Author Archives: nandan

Brain drain in India

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The title of this post is “Upside Down” because it reflects how quality is often disregarded while mediocrity is upheld by both our people and our government. First, I want to talk about my brother, who is an Italian interpreter working for a major travel agency in India. Based in Delhi, he has been interpreting and escorting Italian tourists and researchers for the past two years. Though he doesn’t have an official tour guide license, he possesses extensive knowledge and experience. Many Italian travel agencies recommend him for their groups.

He started with a small group of just two people and has since progressed to leading groups of up to sixty. Despite his success, he must hire a government-authorized tour guide in each city he visits with his clients, as non-licensed individuals are not allowed to work independently. These guides are supposed to be passive, merely providing protection. However, many government-authorized guides resent him because he handles large groups, while they are stuck with smaller ones. Last week, at Jama Masjid in Delhi, licensed guides stopped him at the entrance.

They demanded to see his license, which he didn’t have, even though he was accompanied by a licensed guide. When asked if this guide spoke Italian, the answer was no, as he was an English-speaking guide. Despite the fact that all licensed guides hold the same credentials and are not required to speak specific languages, the government guides insisted on an Italian-speaking guide for my brother’s group, seemingly to obstruct him. At the same time, another group from my brother’s agency arrived with an Italian-speaking guide, but he was unable to work due to the same restrictions.

This pattern repeated in Rajasthan, where he faced similar issues and had to find an Italian-speaking government-authorized guide. Frustrated, my brother has decided to stop working in this field for now. He plans to continue with a few prearranged groups but is considering leaving the profession entirely. He is now transitioning to operations, a field he has no prior experience in. He feels compelled to learn something new, as government guides may continue to obstruct his work in the future. Although I’m confident in his ability to find another job due to his intelligence, I am concerned about the state of the tourism industry.

It’s disheartening to see a knowledgeable and experienced professional sidelined while outdated and less competent individuals are given support. This situation is truly “Upside Down.” Another story involves a relative of mine who is twenty-four years old and has always aspired to a life of crime rather than education. Despite being arrested multiple times, his father, who works at Sampurnanand Sanskrit university in Varanasi, managed to secure 10th and 12th grade certificates for him through bribery. He also obtained a graduation degree for his son from his own university, all without the son ever attending school.

The father then enrolled him in a B.Ed. course at a university in Gujarat, again through bribery, bypassing the admission tests. The son continues his criminal activities while his academic record remains intact. The father believes he can secure a government teaching job for his son through further bribery. Last year, I saw a newspaper advertisement for a peon position at the Benares municipality. The job required only an 8th-grade certificate and knowledge of bicycle riding. However, many candidates with Master’s and Ph.D. degrees applied for the position, illustrating the scarcity of jobs for highly educated individuals. Ultimately, the municipality hired these highly educated candidates as peons.

These overqualified individuals will now ride bicycles and monitor illegal construction sites, despite their extensive education. Their qualifications have not translated into the jobs they expected, and I suspect they will resort to bribery to supplement their meager salaries. Thus, a man who never attended school will become a teacher, while those with advanced degrees end up in lowly positions. It’s ironic to think about what the unqualified relative might teach—perhaps lessons in corruption or violence—while highly educated individuals are relegated to menial tasks. This situation epitomizes the concept of being “Upside Down.”

Corrupt Policing in India

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I witnessed something truly bizarre recently, which might be considered quite unusual even for an Indian. While I was sitting in an auto rickshaw, the driver was pulled over by a policeman who then sat next to me. Typically, police officers don’t pay for transportation, whether it’s an auto, bus, or train. After a few minutes of driving, another individual tried to stop our auto, but the driver refused. He explained that this person was also an auto rickshaw driver and was looking for a free ride. The other driver was furious and began shouting loudly.

We encountered this irate driver again near the railway station. He had arrived ahead of us, parked his auto, and was waiting for us. This time, our driver stopped, and the angry driver approached, grabbing the policeman by the collar and hurling abuses at him. I, along with the others in the auto, was shocked to see an auto rickshaw driver berating a policeman so publicly. The second driver claimed that the policeman had tried to ride in his auto without paying, and when he refused due to his auto being full, the policeman had slapped him.

It seemed the policeman had come to our auto after this incident. The driver continued to yell at the policeman, demanding to know why he was slapped, while the policeman merely replied that he would deal with him later and threatened to arrest him. The driver then accused the policeman of routinely sitting in his auto without paying. He boldly said, “Do I give you Rs. 10 every time I drive to the railway station to get abused?” He revealed that police officers would charge him Rs. 10 each time he drove to the railway station, a practice that he had endured for a long time. The policeman, caught off guard by this revelation, fell silent.

