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Old 10th October 2005, 05:28   #1
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Indians are 4th happiest - true?

We all know about this survey done by GfK NOP which threw up this interesting result. I don't know what factors were considered in arriving at the results but something doesn't seem right about the result. Even the richest city in India doesn't have basic infrastructure. Most mumbaites spend a few hours to cover a few kilometers by road, people travelling in first class in trains are hanging out or those inside get squeezed for a few hours as our rickety trains make their way through slums, I could go on and on. What makes us happy then? Or is that the average indian is happy because he doesn't know what it is to have sidewalks free of hawkers to walk on, public spaces and gardens in the heart of cities or just strangers smiling and saying hello or good morning to each other. Do any of you guys know what were the parameters on which this survey was based? By the way, Puneites were the happiest in the country.
Ironically, in a separate EIU survey that ranked most livable cities in the world, none of the Indian cities made it to the top 10. That link shows that the top 10 cities in the world are in Canada, Switzerland, Australia and Austria. I don't have the entire list but I am sure no Indian city will be in the top 50!
This is intriguing. What is it that makes Indians happy? We are famous for our chalta hai attitude. Is that attitude determining our happiness now too?

Last edited by amit : 10th October 2005 at 05:30.
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Old 10th October 2005, 18:27   #2
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I dont think its true Amit. Considering that a huge number of Indians live in sub standard conditions, even read, let alone do a survey!! The sample size used for the survey are probably the higher end, for whom life does not involve crowded train journeys or slums with so many kids, that you lose track of which one is yours.
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Old 10th October 2005, 21:32   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dyslexic_Typist
I dont think its true Amit. Considering that a huge number of Indians live in sub standard conditions, even read, let alone do a survey!! The sample size used for the survey are probably the higher end, for whom life does not involve crowded train journeys or slums with so many kids, that you lose track of which one is yours.
or the people making survey have a cruel sence of humor
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Old 10th October 2005, 21:39   #4
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4th happiest? Far from it. I must be the 4th angriest person in the world. Every morning and night I drive through the potholes on Western Express (excuse for a) Highway. It's made my car as rattly as a rattlesnake. Then I see our gutters clogged up with plastic and other trash. After all this, the tax collectors are always ready to pounce as soon as one defaults. These are enough reasons to frustrate even a Sanyasi.
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Old 10th October 2005, 21:56   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by adya33
or the people making survey have a cruel sence of humor
I dont think the surveyors have any 'sense'. Of humor or otherwise!

And Aditya, i fully agree with the Western Express highway. To really frustrate a Sanyasi though get him to reach Powai from Ghatkopar!
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Old 10th October 2005, 22:07   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Aditya
4th happiest? Far from it. I must be the 4th angriest person in the world. Every morning and night I drive through the potholes on Western Express (excuse for a) Highway. It's made my car as rattly as a rattlesnake. Then I see our gutters clogged up with plastic and other trash. After all this, the tax collectors are always ready to pounce as soon as one defaults. These are enough reasons to frustrate even a Sanyasi.
I can surely understand your frustration
today in the papers there is news about a non existant eastern bypass (source: Sakal Newspaper)
link: http://www.esakal.com/today/pune7.html
its in marathi
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Old 10th October 2005, 23:48   #7
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These are enough reasons to frustrate even a Sanyasi.


Guys, I can only imagine the state of the roads after monsoons over there. I remember there were pot holes on the expressway when I was there so I guess the Government has a right to leave some pot holes on normal roads, don't they?
But yea, the question still remains. What were the parameters on which this happiness survey was based because no matter what parameter is considered, life for any Indian cannot be happy. I mean you could have a mercedes but you are still going to spend 2 hours driving from Andheri to Churchgate just like the guy in the Maruti 800 next to you.
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Old 10th October 2005, 23:48   #8
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well - maybe the surveyors saw us laughing away in fustration and helplessly - they thought we are happy !
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Old 11th October 2005, 12:43   #9
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I think we are supposed to be happy because our culture is so. So what if we have pot holed roads, crummy leaders, crappy administration? We have our lives to lead. Plus we also would like to put a happy spin on things so that no gets a chance to criticize us.

BTW, if we were not so happy, do you think our population would have been so much?
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Old 11th October 2005, 13:06   #10
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Originally Posted by typeOnegative
I think we are supposed to be happy because our culture is so. So what if we have pot holed roads, crummy leaders, crappy administration? We have our lives to lead. Plus we also would like to put a happy spin on things so that no gets a chance to criticize us.

BTW, if we were not so happy, do you think our population would have been so much?
Our 'culture' as the moral police define it, says a lot of things. Most of involves making people unhappy
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Old 11th October 2005, 13:14   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dyslexic_Typist
Our 'culture' as the moral police define it, says a lot of things. Most of involves making people unhappy
Most Indians work in/for the 'Moral Police' dude.
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Old 11th October 2005, 22:59   #12
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Our 'culture' as the moral police define it, says a lot of things. Most of involves making people unhappy
Everywhere people say Indian culture is about love. Come valentine's day and activists of a political party go round smashing card shops, blackening the faces of couples and what not. Now how can a culture thats anti-love claim to promote love? And don't even get me started on the emotional blackmail most parents indulge in to prevent their kids from getting into love marraige. We Indians spend so much of time and effort on small useless things...
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Old 11th October 2005, 23:03   #13
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I feel most Indians love to be sad. Look at the TV shows we have!. All of them have people wallowing in self pity and crying for no reason. When was the last time a comedy show topped TRP's. When was the last decent comedy show on Indian TV? Compare that to western TV shows. Friends, Everybody loves Raymond, Seinfeld (my Favorite). the king of queens etc etc etc.....When will we see a decent comedy show topping the TRP's in India? The last good indian comedy serial was yeh jo hai zindagi and that was ages back!
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Old 11th October 2005, 23:12   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by amit
I feel most Indians love to be sad. Look at the TV shows we have!. All of them have people wallowing in self pity and crying for no reason. When was the last time a comedy show topped TRP's. When was the last decent comedy show on Indian TV? Compare that to western TV shows. Friends, Everybody loves Raymond, Seinfeld (my Favorite). the king of queens etc etc etc.....When will we see a decent comedy show topping the TRP's in India? The last good indian comedy serial was yeh jo hai zindagi and that was ages back!
Come on Amit, give some credit to the scripters of the "ideals bahus' and 'Ideal families' their ability to dish out the same sort of crap serial after serial deserves a standing ovation! And on a slightly tangetial note, Oprah and its creed arent too far behind in the glycerine race are they?? so its not really just indian stuff.
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Old 11th October 2005, 23:20   #15
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Oprah and its creed arent too far behind in the glycerine race are they?? so its not really just indian stuff.
Also, the bold & the beautiful is among the most ridicolous shows ever on TV. But i was talking in terms of proportion. Sure there are weepy shows abroad too but they also have comedy shows. Today on Indian TV, emotional shows rule totally. I don't blame Ekta Kapoor for the saas-bahu shows. remember she had a comedy show hum paanch earlier. She is a business woman and will give the people what they want.
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