The host of invisible beings

Yes, they still exist – those sacred cows that are such a distinctive characteristic of Indian cities. They can even be found quite frequently in major metropolises like Bangalore. Usually alone but sometimes in small groups, they rummage in rubbish heaps, cross busy streets at a leisurely pace and disappear into the dense maze of houses. Apparently, all of them have an owner somewhere, but since space is very dear and few inhabitants have room for a shed, the cows wander at large, lost in the tangle of streets and traffic.
Many perish miserably, sometimes with more than 30 kilogrammes of plastic in their stomachs. It makes you wish that they had been able to enjoy a lush Swiss meadow with fresh grass, sun and air at least once in their lives.

Besides cows, there are also dogs everywhere. Hundreds of thousands, perhaps even millions of street dogs can be found in Bangalore. They are all of the same type: short-furred, medium-sized, lean and cunning. They are everywhere, searching for morsels in the early-morning rubbish heaps but also profiting from the sympathy and animal-friendliness of the Indians, who often leave food in certain places. Earmarks show which ones have been vaccinated and sterilized in a large-scale and systematic campaign. The dogs wait at the few red lights, recognize when they can cross streets safely, and just live their own independent lives. Sometimes they are not fast enough and get hit by vehicles, leaving them to hobble away ruefully on three feet. It is only at night that they can turn dangerous: packs of dogs will go after cyclists and pedestrians, and there are often reports of attacks.

You can also see flocks of red kites circling in the skies. Sometimes there are dozens profiting from the upcurrents of thermals over the warm asphalt, and most likely also from the cadavers and rubbish on the streets. In the evenings, they are replaced by fruit bats swooping in for their hunt. Then, it isn’t dozens but hundreds of red kites that fly away silently across the night sky, all in the same direction towards an unknown destination.

Among these invisible inhabitants, there are also the people who are rarely spoken of but who render indispensable services day in, day out, with no acknowledgement and in questionable conditions. For example, there are the street sweepers, often women, who trudge along the roadsides for hours with their backs bent over, sweeping up rubbish, leaves and dust; invisible to most, taken for granted to the point that their existence is barely even noticed.

Then there are the guards who stand in front of many public and private buildings. Most of them work for G4S, one of the world’s largest security companies, with 620,000 employees in 125 countries. The company’s website refers to them as “front line employees” – probably a somewhat euphemistic description. In India, where labour is cheap, it has become fashionable to put a guard in front of every house. A well-known Indian columnist recently wrote about this host of young Indians who stand around, boring themselves to death in badly fitting uniforms.

They make the equivalent of about 150 Swiss francs a month for 12-hour shifts. Many of them come from the poorest states in northern India, where they leave their families behind. However, they are usually quite friendly and obliging people who appear, at least on the outside, to bear their lot with stoic composure.

Finally, let us not forget the multitude of servants, who no middle-class Indian household goes without; even the young generation of Indians takes them for granted. Women and men of every age and origin hasten through the streets to do the shopping before disappearing back into their houses to finish their domestic chores.

All these people and many more – not much appreciated and but still indispensable – are a part of the incredibly complex and multifaceted Indian society. One of the most important concerns currently affecting India is “inclusive development” – a development that also considers the needs of the poor and marginalised members of the population, which make up about 60 per cent of the whole. Let us hope that the India of tomorrow will open its eyes to these invisible dwellers.