India 6

“You’re looking prosperous “

My Uncle Réjean once told me that when you met someone you hadn’t seen in a while, if they’d gained weight the appropriate greeting was, “My but you’re looking prosperous!”  It seems a little irrelevant in our world but it is evident every where here. The very poor can be easily spotted by their skinny physiques, while the middle classes have distinctly more rounded shapes. India has a fast growing middle class and it is evident everywhere.  But in the villages and on the streets of the cities you still see the very, very poor. Some are eking out a living by selling a motley collection of vegetables or cheap goods. Others are hustling on the streets, mightily pedalling rickshaws, chasing down tourists with trinkets, postcards,  maps, puppets, and books. Some are even poorer than that and sit on the sidewalks, hands out, hoping for money or food. Very dirty, very young children will approach to beg and it is hard to turn away but we’ve been given strict instructions not to encourage children, especially, to be used this way. Food is available to all in the big cities, although maybe not much, at every Sikh temple. 

On the other hand, the majority of people we meet are clearly prospering. Much of Indian food is deep fried and while that makes it safer for tourists like me to eat that food, it also makes everyone a little rounder. While it still has a way to go before it reaches North American proportions, India is indeed looking prosperous.