Basically the title, but i remember a few days ago a person did an AMA on the same topic and they very obviously were using AI. Their answers, I felt were kiiinda untrue. So, I'm here and I'll be providing answers to any questions you have about India and Indians, and I'll also clear up any myths you have :)
At one time there were British people living there as it was a former colony. Are there any British people left ? Any mixed race people as a result of colonization? How do Indians feel about British people now ?
There are definitely some British people (called Anglo-Indians) over here. Most of them live in the state of Uttarakhand in places like Dehradun.
After independence, the British people who chose to remain in the Independent India married and had children with other Indians, so nowadays most of them look similar to indians themselves (though the culture of Anglo Indians is quite different).
That being said, there are still some people who look european as fuck. Like the son of my school's chairman. The dude is living in France right now but he was born and raised in India. Or Ruskin Bond, a famous anglo-indian author. As a matter of fact, there's a student in my school who's got a white ass name and looks white as fuck. But nowadays these anglo Indians are mostly treated indifferently. Like if you're an anglo Indian who looks white you'll definitely receive some funny looks once you go to a new place but as people get used to you they'll be chill. Like people will ask you questions and stuff, but they're usually chill with you. (This answer is relevant only to North India by the way, as I have spent most of my life in North India and most anglo Indians live in North India too)
My mom was Anglo Indian on her mom's side and Canadian on her father's. She was born in Madhya Pradesh and went to school in Uttarakhand. Deradun is a name I recognize. She came to Canada for university and stayed until retirement. She did live there a few years after independence, and her parents and younger siblings stayed longer. However, the siblings and parents all eventually ended up in Canada. My grandmother's accent was totally Anglo Indian. I actually wondered if everyone else like them left.
I don’t know but this sounds like Morrowind lore
Wrong, there are many Anglo Indians in Kerala too.
tom alter!
Just to add to this. All Anglo Indian's are not of British origin. There is a sizable Anglo Indian population in Kerala, India which has Portuguese ancestry . Portuguese landed in India @ Kerala in the 15th Centaury and the men probably married locals. These communities probably switched to English as their vernacular after the British came into power. Up until the mid 20th Centaury, they maintained a distinctive cultural identity with their dressing and language but now is more or less integrated into the main stream culture .
how much does caste impact the daily lives of residents of India these modern(?) days?
Well, it depends on where you're at.
In the more urban and privileged areas, people won't necessarily care.... But as you start going to the more backwards areas, it becomes a huge deal. I've thankfully never faced caste discrimination myself as I'm from one of the upper castes and do come from a very financially privileged family, but I do have lower caste friends who've received some very casteist comments (they live in comparatively better areas) but they have some relatives living in rural and backwards cities who've been the victim of caste based violence too. In marriage, caste is still a big ass deal. Friend groups in colleges and schools are often formed on the basis of caste. But there have been cases recently from the states of UP and Bihar (which are some of the most backwards states in India, think of them like the rural south in the United States)
It used to be much worse back in the day though. People living even in urban areas would refuse to share food or water with dalits (one of the lower castes) and would beat them up for even thinking about entering a temple (like.... It still does happen, but not in urban areas)
I, personally, would like to believe that I'm not a casteist (I am proud of my caste and our history, of course, but I'm also ashamed of the fact that my ancestors and even my great grandparents were vehemently casteist). But even then, I do admit that I have made some very insensitive comments to my lower caste friends.
On paper, however, caste based discrimination is illegal (LMAO)
TLDR: it's illegal on paper, but due to extremely poor application of the law, it plays a significant role in some areas.
Forgive my ignorance but isn’t caste your socioeconomic status? What is there to be proud of?
No no, caste isn't your socioeconomic status. Caste used to be about what job you did, Brahmins were the priests and the teachers, Kshatriyas were the warriors and kings, Vaishyas are the businessmen and merchants, shudras are the ones who provide service. Then there's the Dalits, which are technically the "outcaste" and they used to do the dirty work like leatherwork, handling dead bodies, sewage cleaning, etc.
These castes were originally supposed to be flexible... But overtime they became hereditary.
I'm a kshatriya, a kshatriya from a very high varna (basically a sub caste within the caste), so I'm proud of the fact that my ancestors were warriors and kings, but I'm not proud of the fact that they were casteists.
Are the castes genetically distinct at all? Do people/could people ever lie about their caste if they were able to present themselves in a certain way?
Castes most of the time is linked with the surname. like jack Smith likely be a metalworker, Will Baker most probably will be someone who baked bread.
the same way indian names linked to their job, and caste decide your job. so Lily Das (Das = slave) will be a lower cast, Dev Roy (Roy = Chief) a higher cast.
So, unless you want to change your name, lying about your caste is very hard.
What is your being proud of it even mean? Is it superiority, proud means pride which indicates you are not as modern as you think you are
Can you explain the caste system a little more? When I was in school learning Indian history in Singapore we were taught similarly to what you are describing. Five castes - Brahmins, Kshatriyas,Vaishyas, Shudras and Dalits.
However since moving to the US I've heard of dozens of more castes like Sharmas and Patels and Yadavs. Which is right?
In earlier times, there used to be 4 varnas/caste - Brahmins were the priests and the teachers, Kshatriyas were the warriors and kings, Vaishyas were the businessmen and merchants, shudras were the ones who provided service. There were Dalits also.
