Ten more things I hate in India

When I wrote an article about the 10 things I hate about India, I was criticised by many, while others agreed. As I grow older, many more things irritate me now. I have listed 10 of them below.

However, having completed 35 years in this country, I realise how much I love this incredible India, the following irritants notwithstanding:

1. Statues

Though it is difficult to decide an order in the list of irritants, if I had to list the first one, I would say, statues exasperate me most.

Today in India, what we witness is a statue-mania.

Parties, politicians and other self-styled leaders, all want to erect a statue of their own 'leader' (I will not speak of those who erect statues of themselves, the Supreme Court can deal with them).

Once a statue is erected, the departed (or living) statuefied leader has to be garlanded periodically; for the rest of the time, the statue is forgotten, except if, for any reason, the statue needs to be removed. Then you are sure to get a riot the next day. The 'erecter' group is always ready to give his/her life for his/her 'leader'. As a result, the number of statues will only increase in the already congested streets of India.

Another problem with the statues is that they are usually ugly. When you look at ancient statues of Buddha of the Gupta or Gandhara periods, or certain Greek statues or some of Michelangelo's works, you usually experience a deep aesthetic emotion. It is not the case with the present-day statues of political leaders.

A sage who was 'deified' by his disciples told them: 'Why do you like so much to deify me, why don't you emulate me instead'. He added that 'changing your nature is more important than worshipping me'.

But true, it is easier to garland a statue than to change oneself and become a better human being.

2. Lal battis

I deeply dislike the red light gyrating on the top of the cars of 'important' officials. Why is it so important to show that one is 'important'?

India must be the one country in the world with the highest percentage of 'important' people. I personally believe that someone's 'importance' should be calculated by the service that this individual offers to the country and to society, not by the lal batti (or the siren) on her/his vehicle.

Like in many domains, these things have a tendency to become worse. At the time of Independence, the bureaucracy used to be called the Indian Civil Service. Though Jawaharlal Nehru [ Images ] in his book Discovery of India said that the service was 'neither Indian, nor civil, nor a service', at least it carried the word 'civil'. Then it became the Indian Administrative Service, an institution whose job was only to serve the administration and the government. The 'civil servants' became 'government servants'. It may seem a mere detail, but it is truly symptomatic of what has happened during the past 60 years.

For someone educated in the spirit of Liberty, Equality, Fraternity, it is difficult to accept the gap (symbolised by the lal batti) between the rulers (mostly politicians or bureaucrats) and the ruled (alias the 'common man').

3. Plastic bags

I really hate plastic bags and garbage littering the streets of India. One still remembers that a few years ago during an official visit, the British queen [ Images ] remarked that India was very dirty compared to Pakistan.

Since then, things have worsened terribly. One can't blame the government for everything, though if a strict discipline with heavy fines were imposed on the public, in a short span of time, India could certainly look like a Scandinavian country. The local authorities should start installing dustbins and garbage cans in all public places and organise a speedy collection of their content.

Recently after the Pongal festival, more than 100 tonnes of garbage were left on the sands of the beaches of Chennai, Tamil Nadu. The Hindu reported: 'People continued their celebrations till midnight and continued to throw plastic bottles, spoons and polythene bags'. Ironically, the reporter says: 'Most people seemed to have forgotten the ban on plastics on Marina and more than three tonnes of plastic waste was collected'.

Should this not be entered in the Guinness Book of Records?

4. Environment

It irritates me when I see so little concern for the environment in India. Let us take the rivers. Last week, a group of US green activists went to Agra [ Images ] to inspect the Yamuna behind the Taj Mahal [ Images ]; most belonged to the river cleaning foundations in the US. One of them, Ginny Harris of the Alice Ferguson Foundation involved in the preservation of the Potomac river exclaimed: 'Oh my god, you call this a river!' A number of NGOs and local activists were present. Who uses India's holy rivers as sewage outlets?

The government does not really care to find out who is using the rivers as sewage (though the present environment minister seems a bit different from his predecessors).

The soil of India is supposed to be sacred. Early January, scientists attached to the Punjab [ Images ] Agriculture University identified the reason behind the rapid spread of cancer in Punjab. Their verdict is clear: arsenic in the water is the main cause for abnormal cell growth in the human body.

The university analysed 168 ground water samples over a period of 36 months. The sampling originating from different parts of North India contained an unacceptably high quantity of arsenic.

For years, the government spoke of its Green Revolution as a miracle India should be proud of, but this type of miracle unfortunately has serious collaterals.

What saddens me more is that India has decided to align itself with the worse State on the planet in this field: China.

Why can't India discover a Middle Path between development and environment conservation? India ranks 123rd in the last Environmental Performance Index just published by a team of experts at Yale University and Columbia University; India is not shining in this domain.

5. Lavish marriages

I have nothing again marriages, having successfully gone through one myself (with an Indian), but it hurts my sentiments to see so much money and energy wasted for a ceremony which should be 'sacred'. Further, the 'outcome' of the marriage is not always proportionate with the money invested.