The driver’s response was impressive. Another rickshaw driver shared that police officers have set rates for different routes, with drivers in the downtown area paying Rs. 60. Trucks and tractors are banned from entering the city center after 8 a.m., but they frequently do so by paying bribes to the police, who stop them at every intersection but only for show. As I watched the altercation unfold, I was quite entertained by the driver’s defiance. However, to my surprise, a few other bystanders started siding with the policeman.

Despite widespread knowledge of police corruption and harassment, these people began supporting the officer. The policeman seemed emboldened by their support and became more assertive. The crowd, now favoring the policeman, urged the driver to move and let the policeman go. Eventually, the auto rickshaw driver relented, and the policeman, now with the support of a crowd of over fifty people, was let go. As the station approached, the policeman got out of the auto without paying the fare, just as he had done before.

It was striking to witness such shameless behavior. The driver will likely face repercussions for his actions, but his bold response to the policeman was remarkable. It’s a stark reminder of the kind of bravery we need to tackle the most dangerous kind of corruption in India—often embodied by those in positions of authority like the police.

Meeting advocate for tour guide lawsuit

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I went to Delhi on the 9th to be involved in the case against the Ministry of Tourism for failing to start the tour guide training program in 2008. The training was supposed to commence on October 6th but was delayed due to a lawsuit filed by the Guide Association of Jaipur, which challenged the government’s plan for organizing the training differently from their own. My arrival in Delhi was delayed by three hours due to the train being late, and I was only able to meet with the advocate because he was busy with another client.

I had planned to get my laptop and camera serviced and to take photos of the plastic waste around Delhi, but the train delay thwarted these plans. Upon reaching Delhi around noon, instead of the planned 9 a.m., I went to the High Court to meet the advocate. He was occupied with a significant matter and I had to wait in his office for over two hours. During this time, I overheard that he was dealing with a case involving the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) concerning extra income beyond his official salary.

It seemed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) was also involved, indicating the DCP’s significant corruption. DCPs typically earn around twenty thousand rupees in salary, but they often possess expensive cars, bungalows, and other luxuries. If those at the top are corrupt, it’s likely that those beneath them are as well, since bribes generally flow through the lower ranks before reaching the higher-ups. When I finally met the advocate, I was surprised to find that a young High Court advocate, probably in his 30s or 40s, was struggling with basic computer tasks.

He took ten to fifteen minutes just to type my name and address and printed the wrong documents multiple times. Despite my offer to type the information myself, I chose to watch him navigate the computer issues. Eventually, after an hour of watching him struggle, my paperwork was completed. He asked me to call him on the 22nd to discuss the court’s judgment. His fee was Rs. 3,000, which was Rs. 1,000 more than the Rs. 2,000 he charged last time for a similar case. Despite the extra cost, it seemed reasonable if it meant securing the permit. He promised to appeal to the court to issue a license valid until the training program begins.

Previously, the permit was only valid for one month, requiring frequent trips to Delhi for renewals. I hope this time will be different. After leaving the High Court, I walked to Connaught Place and spent some time observing the modern people of India. It struck me that there is a growing issue with obesity, likely influenced by western fast food and soft drinks, despite the higher literacy rates in big cities compared to smaller ones. I saw many well-dressed people in luxury cars throwing trash out of their windows, which highlights the need for significant changes in our education system.

I had planned to photograph the plastic waste near the railway tracks but couldn’t due to the foggy weather. I had already taken a few photos earlier in the morning. Although the trip wasn’t entirely successful, I don’t regret going to Delhi, especially since I will likely obtain the license.

Politics over Language

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Yesterday, I visited Delhi Public School, Varanasi branch, with a friend whose nephew attends the school. There was a music festival taking place. I enjoyed the event but was puzzled by why all the students and teachers were speaking English to one another. Although all the parents were expected to meet with the warden, my friend was reluctant to do so because his English is not strong. He mentioned that even though he speaks Hindi to the school staff, they always respond in English. My friend asked me to speak with them. I tried speaking English, but they continued to respond in Hindi.

Eventually, I had to switch to Hindi. This was the second time I had experienced this situation; I had previously spoken with the same staff member about four to five months ago, and he had spoken to me in Hindi then. My friend was curious as to why they seemed to speak English only with him. It seems that the warden only speaks English to those who do not speak it fluently. English has become quite fashionable in India. Many people use English as their primary language, especially in major cities like Delhi and Mumbai.