This system was supposed to be flexible but overtime became hereditary.
At present, you can divide the whole population in the following category-
Unreserved ('Upper Caste') - Brahmins, Rajput (Kashtriya) and Baniya
Other backward caste - collective term used by the Government of India to classify communities that are educationally or socially backward.
Scheduled caste - Groups outside the traditional Varna system, historically subjected to "untouchability" and extreme backwardness.
Scheduled Tribes - Indigenous tribal communities (also called Adivasis)
These groups include different castes (Around 4000).
Sharma that you mentioned comes under unreserved ( upper caste) and Yadav comes under other backward caste (OBC).
How are these terms viewed? During work I used SCST as an acronym for a work process, and my Indian coworkers unanimously burst out laughing. A coworker subsequently explained that SCST meant the above groups you listed, but I still didn't understand how that links to their reaction. Are the terms generally regarded as funny or otherwise?
How can you tell the difference between castes? Is it just surnames ? Are there any physical differences?
It is obviously not a 100% foolproof method but some castes have very distinct combinations of physical features associated with them, there is also a very noticeable difference in language (even if 2 people speak the same language sometimes the tones, stress on letters, pronunciations, different specific words,etc give it away...but this is also influenced by region so you can only pick out the differences if you speak the same language and have good exposure to how that language is spoken in other nearby regions), there are also surnames, differences in rituals customs and traditions are also prominent and then sometimes if you know nothing else even then you can pick up similarities and differences in the family environment and atmosphere or the dynamics or experiences growing up or home values (different things are emphasized in different cultural households), etc.
Oh and food habits too! Dishes, spice levels, ingredients used, way of cooking and more stuff.
Overall there is so much diversity in so many aspects that there are still going to be a lot of differences even if some things are similar/same.
What would your reaction be to one of your siblings marrying someone from a lower caste?
there are also servants, drivers, cooks, beggars, etc in India and they will all probably be considered very low caste, low socio economic standing.
and it is very rare for friendship or relationship between someone who is from middle or high class like someone who went to school and is not living paycheck to paycheck and someone who does manual labor jobs like servants, drivers, etc in India
speaking as someone from India this is something India needs to get better in
I appreciate most of your answer, but I just thought I'd add that taking pride in your caste and your caste history as an "upper caste" person is still being casteist, because you are reinforcing your caste identity as being a good thing.
Also (disclaimer: dominant/oppressor caste person myself), I disagree that people "don't necessarily care" about caste in urban areas. Residential segregation based on caste and religion is very much a thing. Untouchability is also practiced, both in subtle and not-so-subtle forms. Caste networks shape how businesses and corporates run. Once you understand caste not just as a religious practice, but as something which orders our socio-economic and cultural structures, you'll see it everywhere.
Caste mentality is antiquated and kind of pathetic to be honest imo. It's just people wanting to have privilege or feeling special for no reason that they have themselves earned, but rather that they were born into and that is totally make believe. It's very interesting that even in a society that produces such high level academics and doctors and businessmen and women that are successful that the ignorance of the caste system prevails.
I need you to understand that this is the type of prejudice that still exists in the rural south of the united states. People claiming to not be prejudice but stating that they are still proud of what their ancestors did and the culture behind it. Even though you claim to not be apart of it you are actively contributing to its existence.
The fact you arent ashamed if the caste is you being castist just so you know. Its a abhorrent practice.
Casteism in India very much exists and the brunt of it is felt by the so called lower castes. The so called upper castes are so privileged that they are not even aware of their privileges and the poor treatment that others receive. If you need a parallel, it is like white privilege in the west.
Doors are opened and seats brought to the table for the so called upper castes with generations of education, wealth, and connections.
You can see this in the OPs response where they say that they are from the upper caste. The day so called upper castes stop declaring their caste upfront is when I will believe things are changing. Until then the least the rest can do is acknowledge the privilege that they have been afforded for many generations.
As somebody from the “upper caste” in India but now living in the US, I would very much liken it to implicit white privilege in the US. I never bring up my caste with friends or have cared about theirs. Most of my close friends have never talked about caste either and I’d like to believe none of us care about it. So it’s tempting to say “casteism is gone/going away” but my lived experience is likely very different than someone from one of the so called lower castes.
Just like you can tell if somebody is white/black/jewish/latino from their last name, in India you can also roughly tell someone’s caste from their last name. And it is quite likely these folks face discrimination in:
As an Indian living in India, same as OP, I’ll say for a lower caste person in India, it’s the same experience as that of a black man’s in America. Racism is technically illegal, but is definitely pervasive. Same thing in India. I’m as privileged as OP claims to be, but I’ve seen the subtle and not so subtle role that caste plays in my daily life. For example, I live in a gated community in a well-to-do part of town, none of my neighbours are Muslim or from a lower caste background. I used to work for a well-known global financial services firm in senior management; not one of my peers was from a lower caste. Here’s a study that reflects my experience: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Han-Donker/publication/263654153_Corporate_Boards_in_India_Blocked_by_Caste/links/56970c9508aec79ee32a2ad9/Corporate-Boards-in-India-Blocked-by-Caste.pdf
Is inequality and quality of life in India improving with an increasing gdp, or are there still roadblocks in the way towards these improvements?
