India’s fight for independence is legendary. Since the British marched out in 1948, the country has become the most populous democracy in the world. Those of us who are committed to popular governance should be pleased with the strides the country has made, but there are overriding struggles that can’t be ignored.
The problem of pollution is paramount. New Delhi, India’s capital, exceeds Beijing in air pollution, a fact that many Indian officials deny. Some efforts have been made to address the problem; for example, in January the government required cars to only be driven on alternate days based on whether their license plate numbers ended in odd or even numbers. It was an experiment, and like so many other Indian rules, there were many exceptions and widespread corruption in enforcement. It did not last long and is not expected to be repeated.
Other efforts to clear the air have been tried without much success. India’s Prime Minister has recently made a commitment to reduce pollution, but he has also worked to increase coal production, an important source of heat for many families. Cow dung is an even worse fuel source widely used for heating.
Sacred cows in large numbers roam freely in many places. Their waste is everywhere, adding the danger of infectious disease to other perils. Furthermore, 626 million Indians do not have toilets. Only 47 percent have toilets on their premises, including pit latrines that don’t use running water. More people have cell phones than have toilets.
New Delhi is not the only city overwhelmed by pollution. As a result of interest in Eastern religions and culture, Varanasi is a major attraction for visitors from all over India and the rest of the world. It is the most ancient continually inhabited city in the world, and is considered a holy place for Hindus who are instructed that death in the city will bring salvation. It has an estimated 23,000 temples. Probably more importantly, there are 84 ghats, or stone slabs that lead down to the Ganges River. Most are used for bathing, but some are devoted to elaborate cremation rituals. As a result, the contamination of the Ganges is as severe a problem as air pollution from traffic, cremation fires and other sources.
Buddhists are also attracted to Varanasi and adjacent Sarnath, the place where Buddha first began preaching. Though efforts have been made to preserve Sarnath, unfortunately it is afflicted with many of the same problems as Varanasi. Tragically, repeated efforts by Indians to obtain UNESCO World Heritage Site designation for Varanasi have failed. The advantage to such recognition would be international protection of many of the ancient buildings and surrounding areas; however, the city’s degradation is so great that that those efforts have not succeeded.
Can the problems of New Delhi, Varanasi and other cultural and religious sites in India be remedied? Some places in the south appear to be much more livable, even though they have important cultural features that attract hordes of tourists. The southern city of Mumbai has less congestion caused by drivers unwilling to obey simple traffic regulations, and the streets are free of litter and sewage in many areas. Additionally, the problems caused by the treatment of sacred cows seem to have been solved to some degree in Mumbai. In the Northern cities, interfering with cows in any way can be a provocation that may lead to deadly conflict. There are fewer cows in many parts of Mumbai, and cows in these areas are accompanied by tenders who led them with ropes and who are not confronted by antagonists.
The overriding problem for all of India is its population of more than 1,300,000,000 people. There were more than 3 million births so far this year. No matter how much the country improves basic living facilities, there is no imaginable way it can succeed in overcoming its problems as long as the birth rate continues at present levels—or, what is more likely, increases.
Despite these challenges, India’s attractions cannot be ignored. The Taj Mahal’s beauty exceeds all expectations. Another fascinating place is Khajuraho, once the center of the 10th-century Chandelas dynasty. What remains today is a group of temples with exquisite erotic carvings on them. This carefully maintained area has achieved recognition as a World Heritage Site.
Further south, near Kochi, houseboats travel along an inland waterway surrounded by smalll, well-kept villages and prosperous agricultural areas. Local residents appear proud of their holdings and greet visitors with enthusiasm Even some of the worst polluted areas demand attention; looking at Varanasi’s ghats from small boats on the Ganges at sunset or sunrise is an unforgettable experience.
It is not only the beauty of so many sites that makes India attractive. Many cultural features are intriguing, too. In Delhi, a Sikh temple is elaborately decorated in gold. Next to it is a massive communal feeding place where Sikh volunteers cook and serve meals to thousands of people every day. Their hospitality is not only extended to the poor, but to people of all economic classes and religions.In Kerala, traditional Kathakali performances by actors in elaborate costumes and dramatic face paint silently portray the stories of Indian epics, mythologies and legends.
India’s visitors are left with a mixture of despair and hope. They grieve for the obvious deprivation and ecological degradation, and at the same time hope that India can both thrive in the modern world and maintain its ancient traditions.