July 5, 2013
(Sorry! I meant to post this last week!)
Another
week in India! After a month, the culture shock is officially over, my stomach
is well acquainted with the foreign tastes and spices, and my haggling skills
are modestly improving. From exploring the city, I have already picked out a
few favorite areas that offer escapes to an otherwise stressful city. I have
become familiar with the protocol in entering Sikh Gurdwaras and Hindu temples,
and find the somber recitations of prayer relaxing. The city slowly is becoming
less foreign and I’m starting to understand life here in Delhi.
One of
the most interesting topics that I have learned the most about has been
politics. As compared to western democracies, Indian politics is quite
different. Corruption and populism are
inbred into political parties; without either it seems a major party wouldn’t
survive. While major parties have flagrant flaws, minor parties never seem to
reach out to a majority of the vote to shift the balance of power in the
political system. Parties are less divided on rigid political stances and
ideology and more on personality. As is true in America, Indians are likely to
vote the same way their parents did. As such, major parties have both used and
abused these loyal voters; often serving them before an election year to ensure
their retention on power. Just recently Congress passed another food subsidy
bill. This bill will add billions of dollars more to the already expansive food
subsidy program in India. It seems almost a last ditch effort to garner votes
for the Congress party after recent news that the economy has been weaker than
expected; decreased growth rates and a very weak rupee spell trouble for the
new emerging Indian market and even more trouble for the Congress party.
While
the outcome of the next election remains unclear, what is clear is that the
ailing political system in India is beleaguering the great potential this
nation has. On the one hand, the government is extremely bureaucratic and
complicated. A massive and inconsistent application of regulations has drained
confidence in the state system. Complex regulations encourage corruption. But
while the government is complex and expansive, it does not adequately serve
some of the main interests that would be expected of a public entity. Lack of water lines, power lines, sewage
drains, adequate roads, public schools, and public health initiatives breeds
inequality across Delhi. Further, with only 3% of Indians paying taxes, the
government remains almost helpless to put any service program into place that
could adequately serve the billion people that live in the country. This
backwards bureaucracy and inadequate social aid and infrastructure have left
many people distrusting of the government and more importantly has halted
Indian growth. Even as India continues to make huge strides forward, the
political system remains not a help but a hindrance in many ways to the
development of the country.
I gave
a presentation at Novus today about myself and then my perspective on politics.
I compared what I had learned in the brief time here about Indian politics with
what I knew about American politics, drawing similarities between problems and
solutions for both nations. I think it’s important for any government to
realize that there are key elements needed in a functioning government
regardless of culture, history, or tradition. One of these key elements a
government needs in fostering a progressive country is the trust of the people.
As India faces this issue, so too does America. From NSA security issues to
bipartisanship wrecking any hope for political action in Washington, mistrust
in government only undermines a common cause in an otherwise powerful
organization. Governments can seek to appease citizens with subsidies, but it’s
the larger issues and the long run that will win the trust of the people. On
this issue, perhaps Indian and America could learn from each other.
Besides
politics, I have also continued to adventure around Delhi! To celebrate the 4th
of July, we went to the American Embassy last weekend. The embassy party had
all kinds of American food, live music, games, and of course a bar. A speech by
Ambassador Powell was followed by fireworks and live music. Overall it was a
great night. On the actual fourth, we met with some other expats and had a
small party on a rooftop with smaller fireworks. It was nice to hear the boom
of a firework off in the distance that night and know that we weren’t the only
Americans in the city.
At
Novus this week, we worked on a new and exciting case the company just began.
While weeding through documents can be tedious, I learn something new every
hour! Furthermore, the office makes understanding the issues very easy.
Communication is key and as such takes place on many different platforms.
Overall, it’s interesting to be a part of such a large case!
This
weekend I dive into the old city! Hopefully I’ll have some good stories for
next w
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