Do westerners really like India and Indians?

Answer 1

Like?

That's a fairly lukewarm word. I'm completely fascinated. I lived for a year as a child in Calcutta, and have gone back to visit the country three times as an adult. I find India to be incredibly paradoxical, bringing us great philosophers, incredible physicists, mathematicians and medical doctors at the same time as it holds on to a completely outdated lifestyle and social structure for the majority of its people.

Indian music is different from any other music on the planet, counting time and pitch in a much more complex way than even the most modern western composers seem to be able to comfortably grasp. Indians gave us the first observatories, one of the most complex mythologies ever conceived and the wonders of Bollywood.

Part of me hopes that India will modernize, but another part of me thinks it is fine just the way it is.

Here's an example of the paradox of India:

Because the streets of India were so dirty, and clean water so rare, the beggars of India had a very high rate of infections of the feet and legs.
The cost and difficulty of modernising the infrastructure proved so daunting to regimes from the fifties through the seventies that this effort was abandoned. Instead, the Indian State sponsored research into the production
of prosthetic feet and legs, which were given
FREE to any Indian who needed them. These prosthetics were so technologically advanced that they became a world wide industry, and were until very recently considered the state of the art replacement limbs for the lower body. Westerners had to pay tens of thousands of dollars for what the beggars were given for free.

If you haven't already, I recommend you read Salman Rushdie's Midnight's Children. There's India condensed into a single magical volume.

Answer 2

We don't dislike Indians or India. We have no reason to.

As a culture, Indians value hard work, education, loyalty, dedication, and spirituality. These same values hold true in the West.

Generally, Indians are very kind and open. In most cases, this openness is a positive trait. While I know there is crime in India, we don't see many criminals in the West who are of Indian descent. We do see many doctors, scientists, and business owners however. Such contribution to society without the negative impact of crime or criminals surely helps the positive reputation of the Indian people.

The fact many Indian people study English also helps immensely. Communication is paramount to understanding.

Few westerners have visited India. I have (on business) and found it to be a very interesting place of tremendous contrasts. The people were consistently kind to me, regardless of where I was or what I was doing. I never felt threatened in any way. It was very pleasant.

Answer 3

i am a westerner and i really do like india and indians. sometimes when i'm immersed in their culture, i feel like an outsider because i don't know the customs , the language, nor recognize the tone of voice or expressions that indicate a sense of humor. this discomfort might look from the outside like i don't like indians but i really view it as my own inadequacy. if someone can recignize my expression as "puzzlement" rather that "dislike" and try to include me and help me to understand, it would go a long way toward living together with each others cultures, which are both very rich and have lots to share.

Answer 4

After reading your questions and comments, I understand you are not only comfortable but also quite used to wear Salwar Kamiz. In that case just go on and wear Salwar suits, I suggest also to add more stuff to your wardrobe while you are in India. YOu might keep one or two Western outfit for a change. Mostly westerners who tries the salwar suit or saree for the first time in their India adventure, look like a creature uncomfortably wrapped around with some ethnic stuff. So they draw unwanted attention. For you I don't think that would be the case.

Answer 5

I do. Indians are exceptionally polite, literate, and artistic people who have made untold contributions to the world's culture. And I like Indian food. Wouldn't mind going there for a visit.

Answer 6

I know I do. I would love to visit India one day and learn more about the culture and the country in general. Lovely people! Just lovely! ♥

Answer 7

I don't mind them as people. I have a problem with the fact that they abuse our country. For instance, they do not have to pay taxes for the first five years that they live in the USA. They proceed to open a business, avoid the taxes, then transfer it to a realtive five years later. They then have a perpetuity of not paying taxes. That is BS.

Answer 8

Most of us from the USA really don't dislike people solely because they are from another culture. We're a melting pot of nationalities and make room for everyone, so long as they don't mean to do harm to us.

Answer 9

Why not one the oldest culture from world and worlds biggest democratic country ,people are nice and honest and some with really with good brain.

Answer 10

Sorta. We hate the fact that you give us horrible tech support and you constantly harass us when we're trying to chat in our chat rooms in peace.

You also smell like stale curry but we also smell like stale prepackaged foods.

But on the other hand, you don't bomb people and you act polite, unlike Muzzies.