Bahtatboy

That was meant to remain confidential.

mikewot

And yet 60% of the population still do not have toilets. What to do Yanni.

mikewot

I take issue with that statement. If you discover any sign of racism then report it to the Mods because we do not have time to read every post in detail. Personally I have not seen racism of the type you describe.

Bipat

Not sure about that figure considering 60% of the population are now classed as 'middle class'!!
Yes it is an outrage that so many of the very poor villagers or slum dwellers have either outdoor toilets or no toilets after all this time since independence.
The new PM who is set to improve matters made the statement "toilets before temples".
The provision of public toilets is infinitely better than 40++ years ago when travelling with toddler children I used to literally pray for a good toilet.

mikewot

Pity it wasn't toilets before space flight.

Bipat

No, actual blatant racism is very rare.
The subtle nuances are easily picked up and in no way worth reporting.
However I have got used to realising I get a different reaction to my posts if I point out that I am not Indian born

It was having accidently discovered BE-- India/Goa section and being appalled at some the posts that I ventured to answer some.
Any tips on breaking the habit and stop reading????

Bipat

Yes you are right, present PM only in office for 15 months. The last Congress party/Nehru wealthy dynasty could have done a lot more.

(The British rulers could have perhaps done something in exchange for their 200 year activities???)

Millhouse

I think you need to look in detail to the UKAID program...
60pct middle class is frankly not true. It is nearer 3pct. Look it up.

Bipat

That is a frankly ridiculous statement. 50-60% is an accepted figure. I suppose it depends how you define "middle class".

Just look around, rather than "look it up", people are better dressed, better fed, they travel more, children are better educated, literacy rates are higher.
Remember there are 29 States and all different. If you look at figures for one state they will be very different from another. Partly because of the Federal system which means the State Chief Minister is independent of the Central Government.

mikewot

A Pew Research Center study looking into the break-up of income levels across the world released last week offers a wake-up call for those familiar with headlines in the English press touting the promises of India's massive middle-class. The study, which looked at changes in income levels across the world's population, points out that the first decade of the 2000s saw a dramatic, historic reduction in global poverty. Yet, despite this, the actual number of people who could be considered middle-income remained under 15%.

Everyone in India thinks they are 'middle class' and almost no one actually is

A Global Middle Class Is More Promise than Reality | Pew Research Center

Bipat

As I said above it depends how you define middle class.
Of course in India incomes are low across the board.
It is what you can buy with that income which counts! Possessions in other words.
Just look at the shopping malls, look at the number of cars on the roads. We even have a supermarket now in our very small town always full of people buying. Look at the number of domestic flights always full. Luxury (by our standards) coaches always have to get tickets in advance or full.

(One Global phenomenon seems to be to 'put India down', is it jealousy that they are doing so well??).

Inselaffen

According the the World Bank's studies India had 179 million people living below the poverty line. That is 20pct of the world's total population that lives below the poverty line.

That is probably more telling than the levels of the so called middle classes

Bipat

As they have more than 17% of the world's population not that surprising is it?
It is accepted that at least 40% are still in poverty 67 years after independence. (No more though of the dreadful famines that the British ignored)

Progress has been too slow but it is speeding up.

mikewot

Enough already! You complain that 'we' are putting India down through jealousy and then post this kind of tripe, obviously expecting a bite.
If you cared to study it a little you would understand why the 1943 Bengali famine occurred and the mitigations that the British tried to put in place, but were unsuccessful for a variety of reasons outside our control.
You also ignore other famines that have occurred post the dreadful British leaving, as an example Bihar Famine, 1966-67 and Maharashtra Drought, 1970-73.

No more posts on India in this thread, start your own if you like.

auh123

Hypocrisy at its best; full article in The National reflecting on Europe's issues with the refugee crisis but not a word on the fact that not a single Syrian has been given refuge in the GCC.

Why can’t Europe cope with this humanitarian crisis? | The National