Why Are Indians Not Happy?

By Prapti Dasgupta

There is a well-known and celebrated quote by Sir APJ Abdul Kalam. It says –

“When Mother is happy, Family is happy. When Family is happy, then the Nation is happy.”

Truly said! But, IS OUR NATION REALLY HAPPY? Being an Indian, how happy and satisfied are you? How would you rate your happiness and satisfaction level if anyone asks you to do so? Well, I would probably rate my happiness rate 7 on a scale of 10. And therefore, I being an Indian, truly justify the title of this project that INDIANS ARE NOT ‘COMPLETELY’ HAPPY. .

Ever wondered why only India, and not any other Nation, falls under the category of the one of least happy Nations? Its likely because we are ignorant of the realities of other Nations. We are in India, thus no matter what occurs there, whether it is good or terrible, we immediately form assumptions and opinions. Well, what do we want out of our Indian-middle-class lives? Do we really need a luxurious residence, a flashy car, a flashy job, flashy clothes, and upscale dining? What do we hope to achieve in life?

If I talk about Luxurious Apartments, I have seen that despite the IT boom and high salaries of people, even if we could afford to pay the deposit on an apartment, we still couldn’t own it because it was leased, which put a heavy financial burden on us. It will take 20 years to pay off the large loan. In the old times, we had our bicycles or bikes, we nevertheless enjoyed riding them because we could do so on broad roads and breathe in the fresh air without having to worry about the cost of petrol or gas. We currently drive a pricey vehicle, but the roads are littered with potholes and congested to the point where we cannot even consider rolling down our windows because of the smog.

Besides that, there are several factors that can contribute to why people in India may not be as happy as they could be. Here are some possible points to consider :

Firstly, INCOME INEQUALITY. India has a high level of income inequality, with a small percentage of the population controlling the wealth. This can lead to feelings of frustration and injustice among those who are not able to improve their living standards.

For Example – The Richest 1% in India now own more than 40% of the country’s total wealth, while the bottom half of the population together share just 3% of the wealth, as per the “OXFAM REPORTS” released on the first day of the “WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM ANNUAL MEETING.”

Secondly. ECONOMIC UNCERTAINITY. Despite recent economic growth, many people in India still struggle to make ends meet. This can lead to a sense of hopelessness and dissatisfaction, particularly for those who feel that they do not have access to basic necessities like food, housing, and healthcare.

Thirdly, HEALTH ISSUES. India faces a range of health issues, including high rates of malnutrition, infectious diseases, and chronic conditions like diabetes, and heart disease. These health problems can impact the quality of life and lead to feelings of neglect or discrimination by society as well as the Government.

For Example – The people of India faced a severe shortage of Oxygen during the 2nd wave of COVID-19 which also showed the people of India’s disappointment with the system.

Fourthly, SOCIAL INEQUALITY. Differentiation on the basis of caste, gender, religion, and other factors remains a notable issue in India. This can lead to feelings of exclusion and marginalization, particularly for those who belong to historically marginalized communities. Today’s present generation is trying not to have the gap of caste-system, but at the same time, there are still certain sections in the society that give provocative statements to them, which therefore creates unrest. Moreover, the rise in communal tensions between different sections of societies has further widened the brotherhood gap.

Further, ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION. India is facing significant environmental challenges, including air pollution, deforestation, and water scarcity. These problems can impact the quality of life and contribute to feelings of despair and helplessness.

For Example – Delhi is one of the most polluted cities in the world.

Another controversial factor is POLITICAL INSTABILITY. India has a complex political system, and there are often tensions between different political parties and factions. This can create a sense of instability and uncertainty, particularly when it comes to issues like Governance and Policymaking as it creates a sense of disillusionment among citizens who feel that their voices are not being heard.

CULTURAL PRESSURES is something with which we Indians are highly familiar with. India is a highly traditional society, with strong expectations around family, marriage, and social roles. These cultural pressures can create stress and anxiety, particularly for those who don’t conform to societal norms.

For Example – Inter-caste and Inter-religion marriages.

One of the most hyped and talked-about factors would definitely be CORRUPTION. Corruption is a pervasive problem in India, with many individuals and institutions engaging in bribery and other forms of unethical behavior. This can erode trust in the government and exacerbate feelings of injustice and frustration.

What really needs to be talked about and should be paid attention to is the issue of MENTAL HEALTH. Mental health is a significant issue in India, with many people struggling with conditions like depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder. This can lead to feelings of hopelessness and despair, particularly for those who do not have access to adequate mental health care.

JOBLESSNESS, is again, a very important factor that leads to disappointment in Indians. Unemployment and Underemployment are significant problems in the country, particularly among young people. The lack of job opportunities can lead to feelings of boredom, purposelessness, and dissatisfaction. The Financial Gap is a main source irrespective of class in Indian society.

