The Doormat Matters

First impressions are important. Why the areas around a country’s greatest monuments shape how the world sees it.

Photo by the author. Taken a 15 minute walk from the Taj Mahal.

I love history. When travelling, I always want to learn about the past of the place I am going.

From this, it has been easy to notice differences in how each culture prioritises and respects their own history.

I have written about Angkor Wat before. The sites are in great condition. There are staff everywhere. Everything is laid out nicely. There are tourist loops, with private drivers costing ~$25 per day. Nothing about going to Angkor felt like a scam or like I was being overcharged. I would describe it as a pleasure. The driver we had was enthusiastic, bragging to me about how he knew the best photo spots. He seemed genuinely proud.

The contrast to New Delhi is striking. I have never been harassed so much in my entire life and for so long. As I left the Red Fort (a monument that features on their highest denomination bank note), I was followed for about ten minutes by a guy on a pedicab trying to take me to a spice market. Not only that, but all around the monument was rubbish, rubble and derelict buildings.

The Red Fort is well maintained compared to the surrounding areas. But still.

I have found India to be a massive shock. When I went to China, I was also shocked, but differently, more positively. It seemed so much more modern than I had expected . I imagined the country would be full of tension, but it felt more light hearted than most places I have been to.

Tourism in China is highly organised, streamlined with cable cars and tourist busses everywhere. Queues are managed efficiently; staff are competent and it all feels commercial. Scammers exist, but they are nowhere near as persistent or common.

I have never been followed for so long before and by so many people who just have no respect for the word “No.”

It just casts such a negative impression on something so central to how one perceives a country.

I was told by an old boss that the door mat is the most important thing to clean as it is the first thing someone sees when they enter your house. I agree with him. For most people, going to India as a tourist will probably be the first time they go.

First impressions are important.

If someone leaves India impressed by the country, they will tell others. Tourism and reputation reinforce themselves.

Therefore, the management of public space reflects deeper cultural and political priorities.

Clamping down on aggressive scammers and cleaning inside national monuments seems like it should be basic. Cambodia is a country much less wealthy per capita than India, and yet it feels infinitely cleaner, everywhere.

I am paying more than an Indian national to visit these monuments. I would happily pay even more if it meant that it was clean and the outside was policed.

When I told people I was going to India, people stuck their nose up at me.

“Why would you go to India?”

On social media I see jokes at India’s expense made constantly.

India is a massive country with over a billion people. It is the most populated in the world. What I am suggesting is no easy task and there are a lot more issues to address before my issues as a foreigner.

They could start by addressing the massive wealth inequality. There are more billionaires in Mumbai than in London.

Still, there are hygiene issues everywhere. Issues that are beyond what I have seen, even in the poorest parts of Southeast Asia. In the wealthier parts of India.

Why?

There seems to be weak enforcement of laws. On my first day in Delhi, I caught someone trying to pickpocket me. Police seem unbothered and are hard to find. Rubbish is everywhere, despite an abundance of bins and signs telling people to use them. Open defecation and poor sanitation remain visibly common in some areas.

There are also massive differences in expectations surrounding noise and crowding, especially with personal space (see previous essays).

Part of what makes India difficult to understand is that every observation seems to be a contradiction.

It is one of the oldest civilisations on Earth, yet parts of it feel improvised and temporary.

It has world-class engineers, billionaires and space programmes, yet basic public order often appears fragile.

It is deeply proud of its history, but often struggles to preserve the environments surrounding its most symbolic places.

It is chaotic, exhausting and overwhelming, but also energetic, entrepreneurial and alive in a way few countries are.

Yet understanding the causes does not make the outcomes any less striking. Despite everything, India still feels like a country with enormous potential. You feel ambition everywhere. I met some really lovely people. People who make me question what I have written above.

China is also massive and densely populated, yet its public infrastructure often feels far more intentional. Spaces feel less intense and much cleaner.

Which raises an uncomfortable possibility: perhaps this is not simply about wealth, but mainly about governance. Wealth seems to be hoarded by a few. Rules are often not respected.

It is possible that I judge India unfairly. I don’t live here. I have been to five different cities. No rural areas. All parts have had some tourist infrastructure. But still. The doormat matters.

More importantly, the locals matter. It is heartbreaking seeing the levels of poverty, when there is so much visible wealth. How can you have luxury apartments on a street covered in rubbish, rubble and cow poo?

Surely improving the surrounding public space would raise property value while also improving quality of life for locals. Yet investment seems to stop outside the plot of land.

Too many people, and especially their children, are still forced to live in conditions unworthy of the ambitions India now projects to the world.

Colonialism, demographics and scale all help explain India’s difficulties. But explanation is not the same as absolution.

But if India wants to shape how the world sees it in the twenty-first century, the areas surrounding its greatest monuments seem like an obvious place to start.

The doormat matters.

Thanks for reading.

If you enjoyed this essay, you might also like **“Why I Struggled with Noise in Asia”**

I publish three essays a week on current affairs, culture, politics and modern life. You can read more on **Substack**.

Originally published at https://jcalebs.substack.com.