About 80% of the upper class and 50% of the upper-middle class in these cities have adopted English as their first language and rarely speak Hindi. On some television shows where viewers call in with questions, big-city residents often speak English, even though the shows are in Hindi. When the host requests questions in Hindi, some callers claim they don’t know the language. I’ve noticed that even in smaller cities like Varanasi, people are increasingly using English and are reluctant to speak Hindi. While learning English is essential for job prospects in India, I find it troubling that English is being adopted as the first language.

Foreigners come to India to learn Hindi, yet Indians are increasingly embracing English and Western culture. This shift seems unnecessary to me. I once worked with Krista, a research scholar from the University of California, in Mehndiganj. We went to interview a worker at a Coke factory, but an American researcher was already conducting an interview. We had to wait for her to finish. She had a translator from Delhi working for an NGO called ASHA. The translator was gathering information for a book that the NGO was publishing. During the interview, the translator often spoke English to a local villager who didn’t understand the language. Despite knowing the interviewee could not speak English, she kept asking questions in English.

The interviewee could only respond by shaking his head, which seemed ineffective. I found it puzzling why the translator was insisting on speaking English. Most government and private sector offices have printed their letterheads stating a preference for communication in Hindi. However, they predominantly use English for correspondence. A letter written in English tends to receive quicker attention. It seems that Hindi is only used on Hindi Day, with 364 days dedicated to English. Raj Thackeray, the chief of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), protests against Hindi-speaking people from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar living in Maharashtra.

Raj Thakrey, Chief of MNS Party

His supporters have been known to assault people who speak Hindi and damage shops with Hindi signage. They want everyone to speak Marathi. This has led to riots and numerous fatalities, yet the government has taken little action. While promoting Marathi is within their rights, it’s unacceptable to prevent people from speaking Hindi in India. Hindi is our national language, and it’s shameful that a group would attempt to suppress it within our own country. It would be more constructive to protest against the dominance of English rather than Hindi.

MNS workers beating a person from UP/Bihar

The MNS was supported by Congress to split the Marathi vote, which benefits Congress politically. Raj Thackeray has been arrested a few times but never stayed in jail long, which seems to be a political maneuver by Congress to maintain support among the Hindi-speaking populace. I learned English to secure a job, but I don’t use it with Hindi speakers. Many people believe that speaking English makes them appear more intelligent. However, language is crucial for preserving culture. If we lose Hindi, we lose a significant part of our cultural identity.

The growing trend of adopting English as the primary language is concerning. If this continues, it could mean the erosion of our cultural heritage and national identity. I believe that some people, especially young women, seek to appear modern and impressive by using English in conversations. It often seems like they are trying too hard to show off. I find it more authentic to communicate in one’s native language, as it fosters clearer understanding and connection. Losing Hindi would be a profound loss for India. If English becomes the dominant language, it might signify a loss of our unique cultural identity and heritage.

Another case against tour guide training

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It now appears that completing the guide training program will be delayed by another year. The Guide Association of Jaipur has filed another lawsuit against the government, demanding that the training be organized exactly as it was previously done for them. Their training consisted of three and a half months of classes followed by a fifteen-day orientation tour. This time, the proposed training includes forty-five days of classes, a fifteen-day orientation tour, and two months of research. I believe this updated training program is an improvement over the previous one.

The Jaipur association has alleged that some candidates in this year’s program have submitted fraudulent documents. They are demanding that the government verify each document with the relevant authorities. It seems their primary goal is to delay the training as much as possible. They are likely trying to prevent new guides from working during the 2010 Commonwealth Games, which is expected to attract around ten million tourists to India.

Due to the postponement of our training, this year’s candidates are planning to sue the government again for not starting the program. I received a call from the advocate handling the lawsuit, who informed me that the government will issue temporary licenses to all candidates who were scheduled to receive training this year. I will need to travel to Delhi to obtain this temporary license. While I am uncertain how long it will take to receive the permanent license, the constant trips to Delhi and the advocate’s fees are becoming quite overwhelming.

A kiss could be really dangerous sometimes

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Richard Gere kissed Shilpa Shetty in public during an AIDS awareness event, which led to legal trouble. The event, where Shilpa Shetty, a Bollywood actress, was hosting, featured Gere, who has been involved with various NGOs in India working to educate people about AIDS. During the event, Gere spontaneously kissed Shilpa on the cheeks. Initially, the audience reacted with excitement, cheering and clapping, as seeing a Bollywood actress being kissed publicly was a rare and entertaining sight. However, the incident sparked controversy when a Hindu organization filed a lawsuit against Gere, accusing him of engaging in sexual activity in public.