For Example – A Labor is not happy or satisfied because he/she is paid fewer wages, but on the other hand, an Employee of an MNC is also not happy because he/she doesn’t get paid for his/her overtime work in India.

Lastly, GENDER INEQUALITY. According to the “World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2021”, India ranked 140th out of 156 countries on the Gender Pay Gap Index, with women earning only 18% of what men earn. Despite Legal provisions such as Equal Remuneration Act, 1976 , and the Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017, which require equal pay for equal work and provide Maternity Leave, respectively, implementation and enforcement of these laws are weak.

These are just a few potential reasons why some people in India may not be delighted. It’s worth noting that happiness is a complex and multifaceted concept, and individual experiences may vary widely depending on a range of factors. Of course, it’s important to remember that everyone’s experiences are unique, and there are many factors that can contribute to happiness or unhappiness. However, these are some broad factors that may be influencing people’s overall sense of well-being in India.

Well, happiness indeed is a very subjective concept, but there is no doubt that under current circumstances, none of us are in our happiest and delighted moods. However, the situation seems to be a little more complex for us Indians.

Unfortunately, India continues to languish at the bottom in the recently released “World Happiness Report 2022”, published by the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network, where we rank 136 in a survey of 146 countries. According to this report, Finland has been crowned as the World’s Happiest Nation for the Fifth consecutive year, while neighboring Nordic Nations have maintained their top rankings.

What needs to think is “Why does our Nation rank so low and what can be done collectively by us to improve the ranking in future?’’

The article has drawn considerable criticism from Dr. Vinod Kumar, the director of Mpower, the Centre in Bengaluru, which provides mental health services. "I think the methodology employed is insufficient. The paper won't hold up to the fundamental requirements and norms of scientific investigation. For instance, in India, where there are 1.4 crore people, the sample size is 1000 responders." He claims.

What, then, are the parameters upon which this study based its happiness index, or life ladder, as it is now called? There are six basic criteria to consider: gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom to make decisions in life, generosity, perceptions of corruption, and finally, inexplicable happiness.

So, people generally have limited financial resources. The idea that people have been anticipating more is the only explanation for the situation. They had hoped for better. Hence, even if the situation has much improved since previously, it is still insufficient. This is particularly true for the two criteria—social support and the level of corruption that is pervasive in the Nation. Throughout the past few years, these two categories have had some significant failures.

Social institutions, including those related to religion, politics, education, and even marriage, have fallen short of their obligations to the general populace in terms of comfort and support. With numerous scandals and schemes making headlines over the past five years, corruption has also been on the rise.

On the one hand, technology improvements have made it easier for people to arm themselves with better knowledge and facts. The same technical advances have, however, also resulted in issues like data leaks and identity thefts.

PAKISTAN SURPASSES INDIA IN THE WORLD HAPPINESS INDEX. HOW AND WHY?

In the list of the 146 countries ranked, Pakistan is in position 121, and India is in position 136.

Most significantly, the gap between the two nations has grown since 2012, when Pakistan and India respectively held the 80th and 122nd positions. That stands in stark contrast to how the equity markets in the two countries have performed. In general, prosperous economies and rising equity markets result from contented populations.

So what about the quest for happiness has Pakistan accomplished better than India?

Saying this is challenging. Since most of the variables used in the computations are qualitative, specification and measurement errors are likely to occur. But the disparity in ranks between the two nations is too wide to be disregarded.

India's top 1% earners' portion of the Nation's income increased during the previous four decades from around 7% to 22%, as of 2014. As this was happening, the emolument portion of the base 50% of earners decreased from throughout 23% in the early 1980s to 15% in 2014. Inequality data from the 1950s through 2014 are compiled in the 2018 Global Inequality Report, which supports this.

The top 1% of earners in India expanded their share of country’s gap from around 7% to 22% in the previous four decades, as of 2014. In 2014, the emolument portion of the poorest 50% of earners was 15%, down from around 23% in the early 1980s . The 2018 Global Inequality Report contains data on inequality from the 1950s to 2014.

In other words, Pakistan has been outpacing India in distributing income to the public. And although they still have a long way to go before catching up to Indians on other economic measures, this method has started to change how Pakistanis create and spend wealth in the quest for happiness.

On a final note, HOW TO BE HAPPY?

While we are all faced with issues every day, it is crucial to realize that controlling one's emotions guarantees overall wellbeing, of which flexibility and autonomy are two crucial components.

And, to “MAKE INDIA A HAPPIER NATION”, it is important to ensure that we keep equity in mind while creating policies; giving mental-health some regard; ensuring accessibility while making policies; the policymaking process needs to be more inclusive and needs to take advice and insights from the related populations; while eradicating and improving all the above mentioned and other factors that lead to unhappiness among the Indian people, because – “together we can change the world and make it a better place to live in!”

By Prapti Dasgupta