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You are correct. India is quite a land of contrasts, especially when it comes to haves and have nots. Their governmental system is shot through with corruption. Beats me how they set their priorities, but there is quite a significant element of grinding poverty in India. One would think that addressing its social issues would take precedence over developing nuclear weapons.

What you say is true.
Some FReedope thinks I sound like a liberal.
Shows how little he knows of India.

When my husband and I lived overseas, we did get a chance for a month-long tour to India. I saw it for myself...and the guides tried to keep a balance, showing us SOME of the poverty but not so much as to make us sick.
We even rented some golf clubs and played a round. Problem was that little boys kept darting out of the bushes, stealing our golf balls and then trying to sell them back to us.
Also, at the VERY beginning of the round, the caddies ha a HUGE fistfight as to who would be our caddy. SO India.

The Indians USED to deform their OWN children to make them a more pathetic beggar. There IS a "beggar caste," though Indian law outlawed the caste system. Didn't work, of course.

They addressed the child mutilation by ALLOWING the cutting off of arms and legs, but only ONE upper, ONE lower, and the amputation could NOT include the joint. Also, no facial mutilation was allowed.
I wouldn't have believed it unless I had seen it. Their justification is: We have to start SOMEWHERE.
I hope their "plan" works better than the plan to eliminate caste.

Their caste system is ALMOST as cruel as the Chinese dislike of females. AT LEAST upper class Indian females ARE considered worthy. The lowest caste females, though, I wouldn't want to be one. Yikes.