This week the sophomores are proud to present their Man in India, Kunal Datta, who recently returned from a lengthy trip where he visited Gandhi’s memorial and left India to travel to Dubai for a visit to the world’s highest building. Kunal reflects on his trip and shares with our readers his most memorable experiences. Enjoy!

By KUNAL DATTA

Comparing Education

The United States and India are among the largest countries in the world and have many broad similarities, but when it comes to education in these countries there are also many differences. Both have structured curriculums, qualified teachers and public and private schools. In the U.S. each state has its own standards and tests for curriculum, while in India schools on the national and state level are governed by boards of education.

High school in the United States has different levels, and if one level is too hard for you, then you can drop down to the lower level. This system is designed to maintain student self-esteem, but does not push a student to her full potential. Alternatively, in India there is only one level, so students will have to push themselves in order to pass. This maximizes their potential.

In America most schools have a strong emphasis on extracurricular activities such as sports, fine arts and social clubs. Enormous amounts of money go toward athletics and after-school clubs. In India the major focus is on academics and getting good grades and high scores on tests. Instead of spending their time training for a sport or going to practice for a sport, many people get tutors to help them excel in a class.

A Story of Conflict

India and Pakistan have had a rough history. Conflicts between the two countries started in 1947 when the British left India and it was divided into two countries. Regions containing 75 per cent or more Muslims became Pakistan and the rest of the territory ended up as India.

An agreement did not clearly define the boundary between the countries; as a result, the state of Kashmir could have joined Pakistan or India but chose to stay independent. When Pakistan sent tribal lashkars to talk to Kashmir about their choice of sovereignty, India’s government saw this as a sign of invasion, so they sent troops to help preserve Kashmir. This first battle between the nations resulted in India controlling 63 per cent of Kashmir and Pakistan controlling 37 per cent, dividing the state.

This led to multiple wars between the countries; one was in 1965, which give rise to a standstill between the two countries for Kashmir. The second war arose in 1971 and was caused by Pakistan attempting to calm down the Bengali peasants by confiscating Hindu land and giving it to the Muslims; the result was eight million refugees who created an enormous problem for the Indian government. Pakistan began to attack suspected camps located inside India’s territory, and later struck nine Indian airfields along the western border. India then declared war on Pakistan and defeated them in two weeks, overrunning East Pakistan.

More recently there was a gun battle between India and Pakistan on Jan. 7 in Kashmir, one of the biggest attacks in two years.

Saving the Ganges

The Ganges River starts in the Himalayas and streams about 1,550 miles, passing some of the most densely populated cities of India, including Allahabad, Varanasi and Kanpur, which has a population of two million, Patna and Calcutta, which has a population of 14 million. The Ganges River is held sacred by millions of Hindus, who make up approximately 80 per cent of country’s total population, which is over 1.25 billion. It has been named a national river of India. The river contains cremated remains, untreated sewage, chemicals and microorganisms which are harmful to humans and other animals that bathe in and drink water from the river. People wash their laundry, bathe in and drink from the river. An estimated 2 million people bathe daily in the river.

For a time, this idealistic view of the Ganges collided with India’s harsh reality. During the past three decades, the country’s explosive growth, industrialization and rapid urbanization have put immovable demands on the sacred river. Although many people consider the Ganges sacred, they continue to pollute it. The major causes of pollution include the leather industries, which use large amounts of chemicals that find their way into the river. On top of that, nearly one billion liters of mostly untreated raw sewage is dumped in the river every day. The volume of household sewage being dumped into the Ganges has doubled since the 1990s, and may double again in the next couple generations. Also cremation procedures contribute to a large number of partially burned corpses floating down the river, not to mention livestock corpses that float down the river. More than 400 million people live along the Ganges River; if they don’t do something to stop this pollution, it will spell the end of communities living along the banks.

Not long ago, the World Bank announced that it will give a $1 billion loan over the next five to seven years to the recently launched National Ganges River Basin Authority project. Headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the project aims to clean up and conserve the Ganges River. The plan includes building sewage treatment systems, among other things. The Indian government estimates that about $4 billion will be needed to clean up the river. Although previous clean-up plans have been unsuccessful, World Bank chief Robert Zoellick believes it can work this time.