India: Land of Contrasts
In the Western imagination India has always been a
land of contrasts — fantastically wealthy maharajas living in
opulent palaces and bedecked with jewels ruling over destitute
farmers living in remote villages lacking the most basic services.
The reign of the maharajas may be long past, but today’s
traveller still confronts contrasts wherever he goes.
While 25% of the population still lives on $1 per day, the middle
class is estimated by some to number 300 million, making it as
large as the entire US population. Of course, middle class in
India is different than it is here — a middle class family may
still not own a car, but will likely have a live in cook, gardener and,
if they own a car, a driver; and no middle class lady does her own
laundry — you give it to the dhobi wallah.
Here are a few other examples of contrasts:
Trucks, buses and cars share rural roads with underpowered motorbikes,
donkey and camel carts, and pedestrians carrying water or firewood
on their heads. The Indian Railways web site lets you book, charge
to your American credit card, and print your e-ticket, but the
packed-to-the-hilt train cars are still fifty years old and travel
at 35–40 miles per hour. And my mid-priced family run hotel in
Delhi (a converted house in a middle class neighborhood — ten
rooms) had a faster broadband connection then I get from Qwest, and
my cell phone worked in the rural village of Ranakpur, with better
reception than I get in parts of Albuquerque.
Photo taken: January 23, 2008
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