How do the cultural clashes between the traditional Indian culture and the emergence of technology such as text messaging and Internet dating effect romantic relationships in India?

From what I have seen it is having a rather big effect on the romantic life in India, but it is only a few people who have access to Internet and cell phones. It is usually only the top layer of the classes in the society who may be effected by this. For them the dating scene is much different now compared to the traditional Indian culture of marriage and relationships where it does not even exist. 

In the traditional way of relationships in India the marriage is arranged and the bride and groom do not even meet each other until the wedding day in many cases. The technology of Internet and cell phones opens up a way of communicating between people, which does not require the approval of the parents and it can be kept secret. The technology has started a way of dating that for us from the western world is normal and a part of everyday life for most of us. Here it is modern and accepted in a big city as Mumbai, but I do not know if it is in other parts of India. I believe it also depends on from what class you come from and how traditional the family is. It is not all accepted to show your love in public, still. Sometimes I have seen couples snuggling in cabs or hidden behind bushes by the beach in Bandra.

Will India be able to learn from the missteps of the West regarding ecology, energy and education?

Will they recognize earlier in their economic and social development that material resources are finite yet human resources (such as creativity, innovation and expression) are infinite?

Will India achieve a true global consciousness that recognizes the unique contribution of all cultures?”

This is a very difficult question. I have to write based on what I believe around the topic and how I experience the situation in India.

When a country develops I believe it needs in some way find systems and ways that fits them. What is working in Sweden might not work at all in India. Different countries has different needs. They might just need to do a couple of there own missteps in any aspects to find the perfect way. Maybe they will meet completely different kinds of problems when avoiding the ones that the western world had. That is just my general opinion on the topic.

I believe India is able to learn from the missteps of the west in all aspects, but it might take a while until it shows. I believe that they need to go through a few generations before it will have any bigger impact. Right now there are not enough resources and welfare for all of the population to be aware of the rest of the world. I asked an Indian girl today when I was working at a youth festival in Bandra, in Mumbai, if the Indians are aware of the climate change in the world since we were talking about that the weather has been getting hotter and hotter every year now. She said that there are only a few people who are aware of that. It is obvious to me then that those people might be those who are westernized. Part of the middle class, has a decent job and earn relatively good money. These are also the people who in their households and everyday life are using more energy then other people who do not live with western standards.

The children in this youth festival where talking allot about how they dream about a clean and colorful earth. They dreamed about less pollution. This could be a hot topic in school? They are aware of it and they wish to change it. But to do that they need to get the education and to get the education they need to take the bus to school. The bus will pollute the city until they grow up and will change the petrol to a less polluting resource to run the bus. It does not have to be this particular generation that will do this. The awareness is already in my own generation, but might not be as much just yet. 

What are the living conditions for homosexuals in India? Socially, culturally and politically?

Homosexuality is more accepted in the big cities of India. On the countryside the conditions are harder. There the society basically makes their own decision whether it is ok or not with same sex relationships.

According to the Indian Panel Code a sentence of up to ten years of prison can be enforced for “carnal intercourse against the order of nature”

The law is very diffuse and the interpretation could be free, but to express your homosexuality is, according to some, only possible when you are rich and have money to cover expenses for security. According to TimeOut Mumbai you could end up in big danger if you express your homosexuality openly.

The responses on the question, in the streets, differ from time to time. Some people have found it a bit embarrassing to talk about gays and lesbians and others are very calm and not bothered at all. It does happen that you might encounter people who are not at all gay friendly. There have been situations when the response has been anti gay in a very aggressive way. To my surprise this specific situation, I have been told about, was with a rather young Indian man.

There is no gay pride parade in Mumbai, but the gay and lesbian community has held open protests against the law in the Indian Code Panel.

1)How are India’s people handling the country’s transition into a growing world economic power?
2)Do they feel any change in their status in the world?
3)Is there more economic equity among the people as India’s economic performance grows?

It is a very hard question for me to answare because of three reasons. First of all I have not been in India long enough for me to see Indias different systems and fully understand their way of thinking. My answares are mainly seen in a swedish perspective and way of thinking.
Second, the people of India are unbelivably many and I can not possibly speak for all of them. I have only seen a really small part of India’s biggest city, which is home for around 18 million people. For me that too is an unbelivable figure.
Third, I belive there is different answares to the questions depending on who’s perspective it is seen through. The answares will differ depending on if it is seen through the people of the upper class or the poor and homeless.
I will definiatly try to answare as good as I possibly can. I will mainly speak for what feeling I have gotten through conversations and observations I have had the first two weeks in Mumbai.

1)They seem to handle it well. They think it is good and they want to become a powerful country. I feel that they lack of sustainable thinking. There is education avaliable for everybody but some familys can not afford to buy books and therefor their kids do not attend school. Things like these can in the long run cause many problems if the transition keeps the same high pace.

2)Some have said that they would like to see India be compared to powerful nations like the United states one day and they belive they are heading that way.

3)The economic equity is improving in really small baby steps. The wealthy are very wealthy and the poorest are very poor. But i believe the middle class is growing. It will probably be a long process and I believe they also need to improve the standard of living. These two things might be a few of the most important in India’s process of becoming a world economic power.

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