The 'poor' Neighbour

People were content with their surroundings. Mass awareness was a naive notion. I blame Govts socialistic attitude in first four decades of independence for that.

Absolutely nothing to do with caste. the lala would spit the paan juice on the walls on embassy row or on the walls of the shiva temple or jama masjid in old delhi. the lala could be brahmin, kshatriya, baniya, muslim, sikh, isai..whatever

what hits you in India upon arrival is the volume. the volume of everything. Sanitizing the volume requires infrastructure which takes decades to build. It has only been 15 years since unshackling Indian population. give it another 20 years. But in your lifetime it will happen. have faith

Chalta, Indians have more complacent attitude towards things around them. Like you said,
Yaha per sub kuch chalta hai,
Yaha aisehi hota hai or hota aya ahi type mentality is prevalent even among the industrial circles. We had a manager once (IMM graduate no less) when we asked about R&D he openly made fun of the whole idea.
May be the things are changing now it was a common attitude in our parents time.

Zeemax, you are so full of shiite..I have been to India 8 times in the last year and a half. Stop making shit up.

#76 Posted by chaltahai,

Perhaps you have a point. Maybe they can see better or expect better now, but only if their mindset changes to 'hope' instead of 'fate'.

Do you really think it has nothing to do with the caste system? I'm curious.

beej, nahi yaar who jo saare bihari or B'deshi jo rehete hai slums mey, just outside the airport.

Well I really don't mean to belittle the state of affairs of the street side dwellers, or the poor of India, but it definitely has something to do with their mindset. The conditions in Layari of Karachi were a fraction of that (no homeless, but just bad sanitation), and there were so many riots that a whole new drainage system had to be installed and the river cleaned up in no time at all by successive Governments.

#74 Coobra

[Bombay Airport sure smells like latrine. ]

Kyun, teri bibbi rehti hai kya wahaN per?

No, what I am saying is that that religion has nothing to do with squalor and dirt. I could have included RIO as well.

When people become consumers from buyers and get away from the "haan bhai..aisey hi chalta hai (pun intended)" you see things change. CHoice..freedom of choice is what drives this change

I think it's time they built another International Airport in New B'bay.

I don't know about other airports but Bombay Airport sure smells like latrine.

#71 Posted by chaltahai,

I haven't been to B'Desh or sub-Saharan Africa, but the filth in India must take the cake. It is disgusting beyond imagination. It is correct that smell of urine and faeces is everywhere as soon as you land at any major airport.

So Chalta, we should be proud that we are better that B'deshis and Sub saharan Africans, hai na?

Zeemax, bangladeshis and sun saharan africans are not hindu

I am not sure if the "acceptance of lousy conditions as destiny" is true..I think it might have somehting to do with increased purchasing power and able to demand what they want.

#62 Posted by Ranjit

... acceptance of lousy conditions as destiny, that there is very little outrage at horrible conditions.

It is interesting you should say this, because it is EXACTLY as I thought i,e, "acceptance of lousy conditions as destiny" when I first visited India. I have several times posted this expression. I concluded it must have something to do with Hindu mythology. Perhaps I'm wrong, but anyone else would just rebel, which in India, they don't.

Anyone?