Well, I'm not an economist, but statistics say that even though GDP has increased, most of the profits from this GDP are going into the pockets of the top 1% and not the people who actually do need it.
Quality of life though has increased, but it's increased in the way a malnourished child might grow. Like of course the kid is still gonna grow, but it won't be the proper kind of growth.
Railways have improved, highways have improved, power cuts aren't as frequent.... But at the same time, religious tensions have increased, corruption has increased, and the most relevant example, AQI continues to remain shit
Do you have any notion as to whether Indian food in other countries is authentic? If so, where? I’m in Canada, and I wonder if ours meets the mark.
Never been to Canada bro, can't really answer for it.
But in general the food in places with a large indian population like New York, London and LA is honestly kinda nice.
Like if you manage to find an Indian restaurant with mostly indian chefs (so that they know what they're doing) then you can have a relatively more authentic experience. But of course, since you can't find authentic indian ingredients easily in the US or UK, it's gonna be hard for it to be completely authentic. It's kinda like saying "are the neapolitan pizzas in LA gonna be as authentic as the Neapolitan Pizzas in Naples?" Like they can taste good, they can even be almost as good as the ones in Naples, but they won't be authentic.
Also, indian food is quite a large umbrella term. It's better to divide it into states. North Indian food is nothing like South Indian food, and North and South Indian food is nothing like North East Indian food.
Do you eat a lot of Indian food when you’re traveling? What other kinds of food do you like?
What do you think about the rising negativity towards India and Indians online? Do you think it has any merits or is it, idk, maybe fabricated? If you do accept how do you and the rest of society cope with it, since it really is so bad?
Well, some of the topics that people do criticize india for are of course justified.... But it takes a wrong turn when people use these same topics to discriminate against Indians. At first it was like "right well, Indians do follow a caste system, that's obviously wrong" and I'd say "I agree" but then it became "Indians shouldn't be allowed in any country" and of course you can't expect me to support that statement. Racists are still gonna be racists even if Indians didn't have all the "problems" racists say we have.
As an Indian-American, what do Indians back home think about Indian-Americans, Indian-Canadians, Indian-British, etc?
Depends, to be honest. In general people are cool with you so as long as you can speak Hindi (or the language of the region you're in, Punjabi for you, judging by your username) and aren't whitewashed (a few days ago a reel was trending where a guy named Santosh said in an interview that his name is pronounced "Saant-Aws" and people were shitting on him so much lmao), but often people do make fun of your accent and you'll be thought of as "exotic" or something lmao. But in general, people are usually chill with indian-americans, Indian-British people, etc. for example, one of my closest friends is Indian-american and me and some of my other friends do call her Devi Vishwakumar from time to time but it's all love.
It’s not really a fair standard to expect Indian Americans to speak Hindi or any other native regional language. You’re socialized around people who are mostly English speakers and most Indian American families primarily speak English at home.
Indian American here. I had a Punjabi friend in high school whose younger brother's name was Sukhdeep. We did not go to high school in a very culturally diverse city...Poor guy.
A classmate in college was named Sanket and he would always pronounce his name "sank it" and make a shooting a basketball gesture. "My name is sank it....
like 'sank it' 💁🏿♂️🏀 ".
Idk, sometimes it is just easier to pronounce your name in the way that is easiest for the people around you to digest. My name has an "-al" ending and I pronounce it ending in "-awl". Now that I live in Japan, I just introduce myself with the first letter of my name, or I just say it in an accent easier for Japanese people to pronounce (-AL -> AHRU). Gotta adapt.
Another thing I’d like to add is that unless it’s very close family, the two groups don’t really mingle due to vastly different life experiences and values.
A lot of Indians tend to cling to their “traditions” when they move out of India, almost overcompensating for their move in a way. The “traditions” they cling to will be from the time they left, and they never really progress and change the way Indians back home do. As a result, they raise their kids with outdated values in an overbearing way, never really adapting to the lifestyle of the country they live in.
I’ve met the parents of my American-Indian friends and they have insanely rigid values. For example, they don’t really seem to understand that more and more Indians are now okay with the concept of relationships and dating and parents are also beginning to be ok with the idea. My friends (who’re 30+) still need to hide their long-term relationships until they’re sure about marriage.
In a similar vein, I left India in 2022 and it’s only been 3 years, but I’m still amazed by all the change that’s happened since I left. Pretty sure I’ll become a crusty old NRI in 15-20 years too 😂
Hmm, what about Indians from more Black and Brown countries?? Like Indo-Fijians (Indians from Fiji and other Pacific Islands), Indians in the Caribbean or Indians in South Africa??
How bad is the trash in most Indian cities? Is it exaggerated for social media content or is it a real problem? I'm asking this because as an Indonesian who lives in Jakarta there are both nasty and clean places here, so it's easy to just portray the bad areas and claim that the entire city is a dump.
Yeah, it's like jakarta. Definitely there are some nasty places, but the international media just says "INDIA IS A FUCKING LANDFILL DO NOT GO HERE"
Just a few days ago, I saw a video where a dude showed a legit landfill and said "welcome to the cleanest place in india" and that pissed me off so much because it was obvious that it was a landfill. There was a garbage truck and sanitation workers in the background. It's insane.
