Travelling through India: Contrast Between Societies
- Josephine S
- Mar 15, 2018
- 6 min read
Last October, I was given the opportunity to travel to India. The intense contrasts between the economic, social, and environmental features of India and England were prominent and thought-provoking. I have spent my entire life in London, a life with constant access to uncontaminated mineral water and sanctuary, so upon arrival in India, I was beyond astounded by the difference in the quality of life and the conditions. London is very much focused in the vicinity of tourism; a large part of its wealth is concentrated on creating this picturesque and flawless city packed with lavish gardens, grand hotels, and complete luxury. India is a developing country that’s wealth does not provide for its entire population due to its uneven and prejudiced distribution. It is home to some of the most extraordinary and prodigious monuments in the world. However, as soon as I stepped out of the ‘tourist bubble’, I found myself in a completely dissimilar world to what was displayed in guidebooks and on google images. Beneath all of the beauty, I saw the impact of poverty. However, despite the dishevelled, polluted, and poverty dominated setting, the people of India had a constant smile on their faces. There was a sense of genuine happiness among society that had an influence on me, leaving me feeling that sense of joy.
We flew directly into New Delhi and as I made my way through the airport, I felt as if I was walking a red carpet. I was greeted with gaping smiles and delighted waves from the locals. The difference between my arrival into India and flying into London is that when returning home, everyone was too busy and focused on their own problems to stop and greet tourists. Instead of taking our tourists as a compliment, we roll our eyes and complain about the crowds. The affectionate greetings made me feel comfortable and as if I wasn't an intruder. I felt welcomed and accepted.
The moment I stepped out of the airport doors, I was blasted by a thick smog of hot, humid air and gasoline. The sky was slate grey and unfamiliar to me. We drove through New Delhi and I immediately felt as I was in a different world. The streets were busier, the people were dressed in vibrant colours, and monkeys clambered over fences in packs. People were walking barefoot through heavy traffic and motorcycles packed with at least four people per vehicle were squeezed in between the rusted cars. I was struck hard by the colossal numbers of people sleeping in small crevices between bridges or streets and on the sides of the roads. Some people were wearing little to no clothing, and others were picking food scraps of the floor. The number of homeless people in New Delhi compared to London was shocking.
We spent some time in New Delhi, and then ventured to the small farming town located in Amritsar where we were able to visit two of the local schools, which starkly contrasted with schools in England. In some classes, students didn't have chairs to sit in and after talking to one of the teachers, I learnt about how resources are so limited. Despite the sadness that this made me feel, there was not one child there that wasn't smiling. They were so excited to see people that were from different cultures. Something I specifically remember is a child who was approximately eight years old tugging on my trousers and pointing towards my camera. I took it out of its case and five children immediately gained an interest in it. We took over a hundred photos and I showed them some of my own pictures of other places I had been to. They showed such an interest and appreciation in something that is such a normality to me, something that I had never appreciated as much as I should have. This made me feel a sort of guilt about my lack of appreciation of everyday things. This trip taught me to appreciate even the small things because when in such a small enclosed bubble like London, where everyone seems privileged, it’s easy to forget that there are people who don't have the same opportunities as you do. My trip to India reminded me to be more thankful and thoughtful towards the life that I have been given.
Prior to the trip, I received a safety briefing. It was incredibly detailed and a little overwhelming. I was told that I was required to drink bottled water and not eat dairy products, cold food or raw vegetables. One other safety point was that my clothing had to properly cover my arms and legs. I figured that this was out of respect, however soon learned that this was not solely down to cultural norms.
One night was designated to travelling via night train. Before the trip, all of my friends were frantically looking up pictures and reviews of the night train. The reviews didn't settle my nerves at all. A friend who had just recently returned from a trip to India told me that I had to “try to ignore the rats”. The train was nothing like I’d ever seen before. There were bunk beds, which I hadn’t expected. Some of my friends didn't particularly enjoy this, but I found it unique and intriguing. The first thing that I noticed were the signs along the walls stating that there was to be “no misuse of women on this train”. This surprised me because in the UK, you will almost never find a sign stating this as it’s just a given. It made me contemplate the difference between women’s rights in India and in the UK.
A key term that came up in my research was ‘honour killings’. The Google dictionary definition of an honour killing is “the killing of a relative, especially a girl or woman, who is perceived to have brought dishonour on the family.” If you type that term into a search engine, one of the first examples that surfaces relates directly to India. Honour killings take place in India because there are social beliefs that a woman is controlled by her parents until she is controlled by the husband chosen for her. If the daughter doesn't agree to this, it is considered a lack of respect and that is where most honour killings derive from. The signs on the train are indicative of how the government and figures of authority are fighting for women, however Indian society has not yet reached the same level of acceptance that can be found in places like the UK. In 2013 there were 583 rape cases in New Delhi recorded. This number most likely has limited representation of the actual statistics. Women still feel unable to open up about such crimes. When my friend and I were all settled into our bunks, one of the train staff kept coming into our area and standing around us. He wasn't doing anything specifically wrong, however it gave me a sense of discomfort. Once we had pulled into our station, we lined up to slowly make our way out of the train. I had two enormous back packs draped over my arms and my hands were wrapped around my phone and purse. We stood for a few minutes waiting to get off of the train and I felt something grab my butt. As soon as I had enough space to turn, I realised that the man who was working on the train had deemed it acceptable to grope me. I was so shocked. This unfortunately also happens to many people in London, however this man was working for the train company. It only served to show how necessary those train signs were. The contrast between London and New Delhi was so shocking, especially in this present day and age where our headlines revolve around the ‘Time’s Up’ and ‘Me Too’ campaigns and the courage that women show when standing up after experiencing traumatising incidents.
The culture was immersive and specific to each of the communities throughout the country. I found the entire experience immensely eye-opening and it completely altered the way I perceive my life. I came to the realisation of how fortunate I am to have the ability to live in the safe bubble that is London. India is a beautiful and highly cultured place with fascinating history, a place where the citizens don't take for granted their opportunities and enjoy their lives to the fullest, despite what they have or don't have. This was the most important lesson I learnt from this trip, and I feel every single person could learn at least something from the positivity, gratefulness and welcoming personalities of the citizens.