My son is thinking of doing an exchange program at a university in India next Spring. Does anyone have reliable info to indicate whether or not it would be safe for an American young man to travel and live there for six months or so?
changeling :)
I need advice on the current political situation in India
by changeling 10 Replies latest jw friends
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digderidoo
I suppose it depends on what part of India.
Parts of the Kashmir region would be a no go. Most of Indians are Hindu's, in the Punjab you will find Sikhs, whereas Kashmir you will find Muslims and in particular extremists. Best to research the city and the make up, most Indians are peace loving people and very friendly. I have many Indian friends and clients as i live in a part of the UK that has a large population of them. I have always found them to be genuine hospitable people, it's in their culture to be.
Paul
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nameless_one
It depends on what area(s) he will be visiting.
http://www.travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1139.html
Scroll down a bit for information about areas that are experiencing political unrest, health issues, etc. -
LearningMore
I agree that it would depend on the area. But, generally, I would say it is pretty safe. (Off the top of my head, I would say avoid Kashmir and be cautious in the state of Bihar.) I spent several months all over India myself, and felt quite safe. I think the US is a particularly dangerous place really (especially our big cities), so compared to that, many other countries are surprisingly safe. As long as he has a good head on his shoulders and takes normal precautions, I think it would be an awesome experience. India is unique and has a lot to offer. He will be a changed man with greatly opened eyes! How exciting!
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SixofNine
Your son's university exchange program would send him somewhere unsafe?
JWD not good info. State Dept, good info.
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LearningMore
Just a note: Take the State Department travel sheets with a grain of salt. They always scare the crap outta me. The reality is *usually* quite a bit tamer. Imagine reading the city papers of big cities in the US without any knowledge of real life there...I wouldn't step out my door. LOL. Those travel sheets do have good info, but realize their intent...to be very cautious with US citizens.
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changeling
Thank you guys!
The university is in Hyderabad.
Could anyone make nameless_one's site "clickable"?
Thanks!
changeling :)
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stillajwexelder
Indians are wonderful - just avoid Muslim areas
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eyeslice
I lived and worked in New Delhi a while back and have traveled all over India, except to Kashmir, which probably isn't safe. I still visit regularly, in fact I was back just a couple of months ago.
First, you have to understand that India is very different from the West. It is a developing country but there is still a lot of poverty and even the people that they would classify as middle class do not enjoy the same standard of living as we do.
On the other hand, I have found living and traveling in India to be very safe. I never felt unsafe on the streets of Delhi, which is more than can be said of many Western cities - there are just too many people about for muggers to get away! Also, not too sure about the advice to avoid Muslims. All the Muslims I have met in India have been good honest people. Although there have been some problems, basically Indian Muslims have not been radicalized as in other places.
I know that Microsoft and Oracle have invested heavily in India - in Hyderabad I think?
You asked specifically about the political situation. India is the world's largest democracy. Currently the Congress party is in power and they are very pro-West. This is party of Sonia Gandhi but she was reluctant to take over as prime minster and so India has it's first Sikh prime minister, Manmohan Singh. He is a highly intelligent, well respected economist.
Personally, I love India and would say go for it but you have to make up your own minds about the pros and cons / risks of living in a different culture.
Eyeslice