German cartoon on India's population overtaking China's: racist or substantiating reality?

 

Image source- India Weekly

This picture is all over the internet, as a cartoon depicting India's population overtaking China's. Receiving a severe backlash from Indian citizens and politicians, it has been termed 'racist'. Compared to China, it may be racist but it depicts the reality too.

India is still a developing country, and many of its population fail to get access to basic resources for survival. Many still struggle for shelter, food, clothing and a hygienic environment (washrooms and menstrual products for women). Resources in India fall short to satisfy the basic needs of the country's population. 

Of course, a part of the Chinese population also lives in poverty and cannot access basic resources for survival. But being developed, and what is feared, a soon-to-be superpower, the majority of its population gets access to the basic resources. Even though they cannot speak anything against their government. Their earlier one-child policy had reduced the young working population, and despite the two-child policy coming into the frame, there has been a decline in the birth rate there. 

If we depict the cartoon literally, we can see the same phenomena as the cartoon during the peak hours of Mumbai local trains. We do see citizens hanging out of the door, while a lot struggle to board or de-board the trains. One who may want to get down at Nallasopara can only get down at Virar. So, there is some truth to the cartoon. This may even be true for other public transport like buses and autos. The size of B.E.S.T buses has shrunk to cut through the traffic, but they cannot accommodate more people like the boxy red buses. No matter how many new local trains (or metros) get introduced, it is hardly possible to comfortably accommodate the population during peak hours. I've given the example of Mumbai, but this can be seen in other metropolitan cities too when it comes to housing or transport.

India has been developing at a fast speed with or without the help of many countries, despite the hostile neighbours. The introduction of Vande Bharat, and other fast-speed trains is surely praise-worthy. Or the technology in agriculture to produce more yield to satisfy the needs of as many people as possible. Even if we assume there is enough production, corrupt people take a lot of it for their own, leaving very less for the commoners. 

Overpopulation is also one of the reasons why many millennials and Gen-Z are planning to either not have a biological child or choose to go for adoption (than bring a new life to an already overpopulated nation/world). Adopting child/ren, for whom it is possible to do so, can also help to turn the overpopulation situation a little better by improving the life of one or more.

'Population: Boon or bane' has been quite a repeated topic in essays or debates. India is surely overpopulated compared to the resources available. What can help is quality and skilled education to all the citizens so they can be productive, bring solutions to the table and solve various problems existing in our country. 

Though the cartoon may be racist in some parts, negating the development in India, we can also take it as constructive criticism to turn the tables and use the population for the betterment of India, as an economy and a society.