Reflections about India

Elephants with the trunk up are welcoming you. Trunk down is wishing you prosperity.

There is a peacefulness in India even in its chaos of busy traffic and crowded sidewalks. People greeted me with “namaste” and hands folded and a smile everywhere I went. There was kindness.

Yet, folks who were native to India kept warning me not to be too trusting, to watch out for thieves, because they said not everyone is kind. I guess it is important to be realistic even as I appreciate the warmth of so many.

India is both rich and poor. The poverty makes me very sad, and I am glad things like the tech industry and improvements in education may help address it.

I am very curious about the politics, particularly about the prime minister who seems to have strong supporters and strong opposition. It is hard as an outsider to evaluate him.

I was very interested to learn about the different religions practiced in India. I sense a lot of anti-Muslim sentiment, but I am not sure if that was just the folks I happened to speak to. I am curious to learn more about the religions and how belonging to a religion impacts day-to-day life.

Good-bye, India. I sense I will return!