Are arranged marriages still common with the young adults? I’ve met a few couples from India recently and almost all of them were arranged. I didn’t know if it’s just their region or still practiced?
Will you share your favorite homemade, non-Americanized curry recipe? I’m honestly so tired of bland, uninspired versions of tikka masala. I love trying different regional curries, but I also know it’s up to personal preferences.
Actually, yeah, there is a dude I know who makes good butter chicken. It's a recipe by an Indian youtuber, so you might have some trouble finding the ingredients.
https://youtu.be/Lea-e3m-ygc?si=SmQedzXSzvGgyKdV
It's in hindi, but there's english subtitles.
I know you didn't ask for this, but Adam Ragusea and Joshua Weissman's recipes are actually pretty nice.
What's do you guys think of Nigerians and/or Nigeria. What would the reaction of a typical Indian family be to their kids wanting to marry a Nigerian.
Good question, I personally have no problem with Nigerians and Nigeria (love y'all's food) but I don't exactly think that indian families would be very happy to see their daughter marry a Nigerian unless the Nigerian happens to be filthy rich.... There's some racism here, because I think that if their daughter was marrying a white man, then the families would still be disapproving to some extent (except for the VERY backwards families. So backwards that they would be sceptical of fire and the wheel) but I think they'd come around.... Can't say the same for a Nigerian though.
Of course, there are exceptions. If the indian family in question is more open minded then I think they'd be chill
It's interesting that your first thought was about Indian daughter marrying a Nigerian. Would the reaction be notably different if it was Indian man x Nigerian woman?
I think so, to be honest. But Indian culture is still patriarchal so families just think they have more control over their daughters than over their sons.
If a son brought home a Nigerian girl, the parents would still be disapproving but if a daughter brought home a Nigerian guy then the reaction would be nuclear.
I'm assuming its still better to bring someone home than elope hahah
My wife and I visited Rajasthan and Kerala last year, i was a bit worried about all the posts you see on social media about how much India is unsafe for women and couples. When we got there i was really confused because it never felt unsafe, actually we had a great time. Everyone was very friendly food was great and we had such a blast. Also we didn’t get sick once. Is all the talk about being an unsafe country for women false or we just got lucky?
India is weird that way. Of course the parts you went to were top tier and represent the best of the country but in general, for everything you use to describe this country, the opposite is true as well. Which is what I wish people from more developed countries understood. It’s a place bustling with humanity, all of it, so considering us as savages and using our social issues as a justification is reductive.
Is it as dangerous for women on the streets as the videos show?
Weddings in India sound insane. A few of the Indian lads I work with have gone back home for arranged Marriages. Small wedding, 500 people.
5000 was one wedding.
And also the cost. They seem to be willing to put themselves and family into huge financial debt for it.
Is it common for muslims and hindus to be friends in India or are they totally segregated? From your pov, are muslims discriminated against?
I'd say there is a lot of discrimination against muslims in India.
But it's not uncommon for muslims and Hindus to be friends, some of my closest friends are muslims.... I don't know how to explain it, but it's not uncommon for two people to have an unsaid animosity between them just because one is hindu and the other muslim.
is it truth they hate giving birth to daughters to the point of killing them after birth?
Female foeticide used to be a serious problem, yes, but it's thankfully become better over the years. It was like "okay, well, daughters are a liability. They don't do jobs, and we're supposed to pay heavy dowries to their future grooms. So, if we find out that she's having a daughter, we'll just abort the baby."
So, that's why many families used to abort the baby if they found out it was a daughter, the government saw this and were like "right, well, this is a serious problem. The sex ratio is so skewed because of selective abortion. You know what? Just ban determining the baby's gender." So that's what they did along with launching some educational campaigns of course, it's now illegal in India to ask your doctor for the gender of your baby.
But that isn't enough to stop misogyny.
It used to happen a lot in the state of Haryana. If it was a daughter, they'd kill her silently and the wife would be pregnant again in no time. It was so fucked up that I think the sex ratio in Haryana was something like 800 women for every 1000 men.
THANKFULLY, it has gotten much better.
Is it truth that once women get married they are no longer considered part of their family any longer and dont get to see their parents anymore?
I think the only Indian author I have read is Arundhati Roy. What do you think of her? Could you recommend any other Indian authors?
Sanjeev Sanyal, Ramachandra Guha for political stuff.
Please don't read Chetan Bhagat or any of the newer fiction authors.
You’ve mentioned in multiple comments you’re from an upper caste family. Without over sharing/doxing can you provide insight to what exactly that means for you? Like big houses, multiple cars? Access to prime jobs etc. Privilege exists big time in America but what exactly does privilege look like in India? Absolutely fascinated by this
As someone working in tech, I’m curious to hear your perspective on the H-1B visa, especially given how controversial it’s become in the US.
I work primarily with Indian colleagues. In an org of around 30 people, roughly 25 are either on H-1B visas or working offshore. While a lot of Americans frame the debate around jobs being “taken” (not what I’m trying to get into here), I think there’s far less discussion about how exploitative the system can be for the people on those visas. When your immigration status is tied to your employer, your leverage is basically zero. That imbalance makes it very easy for companies to overwork people who can’t afford to push back. It's extremely exploitative. Is this discussed at all in India?
