COUNTRY PROFILE: INDIA

India is a country with an area of 3,287,590 sq km, slightly more than a third of the size of the USA. It is situated between the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, between Burma and Pakistan, with borders to Burma, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Nepal and Pakistan.

Its climate varies from tropical monsoon in the south to temperate in the north, and its terrain includes southern plains, deserts in the west, and the Himalayas in the north.

Kanchenjunga, the third tallest mountain in the world, lies on the border with Nepal. Almost half the land is arable, but only 2.8% is given over to permanent crops. Monsoons and the resultant destructive flooding are a serious natural danger. Other natural hazards include droughts and earthquakes, whilst pollution and deforestation, as well as overpopulation, represent the worst man-made threats.

Traditionally, India was governed by local rajahs until the British assumed control in the 19th century. The British brought bureaucracy, which is still very evident in the Indian civil service, and education, with the result that most educated Indians speak English. However, the overall literacy rate is still under 60%. The British also brought the military, and many Indian nationals served proudly as part of the British forces.

Local market.

In the mid-20th century, a non-violent uprising led by Ghandi and Nehru led to the nation gaining independence in 1947. The less desirable result of this was that the sub-continent was divided into the secular state of India and the Muslim state of Pakistan. This was achieved by forced relocations, and caused a great deal of heartache and resentment. A further battle in 1971 saw East Pakistan become the separate nation of Bangladesh. As of July 2006, the population was estimated at 1,095,351,995, with 30.8% aged under 14, 64.3% aged 15 to 65, and only 4.9% aged over 65. The average life expectancy is approximately 64 years and 9 months.

The population of India is 80.5% Hindu, 13.4% Muslim and only 2.3% Christian, with 3.8% being Sikhs and others. Christianity came to India early through the apostle Thomas, and was promoted through the British rule, but has not had the impact on the nation that it could. Today militant Hindu organisations are fighting to control the nation. In some states anti-conversion laws have been passed, making it illegal to be the cause of a person converting from Hinduism to another religion. In many places Christians face severe persecution.

An oxcart shares the road with a modern car.

India is a nation of stark contrasts. Beautiful monuments stand side-by-side with grass and mud huts. Wooden-wheeled ox carts share the road with the latest and most expensive of motor vehicles. Ultra-modern commerce and IT stand alongside traditional farming methods dating back thousands of years. People sleep in the streets outside opulent mansions. On one hand, India is powering toward becoming one of the commercial and technological giants of the twenty-first century, yet on the other hand 25% of its people live below the poverty line.

Manufacturing wooden wagon wheels.

Poverty is everywhere, it is impossible to avoid. From the beggars who carpet the floor of the rail station, each with his or her shabby little mat and begging bowl to the traditional mud and thatch homes of the poor, to the children who eke out a meagre living by scouring through the garbage.

Cows are sacred, which means not only that they cannot be eaten, but that they have freedom to wander anywhere. Often they use food resources that could be used by people. However, it is not only cows that are sacred. Snakes are, also. Thus, when peasant farmers are bitten they will not kill the snake, and in many cases will not even seek medical assistance for the bite.

By far the greatest problems, however, are caused by the caste system. This goes far beyond the social class system of the west, or even that of the Victorian era. The caste system sets every individual rigidly in a set position in society – the priestly caste, the ruling caste, the business caste. Each caste is seen as having come from a particular part of God – His head, hands etc. The lowest caste, however – the Dalits or "untouchables" - are seen as not having originated in God at all. They are, therefore, infinitely below the rest of mankind. They have no rights, no hope of a better future, and no place in the general society.

A local bicycle repair shop.

If a Dalit sits on a chair, for instance, no higher caste Indian will sit on it. If he drinks from a cup, a higher caste Indian will not use it after him. This system locks people in to hopelessness, and perpetuates the great divide between the rich and the poor, the educated and the uneducated.