karan and ramu:
First, let me compliment both of you on your spirited defense of India in the face of poor social indicators with respect to basics such as food, clothing, housing and sanitation. I admire you for your persistence, and the quality of some of the research you do and the arguments you make when challenged.
Second, let me try and dissect the contents of this and other similar threads and summarize my thoughts thus far.
As an Indian writer Anupam Mukerji wrote in an article for
Fast Company, India consists of "islands of prosperity" in a " sea of poverty".
Pakistan has a similar situation, except that the islands are bigger and less prosperous, and the sea of poverty is smaller and generally less poor than in India. The rich-poor gap in Pakistan, as measured by Gini Index, is significant, with India at 36, and Pakistan at 30.
Having said that, let me argue that both India and Pakistan have very poor social indicators relative to the rest of the world. Both have a long way to go.
Let me also say that, under the current circumstances, India is more likely to make greater progress in improving its social indicators than Pakistan over the coming years.
Occasionally, I publish guest post from knowledgeable writers from South Asia on my blogs. A number of Indian authors have published on my blog during the last year on subjects related to the human conditions in South Asia.
I invite you both to write guest posts for my blog, sharing your research and data and offering arguments that I do not necessarily have to agree with. It'll make for a healthy debate on issues that matter to both Indians and Pakistanis.