Are castes still a thing in India?
How common is the Khalistan movement in India... or i guess is it widely supported among Sikhs? I live in Canada and every few weeks there are "demonstrations"(protests) outside the Indian embassy with people bashing Modi.
Even though the Caste system is illegal, you all still use it to discriminate, right? So no one in the lowest caste can ever be successful, correct?
Are the street food videos exaggerated for shock value and views or is it really that unimaginably disgusting?
Is it difficult for people with different religious beliefs to get along ? How important is religion in public spaces ?
It's not really that difficult. I have friends from all religions and even some atheists, I myself am a Hindu, but I celebrate eid with my muslim friends (Nobody cooks Chicken like the Muslims do), I have an invite to a Christmas party at my christian friend's house tomorrow, my best friend is a Sikh, and I even have some jewish friends in Mumbai.... But politics has become polarized in recent years, so it's hard to get people with extremist views to get along. Mostly it applies to Muslims and Hindus. Religious tension between these two religions is at an all time high, and it's been pretty fucking high ever since the British (fuck them) left us in a state like this.
Are Indians actually offended by the poop throwing festival video
I'm very offended personally. It was a video from one random ass remote ass village in the middle of fucking nowhere but everyone suddenly just assumed that it's a festival indians celebrate regularly like the fucking tomatina in spain.
Yes, it is celebrated in that ONE village, no, it's not something indians just do.
Even most of Indians got to know something like that existed after the video
My Indian friends in the UK have expressed loathing towards Bengali owners of a curry restaurant, suggesting they’re pretending to be Indian (they weren’t - they were just trying to sell good curries and make a living) and they were a subordinate race. And don’t get me started on what they think of Pakistanis. Is that a common theme in Indian culture? Or were they just being racist?
Are there still obvious remnants of the British colonial past? How is this history taught and viewed by today's Indians?
How many pushups can you do with good form in a row
Is the Indian food in North America anything like the Indian food in India?
When I was stationed in Guam, there would be a couple ships from India that would pull in periodically. I'd see the sailors from those ships walking around holding hands during their liberty calls and overall just being very friendly with each other. I never thought of it as queer or romantic, but I was curious as to what cultivates that to be normal especially when homophobia is apparently rampant in most parts of India from what I've heard and read? I always thought it was kind of cute though.
What do you think of "India is the next super power"? I don't see this happening in the next 500-700 yrs honestly, lot of generations need to die before India starts getting better. There's still huge corruption at every level, no?
Are Indians racist based on skin color? I've never seen an Indian person married or dating a person from another race other than a few white.
Is it safe for the women who live there? Any time I see a travel video it’s always 95% men out in public and female tourists get harassed a lot. Do the local women need to be very cautious?
I am an Indian woman living in India. I live in the capital which is referred to as extremely dangerous by some people.
Generally, it's not anywhere near what a lot of people perceive it to be. Yes, there are unsafe places but the issue is a bit exaggerated. Certain parts of India like the North East are pretty safe and only certain parts of South. I have personally never seen any woman carrying anything other than a pepper spray (even that is uncommon) and I don't see women being consistently hyper aware and in constant fear. Of course, around night time, the situation needs improvement. Though, night life in certain places like Mumbai and at least in the small part of city that I live in, is pretty safe and lively. Certain rural areas in certain parts of the country are a bit too backwards. Essentially, it's a mixed bag and depends heavily on where you are in the country. There are some extremely backward areas and then some extremely safe progressive areas and you would often find Indians from one area being suprised about the other as well. I will not say it is completely safe and I would generally recommend any foreigners (man or woman) to have an Indian local with them if they are in the country to have a good experience. The situation is improving but it far from ideal.
Also, a point to note is that a lot of videos you see on the internet from India are generally recorded during "slum tours" for some poverty porn that people like to watch, this is not a justification but pointing out the fact that those places are not representative for most of the country.
For Delhi, it depends on the area. Personally, I have found most of south and central Delhi to be decently safe and I don't take any more precautions than being aware of my surroundings in those areas. Certain parts of North and East Delhi are not safe for some reason. They also happen to be the least developed here. West Delhi is okayish.
I hear a lot about Bollywood. Are the movies made in India entertaining?
Why do Indian men have such a bad reputation? I used to live with a housemate in Australia who was university educated. Been here for 10+ years. He was telling me that when he tried to flirt with local women they would ignore him.
Are most Indian men insecure?
Why do a lot of online support staff from India make everything "would you kindly" Or "kindly please"
Is the Hindu-Muslim conflict as bad as it is depicted in the news? I see a lot of videos where Muslims are discriminated against because of religion. Im sure it happens to Hindus too but seems to be more for Muslims. Is this true?
Do you work in tech?
Videos of people doing relatively heavy industrial work without any PPE or even footwear. How prevalent are these workshops?
Why do so many Indians strive to move and live outside of india? Like to Canada, Australia, Europe etc?
I have many friends who moved from india, Nepal, sri lanka and I ask them what brings them to moving. Some have really vague answers and few have mentioned that their parents told them to do it.
Why do you look like a left-to-right bobble head when you talk?
