You were born in Liverpool, England but you've spent
the majority of the last eight years in India. What took you to the
subcontinent and what's kept you there?
A
I
began to travel outside of Europe in the mid 1990s, to places in SE Asia, China, Nepal, etc. and many travellers I met talked about India. Based on what they said, I felt I had to visit.
They told me it was pure chaos and full of things that I could never
imagine.
I
hated it at first, but kept coming back. There was something about the place.
The trips got longer, I liked it more and now spend 85 per cent of my time
here. After having spent five years in total in India I am still amazed and confused by much of what
I see. It is a different civilisation, so culturally and geographically diverse
and intense, and the people have a very different mindset from westerners,
which I like. It stimulates me on a daily basis and I feel alive here in a way
that I don't back in the UK.
Q
It's widely acknowledged that the past decade has been one of tremendous
change for India and you've been there for
a good part of this time. What are the changes you've noticed and how do feel
that visiting India has changed in that time?
A
I
don't think much has changed in rural India, where 70 per cent of the people live. But it
will, slowly. As far as the big cities are concerned, I see many changes. TV
has become much more raunchy with sexuality being used to promote goods,
etc. The ads are slick, highly manipulative and are creating certain desires
and aspirations. In fact, the ad industry and its sponsors
are trying to create some kind of universal consumer who thinks, looks and
acts the same regardless of where they may be in the world. I think this
is having an impact on the well-to-do urban youth in terms of them trying to
express their individuality by buying into the products and lifestyles being
promoted. And of course all of the stuff that is promoted by the media is these
days readily available and affordable to that section of society.
But apart from that India is improving in many ways, in terms of
facilities available, job creation, etc. I get the feeling India is going places. Whether I like those particular
"places" it is going to I 'm not sure.
As far as visitors to
India are concerned, I guess they have it easier than
say twenty years ago. All of their home comforts can be accessed via Pizza Hut,
cyber cafes, AC cinemas etc. But these things are still limited to the main
urban centres and India is still as traditional, fascinating, challenging
(most definitely) and as culturally different (from the West) as ever.
Q
Outside of India we think of India tourism as
meaning foreign arrivals to India - Brits, Americans,
Aussies, etc. But you write travel pieces for some of India's major English-language newspapers
and thus for a largely Indian audience. Since you arrived in country, have you
seen a change in how Indians view travel?
A
The
traditional vacation for Indian people was to undertake a tour of the sacred/holy sites and for most,
this is still the main form of tourism... or to go to visit family members in
other parts of the country. Among the better off sections of society, a slight
change is occurring. They want to visit western-type "tourist
hotspots" in India and abroad. I guess this trend will grow but
having said that a lot of Indians regard vacationing as a luxury, not a right,
and often have little time to go wandering. They work long hours and "time
off" does not come as easy to Indian people as it does to Westerners.
Q
What's your favorite thing about being in India? What is your least
favorite?
A
I
have many favourite things. India is a very tolerant society (it has to be, given
the social diversity) and in general the society is not as violent or as
aggressive as the UK. The people tend to be more genteel and for me that creates a
special atmosphere for me. The way people interact with one another is quite
different to what I see in the UK. I feel the quality of life and the essence
of social relations/interactions for a lot of people here, in many
respects, are much better than in Europe.
My least favourite
thing relates to the headlong rush by some to accept everything from the
West's culture and to seek constant approval from the West. I feel saddened
by the wholesale adoption of this consumer mentality and the acquisitive
individualism it brings. It runs counter to many of the traditions of India. But this is not unique to India, it is happening the world over. And I don't
blame sections of society for buying into this. Western culture, or the way it
is presented can be very seductive. I fear that the social fabric of society is
being sacrificed for a model of development
that emphasises a narrow economic model. But as yet, this affects
a minority of people.
Q
The route between Delhi, the Taj Mahal in Agra and Jaipur has been worn
smooth by tourists. Where would you tell people to visit in India?
A
The
best thing I have ever saw is the KailasaTemple at Ellora in Maharastra. There is also the
magnificent SunTemple at Konark and the architecturally brilliant SriMeenaskiTemple in Madurai that teems with life, ritual and daily worship.
But the best places are those which do not contain traditional "tourist
sites". Just walk through the back streets of Chennai for example and you
will see the traditions and rituals of South India in living colour. It is in such places that you
will experience "India".
Q
As someone in the midst of it, what do you think the future of Indian
travel and tourism looks like?
A
As
for Indian people themselves, I think I have already touched on that. For
visitors to India, I think things will continue to be slow.
Perhaps more people will continue to visit Goa, Kerala, Rajasthan etc, but I don't see India transforming itself into a global hotspot for
tourists just yet. The roads, standard of service, airports, hotels and basic
tourist infrastructure needs upgrading quite a bit and of course the
constant power cuts gets everyone down. People will still opt for Greece, Florida, Thailand, Turkey, Spain, etc. for the time being.
Colin Todhunter is a writer based in India. Originally from England, he currently writes for the New Sunday Express - the weekend edition of the New Indian Express - one of the subcontinent's leading English-language newspapers. He has written extensively on travel, social and cultural issues, and occasionally appears in the book reviews section. He writes for the Deccan Herald, the main English-language newspaper for Bangalore and the state of Karnataka, as well.
He has also written on disability rights, community development, healthcare, consumerism and ageism, and has been published in various academic and professional journals such as Disability and Society and Social Research Update and is a contributor to the book The A-Z of Social Research.
In 2003, his book Chasing Rainbows in Chennai, based on his travels through India, was released to widespread media acclaim, reaching No. 3 on the bestseller list of India's largest bookstore. Extracts from over half the chapters have subsequently been published in newspapers and magazines. His latest book is the travelogue Chester the Superior Dog Goes to India. He writes the Cardboard Cows and Sugarpuffs blog.