As a result, Gere had to appear in court multiple times. The outcome of the case remains unclear, but it’s evident that both Gere and Shilpa would have preferred to avoid such legal complications. A similar public kissing controversy involved Bollywood actress Rakhi Sawant and singer Mika Singh. At Mika’s birthday party, Rakhi initially kissed Mika on the cheek, and in response, Mika kissed Rakhi on the lips. This incident also drew significant attention and public discussion. After this kiss, Rakhi went to the police and lodged a case against Mika for kissing her forcibly.

Mika Singh and Rakhi Sawant

Mika said that she started first so he also kissed her. She kissed Mika on his cheeks and Mika kissed on her lips, that’s all. But Rakhi did not agree to hear anything. She was crying in front of media people, and was saying that Mika forcebly kissed her. She said that she was an Indian girl. She can get kissed on cheeks but not on the lips. It was one of the funniest things I had ever heard.  All this drama was just to get publicity. Later they compromised and case was taken back by Rakhi.

I met my friend Sharad yesterday who works at DHL, New Delhi. He books the parcels. He said that few days ago a foreign couple came and booked a 1.5 kilo parcel. As they entered in the office, they started kissing each other. Then they went to my friend and gave him the parcel. After giving the parcel, they were kissing until the booking process was done. Later they got a call from another office saying that they had found a packet of heroin booked by a foreign couple. This call was to alert all other offices to not accept any package from such a couple.

It made my friend remember about the couple who had booked a package. They checked the packet and found that it was also a heroin packet. This couple had booked the same kind of packet at two different offices. They did the same thing at all the offices- gave the packet and started kissing. Other offices had also accepted the parcel, but it was caught during the screening process. I am sure foreigners know that we don’t kiss in public, but this couple was still doing it just because they knew that Indians would not be able to concentrate if someone was kissing in front of them.

There are lots of stories in our religious books when demons sent girls to disturb saints and stop them from meditating. In some cases girls were able to do what they wanted to. Now it seems like we have to learn how to fight against this new Western weapon.

Effect of inflation on celebration of Diwali

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Inflation is severely impacting India these days. Everything is at least twice as expensive as it used to be. Diwali was yesterday, but it didn’t feel like the Diwali of five or six years ago. Typically, people buy lots of crackers, new clothes, and bring something new into their homes, but this year, it was quite different. It seemed like most people just stayed at home, cooked food, and decorated their homes. Very few people set off fireworks. While it’s beneficial for the environment to have fewer crackers, something still felt missing.

Many people avoided buying crackers this year because of the high prices. Normally, the chemicals used to make crackers are imported from China, where they are relatively cheap. However, this year, China used most of these chemicals for the Olympics, leading to delays in supply to India. As a result, Indian factories had to source the chemicals locally, driving up the cost significantly. Consequently, crackers became at least twice as expensive.

The primary reason behind the reduced use of crackers is the overall rise in living costs in India. People are struggling financially and are prioritizing their essential needs over celebrations. For instance, I bought tomatoes for Rs. 50 per kilo, which is unprecedentedly high. Uncle Udo mentioned that tomatoes cost Rs. 70-80 per kilo in Germany, so while the prices are somewhat comparable, the income disparity between the two countries is enormous.

I understand that agricultural products tend to be more expensive in developed countries, but the situation here is still troubling. I spoke to many people about their Diwali celebrations, and most of them said it was lackluster due to inflation. If this trend continues, many middle-class families could fall into poverty again.

Diwali 2008

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Yesterday was Diwali, and I had a fantastic time celebrating. I had invited a few Couchsurfers to join the festivities—two students from the US and two travelers from the UK. They arrived at my home around 6 o’clock, and we spent some time sharing our travel experiences in India. Later, my Uncle Udo joined us. My mother started the evening with a puja, and then we decorated the entire house with candles. Typically, I don’t buy or light fireworks, but this year I had plenty because some friends had brought them.

We went up to the roof to set off the crackers. It was the first time in fifteen years that I had fired crackers myself. I’m not a fan of fireworks because they pollute the atmosphere. The smoke from the crackers was noticeable, and I prefer decorating with candles, enjoying good food, and hosting dinner parties. Many people in Varanasi gamble during Diwali night, and although I gambled for the first time last year at Bunti’s family place, I couldn’t make it this year despite their invitation. Diwali is particularly significant for Aghoris, who perform a special puja at a cremation ground between midnight and 1 a.m.

I was keen to witness this but missed it again this year because the person who was supposed to accompany me didn’t call. I waited for him, but by the time it was past 1 o’clock, it was too late to go. After firing the crackers, we had a delicious dinner with plenty of sweets—it was a delightful evening. I had heard warnings about foreign girls facing threats in Varanasi after dark, but I hadn’t taken them seriously, thinking they were exaggerated. However, when Abbie and Emily, the US students, expressed concern about walking back to their guesthouse alone, I accompanied them. This experience made me realize that the guidebooks were right.