How do you feel about foreign visitors?
Why are majority of Indians going behind Putin and Russia? Why don't Indians see Putin as a mass murderer?
What is your opinion on global cuisine? Indian food is popular around the world but what types of international food do you like?
What is the biggest blindspot most Indians have about themselves?
I think the answer just might help me. I too am an Indian living in India.
When my friend and me, 20yo west european boys, arrived in new dehli after a 9 hour flight, our cab driver took us from the airport to a travel agency and said our hotel was overbooked, and put us on a 20 hour bus ride to Srinagar (kashmir).
The people on the bus told us we were crazy to go there. We met the indian army high up in the mountains and heard them shooting with pakistan. We got attacked by a bear, ate live chickens, fell from a mountain during paragliding, went to an israeli rave party in Leh and climbed Stok Kangri (6150m)
Were we tricked in a tourist trap? Or did we have a trip of a live time?
An Indian guy I worked with claimed he couldn’t clean because it was against his religion. True or bullshit?
What the heck is up with all of the sexual assault over there? I see reports about this all the time and it's terrifying.
Are American sports popular in India?
Do you think caste is wrong? When I talk about caste with my Indian coworkers in the USA they never say outright it’s wrong and instead tell me about the history and how it’s used to organize society. They don’t say it’s good either. But it’s weird because if ask any (well most) Americans if racism is bad they will say it’s wrong no question.
What do you think of those videos of Indian street food and the lack of sanitation as well as the videos of female tourists being accosted and groped?
I see many travel bloggers in India, but it’s always men. Is it safe for women to travel in India, or are the rumours of it being unsafe exaggerated?
India and China were similarly wealthy in the 1980s. Why hasn’t India developed as quickly or successfully since then?
Is Indian traffic really that bad?
Is there a significant number of Hindu people living in India that believe the end of Kali Yuga begins in 2025 or do most adhere to the original estimation of 432,000 years?
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I’ve heard India to be an unsafe destination for single female tourists. Is that true?
What's your favourite Indian food and favourite non Indian food?
Ok here it goes... I am not trying to be rude in any way at all I promise. My question is... why when an Indian person or persons plan on building or making the cricket (not sure if i spelt it right) cages and show up to a metal place to get the metal and help with building it, after hearing a set price like let's be lenient and say 900 bucks before tarrifs lol, the said person will say, "No I have 200 dollars my friend." But is totally wearing Armani clothes, shoes, expensive gold watches, expensive glasses, and rolled up in a Tesla?
Ah, haggling, nobody does it quite like us (except maybe the Chinese).
The thing is, in India it's not common for service providers to have a set price. Say you go to a tailor in India, you pick out your fabrics, you give your order, the tailor takes your measurements and says "right, that's gonna be 10,000 rupees" (actually, the price is probably like 7000 rupees but the expectation is that you're gonna haggle, so he provides you a higher price).
So you say "nah, bro. 6000."
You do some back and forth, sentences like "I'll choose the tailor down the street (who just so happens to be the tailor's brother)" are thrown around, and eventually, you and the tailor reach a price that satisfies both of you. Usually something like 7500 or 8000.
And this is so widely spread in India that people fail to understand or forget or simply don't think that people abroad aren't usually happy with haggling.
Do you speak English with a HEAVY accent on purpose? I once heard speaking without a heavy accent was frowned upon because it implied you had a better education and likes to flaunt it.
I don't really speak with a heavy accent.
Is it really the shit hole that we see in the media and in videos?
Why are the men so aggressive towards women and why aren’t there stricter laws against their behavior?
Is negotiating a favoured hobby?
Is there any discrimination based on skin color? For instance, are people concerned about how dark or light their skin tone is, are people advantaged in any way by having lighter skin or dark tone?
As an outsider, how can you tell which cast one of you are in ? I had two collagues from India working with me on a project in europe. I did not dare to ask it as I did not want to be rude. They were office workers for an automotive company. They were alsó highly intelligent and very nice people.
Do yall learn about Srinivasa Ramanujan in school?
How safe are local women compared to tourists?
How common is it to have servants? I expect it's mainly the wealthy? I have a friend who's dad comes from a wealthy family in India, and he always complained about how uncomfortable it was to have people waiting on him whenever he visits.
What you think of Indian food is considered English as England. I think Indian is very popular their
Why do you do that little constant head bobbing when talking.
Do Indians know anything about Roma/Romani?
Our ancestors originated out of India a loooooong time ago but I was just curious if y'all even know about us.
You beat me to it lol I came to ask this question!
How could you possibly speak for all of India?
Almost all of the people from India are terrified of my dog. Why do so many grow up with a fear of domestic dogs?
How accurate are the Indian tourist sterotypes? Have you ever faced discrimination abroad?
Do Indians really love mangos that much? Which is the best mango?
How are Brahmins treated compare to the other caste, like yours for example? Does being a Brahmin guarantee a succesfull life by default?
Honestly, the only thing about India that I always heard but never looked into it is the whole…poop situation haha. Like, are there areas of India where people still throw feces through the window etc.?
Why do Indian people drink from a bottle without the rim touching their lips?
How are black people treated in India?
Has there been any attempt like education, penalty etc lately to stop drivers from honking?
