India Untouched: The Forgotten Face of Rural Poverty

by Abraham George

India Untouched is a personal account of the experiences of an extraordinary philanthropist of Indian origin, Abraham George, who has devoted his life to working for the poor in South India for the past eight years. The backdrop is the day-to-day lives of a great majority of Indians who live in the villages, mostly untouched by the rapid economic progress that has been occurring in every city across the country since reforms were introduced in 1991. George tells his powerful story candidly and honestly as he seeks solutions that would reduce the hardships faced by hundreds of millions of Indians still living in poverty and social deprivation.India Untouched is an inspiring work offering many innovative ideas for social and economic reform, born out of one man's vision for change.George makes the compelling argument and demonstrates through his social work that only by embracing departures from traditional ways can the problems of poverty and social inequality be effectively addressed in India and in other developing countries.

Genres: India

368 pages, Hardcover

First published February 1, 2005

Reviews

[Rakesh · Rating 3 out of 5]

“The inaugural function [for the new school] was meticulously arranged…The sub-collector of the district asked that she be seated at the podium. Separately, a similar demand came from the deputy director general of police. There was not enough space for so many people on the podium, as we already had the collector and three other special guests. I told the sub-collector and the police officer that they could sit next to my 90-year-old father in the front row. The sub-collector was not satisfied with my response, and from then on, she became our bitter enemy…Claiming that Shanti Bhavan property had encroached on public land by a few feet, the sub-collector soon dispatched some officials to tear down our border fence. She also instructed her staff to break up the access road along the lake that we had improved at considerable cost.”

Hey sub-collector: Grow Up!

The book is very interesting when the author discusses the difficulties faced in setting up a school for children in a rural location.

The author tries to give a big picture overview of India: It's politics, economics, and the many schemes the government has created to address the needs of people living in rural areas. The book is from 2005 so all of that is outdated.

[Mitch · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is partly a nonfiction account of the author’s experiences setting up a couple of small charitable organizations for the benefit of poor rural Indians, partly a collection of information about various aspects of rural poverty, and a lot of somehow naïve opinions about fixing the problems that have and are continuing to ensure that India’s poverty is permanent.

I’ll say up front that reading this book, while very good in some ways, made me depressed. The factors that cause and keep many people poor in India are well-entrenched and have strong reasons to continue. (Example: government officials regularly demand bribes for permits for roads and land improvements even though those changes will benefit the poor.)

There are several other factors: religious intolerance, the caste system, the corrupt judicial system, corrupt police…and occasionally even the poor themselves. These forces are clearly powerful and motivated to continue.

The author’s solution boils down to something like this: Everybody needs to do the right thing instead of the wrong thing that profits them immediately.

He deplores the state of Indian morals, but other than saying they should be better for the benefit of everyone, he has no practical advice to offer.

I found this oddly naïve, since he is a guy with a lot of direct experience with these issues.
Part of the reason he struggles with morals is because he himself is somewhat anti-religious, and if anyone teaches morals generally, it’s usually religious organizations…no matter how hypocritical they may actually be.

This is a book that would only appeal to a small number of people in the first place. It’s informative, fellow social justice leaguers, but flawed.

[Anu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incisive, thoughtful and practical analysis of poverty in India in all its different facets. Shocking how accurate and relevant so many of these issues still are, twenty years later. My experience of having been involved in development work in India resonates with many of the intransigent and often baffling issues he talks about. But he discusses various potential solutions that can be practically implemented to help deal with multi generational issues. I especially enjoyed the author’s reflections on personal ethics, influencing people to adopt more civic responsibility and policy conundrums.
The author has done sterling work in India across a variety of developmental issues and spent his personal fortune in uplifting thousands of people in rural India directly and indirectly. May his tribe increase.

[A.J. Bryant · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sets a clear case for why development isn't happening in my country of birth and want to be done about it. Gives practical, real world solutions, not pie-in-the-sky ideals. Fascinating and genuine. His work in India himself gives him the cache to write about how to make it better.

[Naga rick · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you want to start NGO or nonprofit school, or even just want to understand about disparities in India (especially rural India), read this book.