What shocks me is the lavishness, verging on indecency of some Indian weddings, usually in the large metros. I don't appreciate the ostentatious side of these ceremonies which is often more a showing of wealth (often borrowed), than the celebration of the union between two individuals.

Though considered a 'seasonal' industry, the Indian wedding industry has an estimated turnover of over Rs 150,000 crores; and it is growing by the year. One could argue that it creates employment, but too many people are indebted the day after; this is not healthy.

6. Reservations

Reservations were introduced in the Constitution as a temporary measure at the time of Independence to remove disparities between different 'weaker' sections of the population. It was a genuine problem, with no easy solution. Over the years, it has been politicised (especially during and after V P Singh's [ Images ] rule) and it has now become a tool for political parties to gain power.

Why should a Dalit or OBC crorepati get more support from the government in terms of quota in a university or financial incentives than a poor Brahmin? It is just unfair.

While more attention should be paid to the poorest communities in India, the only criteria to receive financial support should be strictly economic.

For this, I admire the Indian Army [ Images ] which has managed for the past six decades to remain free from the poison of 'caste' quota.

7. Nouveau riche

The nouveau riche tribe is a despicable species whether in India or elsewhere on the planet. They behave particularly badly in this country. They speak loudly and they like to show-off their newly-acquired wealth.

One understands that they had no time to invest to educate themselves, being too busy making money, but life, whether of an individual or a nation should be balanced. Culture is an essential part of any human being.

8. National Security

The concept of National Security is constantly misused by government babus to avoid transparency. Though the situation in India is far better than in China where you can be sent to concentration camps (known as laogais) for any real or fictitious breach of 'national security,' Indian bureaucrats however take refuge behind the veil of this undefined concept to escape scrutiny.

To take an example, under the RTI Act, section 8A allows exemption of information, disclosure of 'which would prejudicially affect the sovereignty and integrity of India, the security, strategic, scientific or economic interests of the State, relation with foreign State or lead to incitement of an offence.'

Tons of important documents, having nothing to do with 'national security' are withheld under this pretext. Courts will one day have to define the concept more precisely.

9. Chaotic traffic

I had listed 'traffic' in my earlier article, but things have got much worse. I wish India would learn from China how to develop proper infrastructure (without, of course, having to import the workforce from the Middle Kingdom).

The ideal State would probably be the Middle Path between Switzerland [ Images ], boringly over disciplined and chaotic free-for-all India.

10. Bt Brinjal

But again India is incredible and lovable, despite these small hitches.

Claude Arpi is a regular contributor to Rediff.com He left France [ Images ] to make India his home 35 years ago.

10 things I hate about India

Many years ago a friend of mine wrote a book, The Wonder that IS India [Images ]. Both of us have lived more for than 30 years in the Land of the Bharatiyas and share a love for this nation. When he showed me the manuscript of his book, I had pointed out that his representation of India was too rosy and suggested one more chapter -- 'The Horror that is India'. I think he did.

I have the same feelings for India today: 95 per cent is good, but there are some aspects that I am still not able to swallow, even after all these years. I have listed ten of them. Even if it does not change anything, at least some of my frustrations will be released while penning them down.

Before I begin, I must first say that during a recent visit to France [ Images ], it was a pleasant surprise to see that India's image is fast changing in the West. When I left France in the early 1970s to settle in India, my family and friends considered it a shocking decision. To leave France, a 'developed' country and emigrate to the end of the world to a 'land of misery' populated 'by elephants and cobras' was unimaginable!

I was told that for a student in France today, it was of great added-value on his CV, if he had undergone training or internship in India. This 'Indian' wave has been reinforced since Mittal Steel tried to purchase Arcelor, the jewel of the French steel industry.

Though the nation has grown and matured over the last few decades, unfortunately not all domains have followed the same evolution.

Here is my list of the 10 things I still can't 'digest' about India:

1. Power cuts: While typing this article, the electricity board cut off the power supply. The reason -- a storm last night which lasted for 15 to 20 minutes. 'As a precautionary measure' the officials very compassionately disconnected vast areas from the network in the night and the following morning.

Being in rural Tamil Nadu, these officials want to protect us from broken wires due to fallen trees (it could electrocute passersby, they say). While I appreciate their reasoning, I was surprised to see that during the cyclonic rains in New Orleans last year, though thousands perished, electricity was not switched off. Indian officials will tell you that the US is a rich and developed country, not comparable to India. Where is the connection?

2. Indian babus: One could write volumes on the famous babus of India. They run one of the largest bureaucracies in the world, but have not been able to change their mindset.

A particularly bothersome aspect is that their laws often come from antiquated rules and regulations that nobody knows of. The consequence is what we call red-tapism, though for them it is 'implementing the letter, the law of the land'. But what about its spirit? In any case, the law has always to 'follow its own course'.

A few years ago, a diligent minister found hundreds such laws and regulations dating back to the British. In the era of modern technology and communications, this is preposterous.

Another aspect that irritates me about the bureaucracy is that babus never respond to letters. Probably they consider themselves to be the government's servants, not 'civil' servants and therefore find no need to reply to ordinary citizens.

