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Comment by tmalsburg2 | Hacker News Reader

When I visited India a couple of years ago, we also observed this indifference towards victims of accidents. Someone noticed that we were puzzled by this a told us that this is due to Indian culture. First, if someone is seriously hurt or killed that's this person's (perhaps deserved) fate. Second, helping others may not be as much a moral imperative as it is in Christian cultures. I don't know whether this is correct and even if it's correct it would of course not negate the reasons discussed in the article. It may rather be an additional factor. Would be interesting to hear an Indian person's view on that.

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> Someone noticed that we were puzzled by this a told us that this is due to Indian culture.

You may have been misled there because Indian culture isn't homogenous. Even from a Hindu thought perspective, as per Chapter 17, Sloka 20 of the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna says

दातव्यमिति यद्दानं दीयतेऽनुपकारिणे। देशे काले च पात्रे च तद्दानं सात्त्विकं स्मृतम्।।17.20।।

While I'm not an expert, loosing translated, it means that one must do charity without expecting anything in return. Doing so, in the right manner and in the right place is the epitome of goodness.

I interpret that to be a pretty clear moral imperative to help someone in genuine need.

> Someone noticed that we were puzzled by this a told us that this is due to Indian culture. First, if someone is seriously hurt or killed that's this person's (perhaps deserved) fate.

As an Indian I can tell you that that viewpoint is incorrect. Culture is the last thing that would come in between a good-samaritan and a person in need.

> Second, helping others may not be as much a moral imperative as it is in a Christian culture

Are you implying that Christians don't exist in India? If they do, then why are Christian Indians not coming to the rescue of those who met with an accident? This is a completely incorrect take on the situation. Mixing religion with a social issue is dangerous. Indian culture is good enough that we can accommodate any culture and have been doing so for centuries. To say that we do not have moral fiber is an insult. If that was the case why is it that when there is a terror attack or a natural tragedy in India people help in huge numbers? See the number of people out there to help in the recent Kolkatta Flyover accident: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XmvROEYYps

So why do you think that Indians are more than willing to help when there is a natural tragedy / terror attack but not when a single person/family meets with an accident?

I appreciate the response but you completely misinterpreted my comment. I did not say or imply that there are no Christians in India, and I did not say or imply that every Christian would rush to help while every non-Christian would be indifferent. I also didn't imply that Indian culture(s) are somehow inferior to western culture(s). I just related what one person in India told me and asked whether Indians think it's correct. I don't see how this insults anyone.

There are so many different types of Indian people in India, it's hard to generalize.

- There will be some people who believe that this was deserved - There will be some who believe they should help right away - There will be some who want to help but have no financial or social resources to do so - There will be some who'll act as bystanders to avoid Police investigation - There will be some who'll do the bare minimum help (maybe find the victim's id and call someone) but then run away...anonymous help

There are many different Indians (often within the same city, same neighborhood)

Very few of us have any morals left. All of us are imperatively corrupt and selfish, top to bottom.

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