INDIA: A SUCCESS STORY? REALLY?

By all accounts, India is a failure. It has a population approaching 1.4 billion, five times the United States. Everyone is born into a ‘caste’ that defines their life and prospects. There are 23 officially recognized languages while 13% speak English as a second language. The population is 80% Hindu and 15% Muslim, with 6% Christian, Buddhist, Jain and Sikh. For nearly 160 years, India was run by a foreign corporation (1612-1858) followed by 89 years of British colonial rule (1858-1947). Most marriages are arranged, with astrological sign as the primary pairing criteria. Dead are cremated on public pyres with remains cast into the river where many bathe. Yet India thrives, living in relative peace and harmony. How is this possible?