3. No access to historical documents: Though a better understanding of the history of the subcontinent could be one of the keys to disentangle difficult problems such as the Kashmir [ Images ] issue, today nobody can access primary sources. They are locked away in the vaults of the Nehru Memorial Library or the almirahs of South Block.

All those who have tried to access historical documents since India's independence will tell you that till the end of babudom, one bureaucrat or another will ensure that you do not access the dusty files. Without fail, you will be courteously informed that India's security and integrity will be endangered if these precious documents are opened to the public. It is sad that Indians are not entitled to study their past (though they can always visit archives in the West to know more about India!)

4. Discrimination against the white tourist: Something particularly irritating for a 'white man' is that wherever he goes in India, he has to pay a special rate. Whether he visits the Taj Mahal [ Images ] where the 'white' tourist has to cough up Rs 750 to see the mausoleum, or a national museum, or even hotels or airlines, there is a true racial discrimination.

Rates are often ten times higher for those who have a 'white' or 'yellow' (Japanese) skin. Those who have made these rules do not understand that this policy harms India's image.

The desire to make a quick buck from the so-called rich tourists leaves a bitter taste in the mouth of the visitors who in any case would have spent their budget during the stay in India. To my knowledge, India must be the only nation in the world implementing these separate rates.

5. Paranoia about maps: Another strange thing in India is the paranoia about maps. Several years ago I visited the Tawang district of Arunachal Pradesh. One day I was invited to the office of a local tahsildar. To my astonishment, the poor babu did not have a map of the area under his jurisdiction. He only had a vague sketch of the district. When I expressed surprise, he explained that maps were 'classified' and only the army was authorised to use them.

Is it not foolish to believe that the Chinese do not possess detailed maps of Arunachal? And what about Google Earth which is now available the world over?

One can only be surprised by this 'official' paranoia about maps. India is today a great power; technological advancements have occurred in the world during the past decades and will undoubtedly continue to occur and India has no choice but to accept them and make the best use of them.

A year ago, the Union Cabinet approved a new National Map Policy, but unfortunately, the mindset of the implementers remains the same.

6. And photographs: The paranoia is not about maps alone, it extends to photos, particularly of the sites under the Archeological Survey of India. A friend told me of her nightmarish experience while doing research in Chennai and the number of forms she had to fill to take some photos in a museum. Though one pays in hard currency, one has still to justify why one needs a particular photo. The poor researcher is looked upon as someone trying to 'steal' the national patrimony.

In contrast, a few weeks earlier, I visited the Louvre museum in Paris which receives tens of thousands of visitors every day. All of them were happily clicking away at statues, paintings, art artefacts (it is only prohibited to photograph the Mona Lisa [Images ] for security reasons) and amongst them, a great number of Indians, perhaps the most frenetic clickers. This is understandable, as they have to compensate for their frustration at home!

A French television crew told me about their adventure while trying to shoot in a fort once occupied by Rajaji (C Rajagopalachari). Before leaving Paris, they had planned a short sequence at the fort. They dutifully applied to the Indian embassy for permission. After paying a hefty Rs 5,000 they were given a stamped and signed permission. When they arrived on the spot, the local official told them: "No way, as your permission does specifically mention it, you are not authorised to shoot with a stand. You have to go to Chennai (150 km away) and get the permission duly modified. No problem, it will take you a day only!" They left disgusted, the fort will not appear in their film.

7. Politicians: The topic of politicians is an easy one. Everything appalling and more can be said of them and one will still remain below the truth. In their defense, they are part of a system which is uniquely based on votes.

To win votes, one needs money and all compromises are permissible to get the required funds 'to serve the people'. It is true the world over, but here like in many other domains India excels.

8. Neglect for the environment: Another frustrating aspect for me is the lack of care for the environment (though it has been recently improving). While Indians are the most conscious people as far as personal hygiene goes, there is very little civic awareness or concern for the environment.

Education could help (for example for disposal of garbage or plastic bags), but it is often government policies such as free electricity for farmers, incentives for asbestos sheets (one of the most carcinogenic material) or chemical pesticides which harm the environment the most.

9. Traffic: I hate the Indian traffic (with its absence of rules). Each time I return from a visit abroad, it is a terrible shock. It is difficult to comprehend how there are not more casualties on the road. A friend explained to me that the multitude of gods in India probably protect their flock. The fact is that there are no law enforcement authorities (most of the police force is busy with VIP duty).

In France and elsewhere if the cops were not around, very few would follow the traffic rules. Extremely severe punishment for breaking traffic rules has a strong dissuasive effect. Here in India, you can always get away with a few rupees.

10. Corruption: It is better to not comment.

Please allow me to add a last point: the number of 'holidays' taken for a myriad of family 'problems', (marriages, engagements, funerals, etc.), cultural, local or religious festivals (of all faiths: India is secular), then you have bandhs, hartals, riots, strikes (India is the only place in the world where the government sometimes calls for a strike), etc... The worst are 'French leaves', absolutely unknown in France.

Apart from the above, India is an incredible place and I have never regretted, even for one day, to have settled here.