Well... Let me preface my comments by stating that I am of Pakistani background and i consider both India and Pakistan the same in context of this discussion. I was raised in Pakistan until i was 14 and then immigrated to Canada.

As to your arrogant and ignorant sounding commentary on India, i have this to say...YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY ACCURATE IN YOUR ASSESSMENT! Pakistan is pretty much exactly the same (however, the road infrastructure has come a long way in most major cities). But lets keep the discussion to India. There is no clash between what you have said and what others say who LOVE the Indian experience. The difference is that, you looked at it from a very realistic ground reality, day to day life type of a viewpoint. India lovers look at it from a more emotional, culturally exotic, finding God type of a viewpoint. Both of these can happen at the same time and be true at the same time. 

But I enjoyed reading your blog because i see things from your perspective as well. I am sick and tired of the world's fascination with the great INDIA. Sure they have smart people who are great in IT, finance, arts, sciences etc etc. They boast several billionaires on the top 10 list. Their version of Hollywood..."Bollywood " is very intriguing and dreamy. But what good is all of that when more then 80% of your population is below the poverty line?! What good is the glamor and the money in the hands of the top 5% of the population?! Corruption and inequality amongst human beings is so rampant that it has become a way of life. The poor are treated like they don't belong on the same side of the road as the rich. And don't even get me started on what the lower religious classes are considered in India! The Shudra's (lowest class...i think) are relegated by the religious hierarchy to have a lifetime career of garbage pickers, shit cleaners etc etc. 

 I couldn't agree with you more on the accomplishments of the Indian literates who brought acclaim to India. What the hell has that really done for the poor man in India?! The roads,transportation,govern ment departments,health care, education, public works are all a miserable joke. However, if you are rich then you get the hospital come to your doorstep with private doctor visits at will, your government bureaucracy headaches are non existent because you pay off an official who fulfills your request and brings you the receipt to your door step. Your kids go to lavish private schools and travel in air conditioned cars and don't get exposed to the level of pollution or over crowded lines at the bus or train stops.

As for the solutions. For those who say that population is the problem then they should really go to China and see for themselves that there is a DAY And NIGHT difference between the two (and China has more people). For those who say its corruption, well... yes it is a major issue but its not the root cause, its more a creation of something that has caused this. 

The basic reason behind all these issues is the complete and utter lack of the most basic principles of human rights. The right to be treated as an EQUAL to your fellow man. The value of a poor person is insignificant to the value of a rich person.  Specially, when the religious fanatics preach that god has given the Brahmins (highest cast) a higher status and Shudras a lower status then how can you bring equality? The miserable poor cant even dream big because its a sacrilegious notion. Now, I don't want to put the blame only on the Hindus, the Muslims are equally as bad because they act the same way towards the poor. As if being poor is a disease which is contagious.  

Sorry I'm getting a bit too carried away but that's because I know exactly what you're talking about. I am a Muslim and i tell all the Indian/Pakistani Muslims that if they want to see governments practicing Islam the way Quran meant it to, come to Canada (this goes for pretty much all the western countries). Here a rich man and a poor man have EQUAL rights. They travel on the same trains and line up in the same office lines and still respect each other as human beings. I mean, how can the Indian government bring about change when the people that run it don't believe in equal rights? Everyone is living for the here and now. The rich have ample supply of everything and are completely sheltered from the ills of their society that the poor struggle with everyday. So, why should they do anything to change?! There's no appetite for sharing the wealth. 

There is one wrong thing in your blog though. You said that you won't see India's situation getting better in your lifetime. I can assure you, your GREAT GRAND children won't be seeing the situation in India improving either! Until and unless there is a miraculous adoption of the equal rights of all Indian, I don't see that happening anytime this century.   

 So there... i think i will leave it there... Great job on presenting an accurate and honest assessment of the Indian mess.