Inside informatie: Girish Khanna

-How do you feel about the slums in India?
The slums of India are a reality of a vibrant country with 1 billion people. They represent the struggles and fighting spirit of a sizeable population of India. I am saddened by the condition of human life slums.

Everybody is talking about India now days. The growth in the country is yet to trickle down do the people living on less than $2 a day.

-How do people treat each other in the slums?
India is a very collective society. As a country we have many different religions living together peacefully and happily for many hundred centuries. Similarly, I believe that people in slums treat each other with dignity and respect. People come together to celebrate each other’s festivals; celebrate India’s victory in a cricket match, etc. Similarly there are circumstances under which a person has to fight for survival and behave like an animal. Such situations are rare and few.


-How is the water management in the poorer areas of India?
The water managements is not very organized in the poorer areas of India. Given India’s size it is a challenge for the government to ensure and maintain adequate infrastructure to provide clean and consistent supply of water.

In certain dry areas people (women) often walk for 5-6 miles to get water for daily use in the house. Situation is improving now but still needs a lot of effort from the government to ensure clean water for drinking for everyone.


-What do people do for their money in the slums?
People in slums are often not educated and so work small jobs such as cleaning, working in factories, selling vegetables etc. I would like to point out that, Education holds a very important position in Indian society. Parents whether rich or poor want to ensure that their children get proper education. Hence in slums, increasing number of parents are working hard…sometimes even two jobs a day to ensure that their children can go to school. Of course this is not the complete story; there are cases where even young children work small jobs to support family.


- How is the social structure in the slums?
A slum is a form of society, where people live in make-shift houses instead of proper concrete constructions. Thus like any form of society, slums also have a social structure. The structure is based on many principles such as age, influence, power etc.

Age: The eldest in the family have a say in important family matters;
Influence: A person’s connections with other key individuals in/out of the slum provide him a prominent status e.g.: a poor person working as a house-help at a police inspector’s house has an influence on other individuals in the slum due to his proximity to the Police inspector and his family etc



-What does the government of India do to reduce child mortality?
Educating and spreading awareness is the key to tackle this problem. The government of India has carried out several initiatives to educate women, mothers etc. about the importance of education and importance of equality in male and female. In addition government has put in place policies that ensure control. I believe that these initiatives are showing results.


-What do you think is the main cause for child mortality?
I think illiteracy is the main cause for child mortality


-If you could make a change in your country, what would it be?
I would provide utmost importance of education and ensure free and high quality education for every child, youth and adult in the country. Knowledge and awareness about self and surrounding is the key to a responsible and self-sustaining society.