A corrupted inside within its dazzling facade

This is first book I ever read about India, which recommended by a financial theory professor. But I don't think he implies us to follow the strategy of Balram to become an "entrepreneur" by murdering his master, taking possession of his money which supposed to bribe some politicians, and then fled to Bangalore to start a brand new life and "entreprise" with the black money. It's not a simple story about homicide or how to turn a destitute servant to a successful millionaire. It reflects a rife corruption thoroughly rotted in the hierarchy and the servitude among the majority of substratum.
　　
Referring to India I can only be reminded of Gandhi, Buddha, Caste system , Bollywood ,pilaf, slums, teenage whores and recently added ,rapist. I also know Indians once was a colony of European empires. This novel digs a pit and allows me to peek inside this mysterious nation , and the bottom seems too dark.
　　
I am so astonished by the ever existing Caste system dated from hundred or thousand years ago, still playing a significant role in modern India. This is unimaginable. Employees, or servants are judged by their family names which indicate their ancestral occupation. Names from high ranks win more respect and better impression compared to those from low ranks, even though they are from same slum. Hierarchy is favored by landlords, officials, politicians any one from the upper class , forming an invisible siege within which poors are trapped and restrained and can only struggle in the mud till submerged silently underneath the marsh.
　　
Masters shows no mercy to their servants, treating them no differently from the animals in the fields , or as the Nepali guard warned Balram-- The two pet dogs are more expensive than him. A chauffeur serves anything requested by his lord when he's free and resting in his lord's compound. Ranging from cooking, feeding pets, cleaning house, feet massage. Any order given by his master will be executed with loyalty and humble obedience. While all of these work are took for granted without any gratitude and poorly paid.
　　
Somehow I feel a little bit relief and proud to say ,there's a country I know more corrupted than China, unlucky Indians.Anything can be solved with money and bribery. The common phenomenon rotted in the culture evolves everybody in corruption: police, doctors, landlords, politicians,ministers, president, more sarcastically, servants .It can be found in a vacant position in a public hospital, votes for election, income tax dodging, crime cover-ups. Everybody hates the rule but follows it tacitly.
　　
Servitude accounts partially for the poors' misery. Balram describes those drivers who kill time with "Murder Week" magazine and obsessed in the imagination to slit their master's throat and fuck their wivies, are the most loyal servants. They are sort of proud of their loyalty. Their high sense of self-consciousness immune them to humiliation. " We don't have balls otherwise we will rule the country." quoted by the vitiligo-lips driver. Nonetheless, there still some men with balls tried to fight back and claimed for their right as a human being. Were their voices too feeble to be heard? Were their fight not outstanding? No. It's such a waste of sacrifice for they being tortured by the police or guards to death while their fellowmen standing by in numb . Let's hope they will learn more than despair from the bloody revolts. Take actions, to live as a man.
　　
How important is a family to an Indian? Every month Balram sends his salary back home and only keeps a small saving for his daily expense. Granny assumes full control over family's finance and affairs. Her undoubted supremacy is responded to family members' absolute submissiveness, whilst complaints and grievance are overpowered by family value . Money as Granny's predominant value and standard, collected from her sons/grandsons and distributed to feed every member of the family. The over-sized families squeeze in a shabby room where they eat, fight , fuck, and deliver babies. All the open mouths need to be fed especially hordes of children. The burden falls onto Balram, Kishan or any paid labors who occupied in backbreaking work as rickshaw puller, "human spider" in tea shop and driver. They work hard and harder all year long but all the income flows into Granny Kushum to support family. It's still not enough. Marriage can be a palliative for groom's family by screwing the bride's family out ,adding fortunes and dowry to men's property. Soon bundles of babies will be born and consequently aggravate family's poverty. Children are discouraged to attend school and forced to do whatever they can to make a living. The deprivation of early education result in considerable illiterate population, who can only undertake physical work and earn a low wage.
The edifice of family value restrains every body inside from defection. Especially for Balram. He's the main financial source to keep his big family alive, thus Granny will never allow let him slip away. She sends mails to him to strengthen his sense of responsibility based on family relation by complaining how long he hasn't send money back home. He ignores it .As a final resort, Granny sends Dharem -- one of boys of one of Balram's aunties who he never heard of -- to his side , and requests Balram to treat him like his own son as a punishment for his disobedience. In the middle of family value and self benefit, he choose the latter by murdering his master Mr Ashok and running away with his money while leaving his whole family at home in danger. Only in this way can he find they way out, to future.
"Family is a good thing" , is it really a good thing? Don't let the superficial merits blind our eyes.
　　
Funny enough, the book was dictated for the His Excellency- Prime Minister Wen Jiabao. I don't think he even heard of this book nor read it. Why did Balram choose Wen to tell his story, not anybody else ? I guess as developing countries, India and China share some similarities and face common problems. Urbanization and GDP at expense of environment. Beneath the dazzling city there live millions of impoverished people struggling to make ends meet. The enlarged polarity between the rich and poor hold back young generation from dreaming. They are too desperate to resist the destined injustice. Their fate is doomed, more pathetically ,they are accustomed to it and unwilling to make a change, nor allow their fellowmen to make any change. We may find the similar demerits shared by our people. As for the "entrepreneur", "don't we have to kill someone or many in order to success?" Balram asked Wen. Sure he did, probably numerous I guess. There's no difference between politician and "entrepreneur", you know, Wen's son is engaged in real estate no wonder the house price can never drop. I bet this bastard earned a lot with his father's background.
　　
Anyway I think I talk too much irrelevant to the plot. This is an excellent book to know something about Indians. There are many other topics inside worth discussing. Though we may enjoy superiority ahead of Indians ,we shall never underestimate this sleeping white tiger. I believe one thing can save this country from falling into the abyss---education. Just as Balram pointed out in the end. Someday he will open a school to impose the sense of freedom and democracy to every child and get them up to be their own masters. "They are looking for the keys ,but the doors are already open" . We shall keep an eye on our neighbor.