Indians are sad.

A report by the WHO says that Indians have some of the highest mental illnesses in the world. Around 9% of people report an extended period of depression while 36% have suffered a major depressive episode. Women have a 50% higher incidence than men. TOI, 11 October. According to government figures 1% has serious mental illness, 5-10% suffer from moderate disorders while 20% of Indians need counselling at some point in their lives. Depression is the commonest mental illness with 30.7 per 1000 people in urban areas and 13.9 per 1000 in rural areas suffering from the disease. This is not surprising as income disparity is much lower in rural areas and most people own their own dwelling, even if it is a thatched shack. Food is much cheaper and, although services are few, life is much less stressful. In cities life is gruelling. Massive increase in property prices means that rents have soared. Landlords increase rents by 10% every year. Inflation at 10% has meant that food takes away a large chunk of income. Violence is common and medical costs are very high. Locked in this cycle of ever increasing expenses people see no escape and would be under severe stress. In Kishangarh in Vasant Kunj in South Delhi landlords have added 3-4 floors to their houses without planning permission and, in most cases, without proper foundations to the buildings. They rent out each room at Rs 4000 per month. So great is the demand that every room is taken and shared by 3-4 people who have come to Delhi looking for jobs. While this might be just about tolerable in winter it would be unbearable in summer when temperatures reach 45` Celsius and there are prolonged periods of power cuts. Landlords pay regular bribes to authorities and since everything is done in cash no one pays any tax. The ever increasing volumes of black money adds to inflation and to property prices, which is the only place where black money can be hidden. In this environment of no privacy and the ever present threat of rape or robbery it is no wonder that women are under much greater stress. You will not see any police anywhere. They will come if phoned but often half an hour after the call. Most of the time they refuse to register a case, called a First Incident Report, to reduce their work load and if they find that the crime was committed by a local politician or the local thug they will force the victim to withdraw the complaint. The complete lack of any justice increases the sense of helplessness and mental stress. This also partly stems from the fact that judges are above the law. Cases drag on for decades and protagonists often die before a judgement is delivered. Since most cases are minor why judges do not finish them is impossible to understand but any criticism will be seen as contempt of court and invite punishment. This encourages crime because criminals know that once they are out on bail they can expect to live in freedom till death. Is it any wonder that we are a sad people?