Sub-continental divide: How to write about India
Ghats of Varanasi
Indians tend to be very sensitive about how their country and culture are portrayed in the media. They seem to be especially critical of writers who practice, often unknowingly, ethnocentricity and cultural imperialism.* And they are not shy about voicing their criticisms.
I don’t blame them. But I am sympathetic to writers, too, who try to capture in words their experiences and observations about this tremendous country.
Here’s a primer on how to write sensitively about India (or any other “foreign” culture) and what to watch out for; plus three real-life examples of writers who missed the mark.
Capturing the magic
India bedazzles the foreign visitor. Especially on first encounter. It over-stimulates the senses, confounds expectations, confronts prejudices, disturbs sensibilities and generally throws people into hyper-culture shock.
India also enchants. It seduces people with unexpected moments of sublime beauty, non-stop cultural vibrancy, mysterious and hypnotizing rituals, incredible geographic diversity, and the most unabashedly warm, open and helpful people you will ever meet.
Writers about India should therefore be forgiven for hyperbole, confusion about cultural and spiritual traditions, rapturous language, a tendency towards mysticism and endurance-themed traveler’s tales.
But indulging in demeaning stereotypes, blind romanticization, high-handed judgmentalism and an attitude of cultural superiority will all draw ire from Indian commentators.
As a long-time writer and blogger about India, I have received hundreds of comments — and I am extremely proud that they have almost all been overwhelmingly positive. I would rather receive positive feedback from Indian readers than to be published in The New York Times. It really means a lot to me.
Beyond the pale
Indians are voluble both with their praise and condemnation. When I come across harsh criticism from Indian readers to other foreign writers’ blogs, books and articles, I cringe — knowing how easy it to is to fall into these traps. Here are three examples of writing that misses the mark. I offer them up reluctantly, as I am sure the writers were well-intentioned.
1. Jil Wheeler is a journalist , new to Mumbai, who writes for The Morning News. Her observations about life in Mumbai have provoked criticism on blogs such as Smoke Signals and Brown Paper. Both of these critics accuse Jil of “demeaning cliches and stereotypes.”
2. Dreaming in Hindi, by Katherine Russell Rich, is a book about the author’s experience living in Rajasthan and studying Hindi. The author was highly criticized on Doublex.com by Indians who were incensed by what they felt were her “assumptions, generalizations and Oriental romanticism” in a Salon piece. (Though, as she pointed out in a comment below, the book itself did not draw criticism.)
3. Ellen Maynes is a lovely young woman, a travel blogger who is traveling the world. I was following her blogs when she traveled in India. Her description of a train journey drew irate criticism from an Indian who felt she was “showing India in a poor light.”
While I can see both sides of these issues, I can understand why Indians react so strongly. For one thing, India is still coming out of the shadow of 250 years of British colonial rule. For another, there is no excuse for cultural imperialism.
If, like me, you feel inspired to write about India, my advice is to stay as open and non-judgmental as you can, and to cultivate a sense of humility and perspective. India is a vast nation of more than 1 billion people, immense social challenges and ancient traditions. All of this deserves respect, if you ask me.
In my case, I love India. Irrationally and unconditionally. My best writing comes from love. In fact, I think all of the best art comes from love.
*NOTE: After I wrote and published this, I realized that I never defined cultural imperialism; and never really expressed what I wanted to say. The writing I am urging people to avoid is writing that depicts people as “other.” Sometimes, the cultural differences that divide us can obscure the humanity of the people we are looking at. Tourists, writers and bloggers can sometimes forget that the fascinating, foreign “other” is a human being. But if we see the world from a place of love, understanding and compassion, we can see through cultural difference — to the unique, flesh-and-blood human standing before us.
Andi
Karen Mosher
WAP7
Marie
Kolkata Hotels
Truth comes from love also and I see nothing wrong with a writer telling his or her own truth about any country. We all have our own set of experiences and view them with our own lens. I see nothing wrong with holding India’s feet to the fire about its pollution, treatment of women and children, poverty, and other things that Indians get upset about when they see it in writing. An Indian told me about my blog: “You are one of the few who doesn’t bring up the heat and cows when writing about India. You somehow balance your respect and love for Indian traditions with the necessary irreverence making it honest and touching.” and that is all that a writer can do.
Hi, Katherine Russell Rich here, author of Dreaming in Hindi. I just wanted to point out that my book itself has gotten very few complaints from Indians. Just one, to my knowledge. The Indians who’ve read the book tend to really like it. A lot of people, in fact, have remarked on the fact that it avoids the traps of cultural imperialism. What you’re referring to are several comments that appeared after a Salon piece, but they were about the piece, not the book. Not only that, several other Indians chided the people in question for their remarks. You might want to make that correction above: in the illustration in question, you’re referring to an on-line piece, not the book Dreaming in Hindi . Thanks and all best, Katherine Russell Rich
Well said, Linda. Finding the balance between respect and love on the one hand, and honesty and irreverence on the other, is indeed a feat to be proud of!
