere
having put these ailments to rest, and electrical surges/blackouts still occur
frequently. The internet plans in India are exorbitantly high and not as easily
available as they ought to be. People to this day still complain of water
scarcity, which is the most fundamental facility that any country should be
equipped with, really. Difficult access
to public transport is another issue which is also strife with rampant complaints
of molestation and sexual harassment from labourers and uneducated migrants
mostly from the North. India has proven itself to be a truly third world
country; and will probably never reach the brink of global-scale development,
at any rate. Slums and illegal settlements on the outskirts of cities are as
common as monsoon puddles, and are scattered so closely together that they
overshadow the rest of the city like one looming and gigantic monstrosity;
ignored and neglected like everything else.
Backward mindsets
What strikes me as most queer is the attitude among the demographic;
the sense that nothing is ever urgent enough to be tended to immediately. The
lackadaisical attitude that reeks of hopelessness; and the notion that all
matters are trivial and nothing makes much of a difference to be improved upon
anyway. The complacent ignorance that makes Indians believe that wallowing in
their own shit is better than clearing it up; whilst blaming it all on a
colonial past and bad governing. The term ‘rat race’ takes on a life of its
own, with people dragging each other down for the sake of their petty ambition,
envy and pride, and the herd mentality that kicks in when the pool of
imagination is all dried up. Want a closer look at the seven deadly sins? Go no
further.
Safety Issues
I’m not entirely trying to discourage you from visiting the shithole.
I mean if you’d prefer being groped in broad daylight regardless of your gender
and inadvertently dying from some horrible incurable disease, then go ahead by
all means. Increasingly reports of rapes, drug trafficking, prostitution and
murders, involving foreigners, have been on the rise. Indians are proving
themselves to be a xenophobic majority, hence giving their own tourism a bad
rap. There has been news of discrimination and hatred against religious
minorities within the country, proving how intolerant a bunch they truly are.
Opt for a safer vacation in Thailand or Singapore, in my opinion.
Staggering Poverty
Some Indians claim to be incredibly wealthy, owning massive businesses
and expanding these overseas. On the other hand, you can spot as many beggars
as there are stray animals walking around aimlessly on the streets. They are
run over by vehicles and left to rot, not deserving so much as a side glance
from passersby. Sidewalks are covered with the homeless sprawling across bare
ground, amidst their own faecal matter and dried splatters of urine/puke.
Strays and neglected Animals
The government cares about its animals as much as it cares for its
poor. I still can’t get over the look of desperation in their eyes or the angle
at which their ribs seem to jut out through their sagging skin; wordlessly praying
for a quick and merciful death. Even
hardy animals such as horses and elephants seemed half-starved and exhausted,
not bothering to look up or move unless cruelly whipped by their owners. What
sort of place would subject it own wildlife to such cruel punishment? If I were
you I’d forget such a barbaric place even existed.
Indians overseas
If you’re looking for a testament to the current state of India,
observe the behavior and lifestyles of Indians abroad. They dress in garish traditional
clothing and don’t even try to adapt to western culture. They shove their ritualistic
idolatry worship, loud vulgar music and foods down everyone’s throats. Some of
them don’t even attempt to learn to speak English. Imagine traveling to a
predominantly English speaking country, only to impose your own dialect upon
the locals.
