[BOOK REVIEW] Rukmini S. "Whole Numbers and Half Truths"

 We all tend to make our own perspective towards all kind of things in life. Those perspectives are hardly based on any objective facts. I have often heard people speak about how there are more schools, hospitals and businesses opening up in India. So, this must mean we are growing and developing faster, right? Well, the answer is both yes and no.

To build a good understanding of anything, one must be well informed and should have the intellectual integrity to go through a detailed analysis of the topic. Sadly, today we have neither and the studio-based journalists just spin stories that suit their agenda to please the political masters by fooling the public at large. This misinformation is harmful because it prevents us from understanding the depth of any issue in our country. 

These narratives repeated enough times, become 'fact' and political fodder. Say for example, the tragic death of many people in India during COVID-19. By now we already know that there was underreporting of deaths by the administration. Now looking at the official number of deaths, any layman would think India did tremendously well when compared with other nations in terms of having a low mortality rate, ignoring the shortage of burial spaces and pieces of wood which tell us another story.

 When you are not even aware of the problems, why would you look for solutions. There is a general apathy among the citizens too. This book is an eye opener. It uses well sourced data to paint a fascinating picture of India. The book will change the way you look at numbers and how you interpret them. Everyone should hear the stories numbers tell, and then make up their own minds about the country.

There are some shocking facts in the book that will make you question your beliefs and commonly held ideas about this country. For example, spending more than Rs 8500 a month puts you in top 5 per cent of country. The low conviction rate of 23% in rape cases of Delhi has more to do with frivolous cases filed by family members of a couple who fled against their wishes. A wide range of information is hidden away in similar datasets, like women in Delhi are more likely to choose a college that is on a safer bus route.  

 The book also throws light on the democratic culture of India, how people vote and how political parties can manipulate people. For example, Muslims in Delhi voted for AAP because of its better chances of winnability against BJP. The younger voters are supporting BJP, especially the first-time voters. The older the voter, more chances of her voting for Congress. Six out of ten people aged between 15 and 24 supported banning movies which could hurt religious sentiments, the youth is clearly more ideologically committed than ever before, they care about people who embody some of their ideas.

Eat, pray, marry, in many ways the young Indians live their lives much like their grandparents. On an average every Indian consumes 4.5kg rice and 4kg wheat per month. Onion, potato, green chilli and tomato are the most commonly consumed vegetables. The poorer states of Bihar, West Bengal and Jharkhand eat the most potatoes. Banana, apple and mango are most commonly eaten Indian fruits with an average Indian spending Rs 90 per month on fruits. Also, the richer Indians consume more junk food than nutritious.

India is undoubtedly a very religious country. With 84% Indians saying religion is very important to them. Even 78% young people reported praying regularly with 68% of them visiting religious places frequently. Infact, most couples who get married go to a honeymoon destination that is also an important religious place. 

Leisure can mean different things to different set of Indians. Chatting on mobile phone, using internet and watching videos is the most popular leisure activity among Indian teenagers. National Youth Survey found that 50% of youth had never used any social media. Those who do, reported high usage of these platforms with Whatsapp the most used app on their phones. Indians are social creatures, we travel largely to see family and friends, the next big category being religious visits or pilgrimage.

Marrying within your caste remains an important feature of marriage in India. Only 5% of Indians have had an inter-caste marriage, with inter-religious marriage being even rarer. Richer and better educated people are more likely to have love marriages. As of 2018, 93% of Indians said they had an arranged marriage, this is a very slight change as 50 years ago the number was 94%. 

In India, both class and caste circumscribe everything. A child born into a rich household is more likely to be born in a hospital, is more likely to be a boy, is more likely to be a Hindu upper-caste child, is more likely to go to school, will get better job and will be less likely to fall ill, will likely marry a Hindu upper-caste woman, is more likely to vote for BJP, will breathe cleaner air, buy more assets and will live longer than a poorer person born the same day. The Great Indian Dream is not one of equal opportunity.

The book contains many such nuanced details about India and gives us a new way to look at our country and understand what is going on. It is a shame that we are only paying attention to the importance of data now. Part of the problem is that statistics can be unintelligible, out of date, hard to find and harder still to communicate. But the other part is that statistics don't tell us everything. They need the background context and an ideologically neutral interpretation. Democracy is best served by those who engage with it critically. Knowing how to engage critically with data will only help strengthen democracy.