For the record, if I didn’t make it clear, I am not suggesting that writers should censor their honest observations. I just think it’s a good idea for writers to take a look in the mirror, and be aware of the lens they are seeing through. I am arguing in favour of increased awareness and consciousness in writing, both in regards to India (my subject) and any other subject, for that matter.
In my experience, love helps bridge the culture gap.
Mariellen
Greetings Mariellen, This is a good topic to talk about.
In fact, I was talking about this topic the other day. Someone asked me if I read books on foreigners who traveled or lived in India. I said I have tried to read such books, but I have not found a balanced one yet. They either show the bad parts of India (which all countries do have) but in a way to glorify their country (ie. America) and not in relation to the situation there, or over glorify India to make it all roses, or talk just about how it’s like to be a tourist and how they avoided interacting with many people on a basis of more than bartering or banking. That is sad. It is not a realistic picture of any place and that is why I have a hard time reading most India travel books past chapter 1 (if I get that far). I went to India to experience daily life. This is a totally different, and in someways more realistic view of India… in fact living in any place be it America, India, UK, Oman, Kenya, etc is always a better way to truly appreciate things in the context they are in than simply being a tourist. But we don’t all have the resources to do that, either. But then there are people who live abroad, but live in communities of people from their own country or only with the rich people so they have a different standard of life than a normal joe. These kind of stories indeed have their uniqueness, but again lose a balance of reality and context that I want. It’s not just in reading books, blogs, and newspapers but those Western movies on Indian topics. Now a days I tend to stay away from them. But, Disney had the Cheetah Girls go to India movie a few years ago- that had a few realistic type scenes in it.
Thanks for making me think!
Oh! In rereading my comment, I forgot to say another story that kind of irritates me- the foreigner who goes to India to stay in an ashram- this may be the ‘rosy’ story line. In the ashram life is not like it is outside….and many Indians themselves do not have the luxury of time or money to divorce themselves from daily life to stay in an ashram so again it’s not really how people live their lives day to day- a typical Indian, so those stories are hard for me to read too.
Thank you. What a great insight into some of the ‘pitfalls’ of writing about cultures other than one’s own. I especially liked your conclusion that, ‘In my case, I love India. Irrationally and unconditionally. My best writing comes from love. In fact, I think all of the best art comes from love’
I agree 100%. I also think it’s very tricky finding the balance. A writer (or anyone else really) can only do as you advise and come from a starting point of love. Or if not love, at least goodwill and sensitivity to the feelings of others.
I’ve often thought that in order to write about India really properly is to live there. Or is that just me and my dream of doing just that coming through?
I might say it is hard to find the balance, but I also don’t think there is ever any excuse for a judgemental approach that often results in that soppy romantisism (that is usually utterly meaningless anyway), bland generalisations and even what can only be termed ‘racism’, that characterises so much writing about India and other cultures.
Thanks for talking about this important issue!
This is also something I’ve thought a lot about when I started my blog. True, a lot of writing by foreigners on India is judgmental and condescending – especially on blogs. It’s easy to make fun of another culture and a lot more difficult to try to understand it from an objective point of view.
Of course each culture has its stereotypes of other cultures and a tendency to romanticize – as a foreigner living in India I am also confronted by the stereotypes Indians have about foreigners and ‘the West’.
My approach is why focus on the negatives when there are so many positives? But ultimately what you really feel about a place will come out in your writing. Like you, I love India and somehow it comes through!
It depends on whom and what one is writing about. There are many indias in India. ( caste/relgious/nonreligious/urbanpoor/rural poor/middle class both upper-middle-still middler ) the rich the super rich, the educated, the list does not stop here.
One might be able to explain the physical attributes but like in all things west it is difficult to categorize – because different centuries of mind sets exist. it is highly possible that because the person is urban and educated, he may also have 17th century concepts and work with that kind of mindset.
To observe a balance of these myraids of metrics is a juggling act. To make things difficult the West also has its notions, stereotypes, biases and prejudices. Again the indians also have the same about west. Is there a comfortable reference point – It depends on the target audience who reads your piece. For westerners who are raised in a very structured setting of resources, systems and resources india is a chaos. For people like me who was raised inside such disorganization we make our own system. The nepotic, corrupt poiliticians and governments do not make it easier for the people either and are not larger than businessmen who hold these politicians in their palms.
Is there a happy place that you want to write about. Among all this madness, one creates their own. I wouldn’t even put a face value to it. Some like it, some dont. It has to be one thing or the other – not in between.