You’ve mentioned the differences in casteist/racial views between people in urban areas and less forward thinking areas. I was wondering if there was a similar split on how north eastern Indians are viewed by people in those areas.
This should please be taken as one man/womans representation of India and should be considered solely their opinion.
Questions like “what do Indians think yada yada” must be read “what do you think yada yada”
No way one dude represents a billion. Altho, they still will represent a huge number of people.
No question but this really interesting to read Glad to see it - thanks!
How does, or does, the food differ from what folks see in Indian restaurants in other parts of the world? All the Indian food I’ve had has been absolutely delicious and I expect the authentic food would be even better.
Is youth sportsa big deal in India?
In the USA, youth sports is a huge business. Every little kid's parents think they will become the next - insert famous athlete's name here. They invest time and money thinking their kid will get college scholarships and more. They should be investing their time in academics, but that really is an afterthought here that no one would admit.
Do Indians study the Karma Sutra in school or at some point in life? Like is it part of sex ed?
I see that you've been to quite a few places including the US, would you say the culture around bathing & hygiene is different in America vs. India? Some of my Indian coworkers and neighbors have complained about non Indians for being too frangranced, for using scented deodorants, etc. Meanwhile I've definitely walked into a room of all Indian colleagues and it smelled....pungent (I wouldn't even say it's a bad smell, but it's quite clearly BO)
What gives? Is there a significant difference in bathing, deodorants and perfumes?
Is it true men dont work in your culture and females are expected to work and serve the men?
How do you understand your caste? Fate? Previous life? How does your caste affect your self understanding?
What do you think, and what does the general public think, about Germans?
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One of my dreams is to try Indian street food in India , but I've been told it was a bad idea due to sanitary practices. Is this true? I know street food in any part of the world ,even here , can sometimes be risky.
I’m curious what your favorite food is, and any tips on preparation? Possibly not what you expected.
Are the college degrees you receive equivalent to those in the US?
As an Indian American, I’ve seen tension between many North Indian American kids and South American Indian kids.
How is the relationship between North and South India? What among younger generations?
Can't think of any questions rn, but I like the Future pfp bro
Edit: what's your favorite future song?
If you were to travel to the USA, are there are particular things you'd be interested in seeing or trying?
Where is the best cheeseburger at?
Are caste only used on spesific religion?
I watch documentary thay say to avoid discrimination, some of lower caste chose to change religion
Tell me more about Bihar and UP, nearly every negative news from India seems to be from these 2 major states.
Can you elaborate on what the castes actually are and how you’d tell if a person is from each? Specific surnames, stereotypes etc.
what do yall think abt the northeastern states like AP, nassam, nagaland. I was fascinated to see them as they don’t fit a westerner’s typical idea of an Indian person so I wonder what yall think abt them? I hope this is not insensitive lol
what's up with trains being the apex predators of India?
The head wobble…..
I’ve heard different types of subtle head wobble can mean different things. Can you confirm if this is true, and if so what does each one mean?
Actually yeah. The stereotypical side to side head wobble is just a gesture that can mean a lot of different things from "Yeah, I agree" to "Yeah, I understand."
Also, i find it hard to explain, but when someone says "Hey man, did you do the thing I asked you to do" you sorta move your chin to your right and bring your neck down.... It's a bit difficult to explain, really. It just means "Yeah, I did it."
Also, when people across the world shake their head from side to side it means "No" it means the same thing in India too, but when you do it when someone's explaining something to you, it means "Yeah, I understand."
My sister is studying in London, she works part time at a cafe (doesn't even need to work, she just does it for the "vibes") and her boss was teaching her how to do something, and she was watching her boss and shaking her head side to side when the boss asked her "Do you understand?" The boss was like "I'll explain again" then the boss explained to her again, briefly, and she shaked her head again, the boss was like "Girl it's not even that hard" my sis was like "Yeah, i know, I got it the first time" the boss was like "But you said you didn't understand when I asked you" my sister was like "what are you taking abo- oh wait."
The side to side head shaking has landed me and my sister in multiple funny misunderstandings with non Indians lol
Canadian here. To some of us, the head wobble indicates that you aren’t listening or are dismissing what we are saying. It can come off as very rude here.
Do you have suspicions of aliens, the occult, any conspiracy theories? Would they be the same as someone like me in America or do you have theories about other parts of the world? And if so, does that also include America? Also, what as a general rule do you think the opinion in India is about America? Are there things that you're being told that we aren't about us and if so, what?
No question but I just wanted to acknowledge that the way you answer questions is incredibly informative. You’re very diligent with your responses and I very much appreciate how you delineate parallels between India and the US to help us understand better. Being able to explain and break down your responses in a way that not only makes it easy to understand but (for me at least) relate to as well is reflection of your intelligence. I just wanted to give you your flowers
How do you feel Western companies usually view remote IT workers, and how much does being based in India versus the US change someone’s chances of getting hired?
OP please mention in your post tht you’re from North India and these are your experiences from living in north India. We don’t want other assuming entire india is like this.
How are punjabis perceived in India?
Why are scams (tourist touts, call centre,etc) so prevalent in India compared to the rest of the world?
Why do Indian men stare at me?
What’s your opinion on the Maoist insurgency?
