In the Dark

India in the Dark

Electric power was restored Wednesday in India after two horrendous blackouts. You might not have heard about it, but you should have. Ten percent of the worlds population lost power in the blackout. That’s roughly 670 million people. Many have attributed the black out to the political culture in India. A country that while growing is experiencing the awkward middle school years induced by globalization and an over focus on business. This focus has caused a large gap between the business world which receives priority from the government with regards to funding and the actual population which lags substantially behind. These large gaps between the perception of India as a growing global power (which it is don’t get me wrong) and the reality on the ground will continue to plague the country until a larger rising tide of infrastructure enhancements, educational changes, and increased economic oppertunity arrives.

New Delhi has gone out of its way to make life better for big businesses, granting them access to easy credit, dedicated power plants, and protection against currency fluctuations. That is a problem because India’s big-business sectors, such as mining, land development, and infrastructure, are its most corrupt.“ -Foreign Affairs