Monday, May 7, 2012

A Country on the Rise


 If you've ever pondered over taking a trip to Southern Asia, I would highly consider spending some time in India. If you are unaware of where it is, you can find it on a map at approximately 21 degrees north latitude, and 78 degrees east longitude. India is on the way towards becoming a super-country, and has many interesting sites that most travelers would crave to visit. Moreover, India is so diverse and unique because of the various climates and landforms, like the towering Himalayas or the White Salt Desert of Kutch. However, as with any other country, there are misperceptions that foreigners hear. The main three are: It's all extremely dirty, the people are undereducated, and it's poor with nothing but poverty. A couple other minor and humorous misperceptions are: the food is all butter chicken and it's the land of snake charmers(Cook). Every one of these ideas must be put aside, because India has a lot more to offer than people say.

Map of India's major regions and cities


 First Misperception: India is all extremely dirty and unpleasant.

Now, this is true for places like the slums and some cities. The movie “Slumdog Millionaire” greatly influenced the world into thinking that all of India is dirtyCook). But the thing most people forget is that there aren’t just nasty streets filled with garbage. Homes, hotels, resorts, and other properties are kept spotless(Morris). Once the cleanliness carries over to the roads, India will be drastically improved.  But India does have some of the nicest beaches in the world that make fantastic vacation spots. The Chowpatty beach in Mumbai and the Varca beach in Goa are two prime examples. They are paradise beaches that everyone who passes through India must visit. Also, a visitor may want to stop by the Taj Mahal in Agra. It’s one of the world’s most famous buildings, and is made of beautiful white marble. But be aware of the unpredictable weather while traveling, because one minute there may be beautiful sunshine and the next minute it may be pouring rain. Katy Perry and Russell Brand had their wedding in India, as well as many other celebrities(Devonshire-Ellis). This shows that there are spots in India which are clean and attractive.


Varca Beach in Goa, India
 Second Misperception: Indians are uneducated and don't succeed in school.

There are tons of people in every country who underachieve in school or drop out early. But unlike several other countries, even the poorest families in India push their children to do well. They know that in order to be successful in the future, you must have an education. A couple popular jobs in India are doctors and engineers, and many Indians of these professions actually work in the United States. Furthermore, the number of highly skilled workers is increasing, and so is the literacy rate(Kaushik). On top of that, MBA's and PhD's are very common among the Indian population.  Anyone who goes down this road will say that it takes a lot of work, effort, and time. The education process in this country is very challenging and competitive, because children are constantly striving to go further than what is mandatory. For example, in Mumbai, a large number of students stay after regular class hours to get extra work(Cook). This allows them to jump ahead of the competition. Giving great effort in school leads to becoming successful later in life, which many Indians are. 


The All India Institute of Medical Sciences in the capital, New Delhi

  Third Misperception: India is a poor country with nothing but poverty and beggars on the streets.

The misperception that India is full of poverty is somewhat true. But on the other hand, India has a significant amount of our world’s money(Cook). To start off, India has the most expensive house in the world. Muneksh Ambani, a man who’s net worth is roughly 22.6 billion, just moved into his skyscraper  in Mumbai that cost one billion dollars(Araujo). Some other billionaire businessmen who live in this country are Lakshmi Mittal, Azim Premji, and Kumar Birla(Richest). Right now, India could be classified as a country of extremes, with a large lower class and upper class. What seems to be missing is the middle class population. But that is changing, because India is making an effort to merge the poor and rich(Kaushik).
Furthermore, cell phones and computer devices are very popular in India, because people need to be able to communicate with each other quickly and easily. In fact, India has the fastest growing telecommunications network in the world, and is second to China in the number of mobile phone users. These devices cost a lot to use every day, which proves that there are millions of people in India who have a solid amount of money.


Muneksh Ambani's billion dollar home in Mumbai

 Indian Misperceptions of Americans


Now the question is, “What do the Indians think of us?” Well, they have a few misperceptions that are easy to understand. They think the United States has an above average crime rate, with drugs and violence. Americans are also perceived to be selfish and self-centered based on the lifestyle we live. Lastly, we are looked at as not very religious(Indian Beliefs).

A possible factor in some of these views are action movies, which have gang violence, drug situations, and other forms of breaking the law. There are some dangerous areas in the United States, but most of it is pretty quiet and peaceful. The selfish and self centered misperception is also easy to understand. The truth is, most Americans are focused on their work situations and pleasing themselves and their families, rather than constantly looking to help others. But we know most Americans are nice people with good intentions, and we just come off as ignorant and selfish. The last major perception that Indians have towards Americans is we aren’t very religious. There could be many reasons that they think this, but the bottom line is that some people are religious and some aren’t. Equally as important, different religions have different gods, rituals, and prayers, so it’s not fair to compare them.


 Overall, India is much better than foreigners think. It has several clean, beautiful places that are great for vacations, traveling, and special events. Indians are also hard working and determined to succeed, whether it’s as an engineer, business owner, doctor, etc. Chances are you’ll run into some pretty well-educated people if you decide to take a trip to this country. Moreover, India is not all poverty and slums. There are growing cities all over the country just waiting to be noticed, and massive houses that were recently built. Romain Rolland stated, "If there is one place on the face of earth where all the dreams of living men have found a home from the very earliest days when man began the dream of existence, it is India." The perceptions will change as more people visit and see the positives, so go there soon and get the true India experience!




                                                                                                         Charlie Donovan-4




Website Links
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