Social Consciousness - lack of it

Do Indians lack Social consciousness – when it comes to cleanliness, charity, animal welfare, and treatment of fellow humans?

Recently, I came across an article that was posted by my dad about India’s drive to get toilets for its citizens who don’t have the access to one (link to the article). I also suggest reading the comments left by the readers of this article. Why I want to delve on this topic? I find the tone of the article not so offensive because overall the article is saying that toilets are put in operation but still lots of work that needs to be done. I don't want to digress too much, but lately (since Modi has become PM) lots of negative articles about India have appeared in US media. Only place where positive articles appear about India on US media seems to be on the Business weeklies, web, and newspapers. I might not believe in conspiracies in general but I do believe this has to do mostly with a Nationalist and economic reformer is at the helm in India. And the PM taking pride in him Hindu and Kaffir is also annoying. Here is the link to someone's analysis of New York Times reporting on India (the tilt). My argument is that Indians don't lack social consciousness as a group but do lack an infrastructure that should have been provided by a responsible government. Why just blame people? Do we support Republicans here is US when they say that poor are poor because of themselves? Most of us don't because we know things are more complex. Then why blame Indians for things that we don't face here because being a wealthy nation but expect them to do better when the support and infrastructure is lacking?

Like I mentioned, I didn't find the article out right offensive. I agree with article's author that more work needs to be done and also appreciate author's reporting on how people feel about cleanliness drive initiated by the Prime Minster. There are some general mocking, as it has come to be expected from the media, on anything India related. My reason to delve into India is lack of social consciousness is because the comments posting on the topic by my relatives. They have said that individuals, if they take responsibility, the mess wouldn't be there. Many Amens later and one crude joke later, the conclusion drawn from all the commenting is that India is in this situation because of Indians lack social consciousness and perhaps even civic responsibility.

I wonder how much of this is accurate. Is this accurate in present state or is this the truth about Indians in general. Because if this is true in general then I say Churchill (hero in the west) is right about Indians when he said "I hate Indians. They are a beastly people with a beastly religion." When a non-Indian make that statement, most likely he will be labeled a racist or a bigot but when an Indian says that about Indians something similar to this - to me that is mostly self flagellation and some-what laying the blame at the wrong place. Criticism is healthy but self flagellation serves no purpose. Most of the problems faced by Indians today in India has to do with mismanagement of resources and lack of leadership.

Mismanagement of resources by misrule of a dynastic party. Corruption, a sad fact that is part of everyday Indian living is not caused by the people on themselves but by the people in power. Living in India is not easy compare to where we live now in the "first" world. People in India have many struggles on daily basis but their basic necessities are similar to people in the first world. In first world, people have access to clean water (on most parts), public toilets, garbage pickups, and good sewage system. All mentioned previously is an infrastructure set up so that people can meet the basic needs to live filth free. Did Indian govt. try to or continually try to provide this to its growing population. Maybe they did but have been total failure. My argument is that Indians are in the situation where filth is everywhere because of total breakdown in the responsibilities of those in power - due to corruption. England and the British themselves lived in filth for a long time until the wealth transfer occurred. They looted the wealth from India mainly and were able to create infrastructure needed for its citizenry. Churchill and many of those with White Man burden complex didn't see anything wrong with what they were doing but did blame all the misery they created on the colonized population as their own fault. Even today, the British have hard time coming to terms on what they have done. They come up with excuses and the Indians who have migrated to England sometimes come up with excuses for them. Here is in an example. I guess British are not into Self Flagellating. When someone is raped, the worst thing to say to the victim is that they called it upon themselves to be raped for dressing provocatively or by being out late at night. India is raped by many and now it is not ok to call the situation they are in and say it is because they lack social consciousness. Indians want cleanliness like any other nation.

As far as cruelty to animals. India has lived with animals better than the people in the west. Meat consumption on daily basis supported by Animal farming is totally west's gift to humanity. In the process it is destroying the environment for the whole world. Following of that by Indians is mark of two things - inferiority complex and aping west. For that, social consciousness that Indians had for the animal is being taken away piece by piece by self flagellating Indians and outsiders with their disdain of anything grounded in dharmic traditions. Again goes back to inferiority complex. I am ok with people eating meat but to assume you are civilized because you can consume a flesh of animals is really stupid. I recommend "cowspiracy" on Netflix.

I want to go back to what is said about Indians lacking social consciousness. I disagree. I think leadership is lacking since independence; a leadership that got retarded by a dynasty. Modi has been at the helm for less than two years and according to Media in India and West, he should have fixed all the problems by now. The problems have been compounded over sixty years under misrule. India in the past had social consciousness when it believed and promoted the concept of peaceful co-existence not with other humans but with animals and nature. They had social consciousness when they produced Gurus in Punjab and Maratha warriors in the Deccan - they rose against tyrant. They had social consciousness when they fought for their independence from the British with non-violent movement. They also had leaders to lead. What India has lacked since Independence is great leadership. Modi might not be the guy either but he is trying more than some of the others who have held the office. Worst thing about this whole debate, we are not the solution to what is going on in India. We are just feel comfortable saying negative things about Indians because it is accepted in the west and while we live in the comfort of the west. Churchill's racist views are acceptable to Indians living here is only because the education in India has produced Macaluy Putras. They are comfortable in defecating on their own and then they expect Indians to be at higher standard. Maybe, I change my mind, it is right that Indians are the least socially conscious people on the planet. The sooner they perish sooner we can become what the white man wanted - civilized. Tweet