As we walked, people commented on the foreign girls. Some offered them crackers to light, others complimented their looks, and a few tried to harass them. It was overwhelming and eye-opening. I had never encountered such behavior around the Assi neighborhood before; perhaps it is more prevalent in the downtown area. Despite the unwanted attention, they eventually reached their guesthouse safely, and I returned home.

First Kiwi guest at home

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About three months ago, a 55-year-old man from Auckland contacted me through Couchsurfing. He wanted information about Varanasi and expressed a desire to travel with someone. He even asked if I would be interested in being his tour guide for all of India. I was thrilled and immediately agreed to the offer. However, he later informed me that he had found many hosts in India, so he canceled his plan to hire me as his tour guide. We stayed in touch online over the next few months, and he finally arrived in Varanasi on the 6th.

I went to meet him at his hotel, where he gave me an iPod and a coat as gifts. He was interested in experiencing general Indian life, so he wanted to stay at my place. However, since he had already booked the hotel for two nights, he planned to come to my home after that. During Navratri, I took him on a tour of Varanasi. My friends and I usually visit the pandals during the night, so I took Chris along. We spent the whole night exploring and returned home around 3 a.m.

After his two-night hotel stay, Chris came to stay at my place. He was interested in visiting a local church to buy old vestments and other items used by churches in Varanasi. We went to the cantonment church, which is only 15 years old. Chris wanted to meet the bishop, but he was not in Varanasi. Instead, we met his assistant, who informed us that they did not have any old items. He suggested churches in Mumbai, Goa, and South India as alternatives.

Chris stayed with me for 15 days, though he originally planned to stay only 10. He had to extend his stay because he fell ill. He mentioned that he had eaten a samosa from a street vendor and became very sick, suffering from diarrhea, vomiting, and headaches. I took him to a doctor, but his condition did not improve, so he requested to be admitted to a hospital. I took him to Heritage Hospital, where the doctors said it was not an emergency case and did not want to admit him. However, Chris insisted on staying.

The hospital charged Rs. 15,000 (about US $400) for the services. I was shocked at the high cost for treating diarrhea. Chris was admitted to a special ward for two days. The charges included Rs. 3,500 per day for the room, Rs. 600 for the doctor’s visit, and various other fees that seemed arbitrary. Although I had heard about the $100 handshake in US hospitals, I was surprised to find a similar system in my own town. I asked Lane about it, and he noted that it was still cheaper than Western hospitals.

One interesting aspect was that everyone in the hospital was eager to know if Chris had health insurance. When I asked the doctor why this was important, he explained that foreigners usually have insurance, and the hospital charges them extra if they do. This practice seemed illegal to me, but it was conducted openly, like many other illicit activities in India. They were not even embarrassed to admit it.

After two days, Chris was eager to leave. He complained that the nurses neglected him, didn’t change his drip, failed to provide medicine, and didn’t offer food. I spoke with the doctor, who insisted that Chris stay for at least two more days. However, Chris was determined to leave, so the doctor agreed to discharge him with a few medicines. Chris was relieved to return home and left for Mumbai on the 24th.

Pittsburgh girl studies Hindi

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A girl named Abbie from Pittsburgh reached out to me through Couchsurfing, inquiring about Hindi classes in Varanasi. I recommended she contact Mr. Virendra Singh. Although she had previously written to Bhasha Bharti, she hadn’t received a response. I asked Mr. Singh if he had availability for another student, and fortunately, he had an hour free. At the time, Abbie was still in Bhopal, so I advised her to get in touch with me once she arrived in Varanasi. I also thought it would be beneficial for her to meet Udo, another Hindi student staying at my place.

Abbie called me on the 21st. I invited her to my home to introduce her to Udo, but he was out at the time. Instead, I took her to Mr. Singh’s place. After meeting him, Abbie decided she would like to continue her Hindi studies with him for the rest of her time in India. Although she had already studied Hindi for three months in Indore, she felt she hadn’t learned much because her teacher there was a mathematics teacher, not a qualified Hindi instructor.

After her initial lesson with Mr. Singh, Abbie traveled to Khajuraho but plans to return by next Monday. With three months left in India, she has ample time to learn basic Hindi. I hope she makes good progress with Mr. Singh. Although she had hoped to stay at my place, I was unable to host her as all my rooms were already booked. Instead, she is staying at Ganga Yogi Lodge near Sonarpura, which fits her budget.