The way I see it, a certain amount of delusional exclusivist mindset can be found in the elite everywhere. That is why you have Americans harping about the American dream while they disregard the ever-narrowing opportunities for the working class and then feel sucker-punched when Trump gets elected.
I think feudalism which is the primary cause of this apathy is common to both India and Pakistan. Rich landowning families that believe the world exists for their sake is not unique to India, really. However, in India we also have that unique hereditary institution - the caste system. There is no greater recipe for delusion than a bunch of upper caste Hindus bred on privilege who think they represent all of India.
These are the people who have received the fruits of the country's economic growth, and are desperate to believe that it is meaningful and inclusive. The fact that India is the second most unequal country as far as wealth distribution is concerned - 57 billionaires control 70% of the wealth, is no small matter. Yet, they will find something to crow about such stark inequality as well.
As for why young people are so delusional, yes, education does play a role. But there are also other factors, such as increasingly living in gated communities. I have met Pakistanis who live in gated communities in Defence, Clifton etc. who are equally delusional. Their lives have no shared experience with the poor and so they can be expunged from reality.
And finally, I think the most important aspect is the virus of chauvinism posing as nationalism. I mentioned uncomfortable facts, which anyone with an internet connection and Google can find out. But in doing so I become a traitor. Too many people are currently invested in spinning alternate realities on the internet and through social media, where people believe that perception is the same as reality.
