Pat's Perspective:
"India - Rediscovering My Roots."

India - A land of 1 billion people, an ancient culture, with great fortunes and even more misfortune. I was born in India, and moved to America at the age of 8. I recall a childhood filled with a large family, plenty of food, visits to the mandir (temple), and new toys. I never saw the beggars on the street, the poor children without shoes or shirts begging for a pen so that they can go to school. I never saw the upper-class women going to "kitty-parties" where the talk down to the help (waiters), and gossip about the women who are not in attendance ("katty-parties" if you ask me). I never saw the people of the lower caste who would do anything to earn a minuscule amount of money, even 30 rupees a day (less than a dollar). I never saw the rich throw their money away at elite shops to purchase a new silk saree, then go out onto the street and bargain with a rickshaw driver to reduce his fare from 50 rupees to 30 (a reduction of 30 cents).
These are the same people who treat their servants like animals. They will speak in such a sweet and kind manner when it comes to dealing with those on the same "caliber," but observe them talk to a waiter, a maid, or anyone they don't consider as "equal," you'll know what I mean. This actually makes me wonder how genuine they are to me, if they can switch attitudes at the drop of a hat. Now I may not have seen such things, but they were always present, I was born into the culture, and was immune to it until my recent visit.

India, the largest democracy in the world, where if you have enough money, you can buy your way out of any situation. A recent report by the Transparency Group, an international organization of investigators, found India to rank high among corrupt nations. A land where the poor and middle class, who live in shacks and modest homes have to pay taxes so that their corrupt politicians can live rent free in mansions. A country where the poor outnumber the rich, but have no voice.
Where the poor are having more children so that they can have a better work force and generate more money, without realizing that more children means more mouths to feed and more dowry for marriages. The rich are having about two children per household, and the poor at times seven or eight. Sometimes not satisfied until a boy is born. Sometimes, murdering their daughters at birth because of the costs and social stigma that still permeates the uneducated about the worth of a female. India, where a doctor can make an "honest" living going from one village to the next with his equipment telling each pregnant woman whether she is carrying a son or a daughter, knowing full well that if it is a daughter, most likely she will be aborted illegally because the mother cannot afford proper medical intervention, risking her own life.

A democracy where the upper class folk actually go into the small villages during election times and threaten the locals to prevented them from voting during the recent elections. The poor are drowning in this land, constantly humiliated on the street, shunned by their politicians and have no viable means of coming up for air. The leaders promise to help the poor; during election time, politicians even come to the door steps of these mud, dung and cardboard huts and ask for their vote. The leaders give the locals flowers, and make promises which to this day have not been fulfilled. As soon as the elections are over, the politicians escape to their rent-free homes, throw fancy parties and boast of their triumphs. I wonder if they ever tried to honestly look at themselves in the mirror, I doubt it.

India has been credited for inventing the number zero, a monumental contribution to the field of mathematics. Did you know that chess was also invented in India? Did you know that some words in the English language are from Sanskrit? Pretty good, huh? But did you also know that the literacy rate in India is 62% for men and 34% for women (as of 1995)? Did you know that 40% of the Indian population is below the poverty line? Hmm, where did this dichotomy occur?
Mahatma Gandhi, an honorable Indian icon leader who encouraged peace and equality and non-violence, also inspired other leaders such as Martin Luther King. Many of my people who hold Gandhi in high regard, are the same ones who refuse to help the poor, who make cheap excuses for not donating money or time to worthwhile charities. They say "Oh, I would love to give money to the poor, but the organizations representing them are corrupt," however, they also refuse to give money to the beggars on the streets as well so as "not to encourage begging." As a result, they cling onto their money, spend it on meaningless things in an attempt to enrich their lives, not knowing that doing for others is the most priceless and rewarding gift one can give to one's self.

Despite all the criticism that I have about my mother country, I am proud to be of Indian heritage. Of course there are many positive aspects of India, however, that was not my purpose with this entry. Despite the low literacy rate, those who are fortunate enough to afford higher education do attend college, become engineers, computer programmers and especially doctors. Just visit a hospital in your area, and I guarantee you'll see a few Indian faces with white jackets. Indians are making a positive contribution to society. The issues with poverty seems to have always been present, and I'm not sure when it will be truly addressed, but it is worth receiving some international attention, that is my purpose in writing this entry.


Friends, thank you for allowing me to share my thoughts.
- Pratiksha

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