Are castes explicitly a Hindu thing or are they also observed by other religious groups in India ie Sikh, Muslim, Jew, Christian etc? If they are observed by Muslim Indians are they also observed in Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and/or Bangladesh?
How do people react to Canadian tourist?
What is the official languages and writing system in India? In college, my Indian friend said she had to learn new language every time her family relocated. She said it as matter-of-fact. (Her family is financially well off and she immigrated to the US due to her father job with the UN.) She said the rural areas are very scary due to lack of education, caste system, the chief of village is even more powerful than the State officials.
Some people (women) in Indian companies based in my country outright refuse to visit India despite the pressure from the higher ups to join company’s events in India. Their reason in writing: rape culture.
Can you please explain more about the living conditions and the current economy?
I’ve seen videos of masses of men openly following and gawking at women foreigners in India, and personally feel it’s such a scary place for women.
[I’m adding extra g on the word so I don’t get censored. ] The grape cases in India, particularly gang grape, is horrific, have the laws become stricter since they started hitting the news overseas?
Because last case I read girl who got assaulted and hung on a tree and another in a train in full view of passengers. The townfolks had to resort to street justice because women are not being given protection from predators.
How have the laws helped these poor women and what are being done by the local authorities for the victims?
How much are Anglo indians different from “proper” Indians and in which ways?
How nationalistic are you? And how does that typically change across the various generations?
Why do Indians in India hate Pakistanis? I see celebrities posting hate against Pakistan but then dancing to Pakistani songs in the very next video. Quite confusing honestly. Is the hate being taught since childhood? I am a Pakistani living abroad and have many Indian friends that are my closest friends and are incredible people but then I see so much hate on social media and Bollywood that it disheartens me. A lot of indians love Pakistani clothes , Pakistani drama and music. Even Pakistani artists concerts have more Indian than Pakistani so why the hate. I have had Indian friends that got along with Pakistanis more than their fellow Indians
Is there really a large population of very deadly snakes that kill many people in India every year ? Are major population centers with problem snakes ?
What math and/or statistics classes did your high school education include? Did you feel pressured to attend university or pursue higher education?
What is the school system like, say for high school? Are public schools good enough or do parents have to get tutors. I ask because I believe India is likely the country that is going to be most impacted by Ai, at least in the short term. Tech layoffs in the US is already impacting India the most. I hope the country has a plan for this. India was always known for producing smart workers.
How much misogyny is there in society and is it getting safer for women ?
What if a person born in the lowest caste decides to go to another country and actually make a lot of money, would they still be considered an untouchable if they ever go back?
I’d also be super interested to hear your (or any Indian people’s) thoughts on the future of India. What do you see India’s future to be in 10, 20, 50 years time? In any way, culturally, economically, socially, whatever 😊
Are southern Indian states more prosperous and have higher standards in general with regards to economy , HDI , civic sense and cleanliness compared to North?
What’s the dominant religion in India? Hinduism?
How is the pollution? Is any waste recycled?
What do people in India generally think/ say about Pakistan and Pakistanis?
So I’m Indian and catholic. The story I was always told by my family is that Saint Francis Xavier converted us to Catholicism in the 1500s. Part of me wonders if the real story is that the British occupied the area and forced them to become catholic. My family truly doesn’t know. I think they just regurgitated what they were told. And any thoughts on that? Originally from Goa.
How are you expecting to do this without AI (actual Indians)?
How indians perceive or think about South American countries?
I don’t have questions, but I’ll take a moment to appreciate the very objectively accurate responses by this individual to almost all questions being asked. It is so rare that I honestly couldn’t scroll by without commenting. Whoever you are - more power to you.
What's up with all of the Indians coming to America with the last name Patel? My dad owns a business and almost every Indian guy he's hired has the last name of Patel. I know last name has to do with the caste system. My guesses were the Patels had enough money to move from India or they're all changing their last name when they get here.
Is it really such a big deal for young people to leave and work in other countries? Why is there not a push by parents to keep their kids in India to work and raise families? (My sons are in their 20s and even mentioning moving across the US would set me into a tailspin!!)
Are you really dirty? Online we see people playing with poop, or eating the insane crap we see with street food. Is it all true?
How bad is the corruption on various levels of government?
What do Indians think of Thailand? Most recent trip to Thailand I’ve seen a lot Indians relocate/travel. Is it like a new hot spot? Like how Americans/Candians go to Mexico?
Why can't India win cricket finals and big series like other nations do?
Are you guys aware of the negativity around your culture / country? How do you feel about everyone around the world calling Indians scammers and dirty? Does it affect how you view people ?
People in Texas claim that there’s billboards and paid advertising in India to move to Texas - have you experienced this to be true?
How open are Indians towards the lgbt community? Is being gay frowned upon or can gay Indians live a relatively normal life
I’ve heard that in some parts of India people traditionally use their left hand for personal hygiene after using the toilet. Is that still common today? And how widespread is access to toilets versus open defecation now?
I know India is one of the most population dense countries in the world (if not the most). How does that look? I’d imagine cities are more crowded, but is it hard to get around? Are stores and places always super busy? Not sure where all youve travelled outside India but how does it differ? Thank you <3
Have you ever visited Indiana? You could be Indian, living in India, visiting Indiana.
How do we know you're not AI?