Louis CK, who recently visited India as part of his ‘Ridiculous’ tour in March, made some remarkable observations and drew a parallel between living conditions in India and the United States. He claimed that although people in India faced “poverty”, no one was “homeless or openly drugged” as he saw in New York. In a clip shared on Instagram, he compared the poverty and economic structures of India and New York.
“The feeling in India is like this… and I’m ignorant. I’ve seen what I’ve seen. Nobody’s on the street looking like a s***. Nobody’s on drugs and nobody’s homeless like in the streets of New York. I see guys with bubble guns shooting in broad daylight all the time. I see guys bent over like that… I haven’t seen a single person in India in any of the places we’ve gone,” Louis said.
“Freeze to Death”
Louis also spoke of the small makeshift shelters visible from his hotel, noting that people at least had some form of shelter. In contrast, he said, in New York, people often end up homeless and can even “freeze.”
“From the hotel, we could see this area that was like a corrugated steel cube with tarps. A whole city block. There’s working poverty and there are many levels of housing that are much cheaper. Whereas here we have a standard. If you fall below that, you’re just screwed! If you can’t afford a house in New York, you’re on the street and you can’t get a job. If you don’t have a credit card and a real identity in this country, you can’t rush in and see what you can do.” he said.
How social media users reacted:
The video quickly went viral on social media and a large number of users agreed with his remarks. One user said: “India is not a poor country – it is a country where the poor can survive and thrive.”
Another commented: “Functioning Poverty – what a great term.. Although it is true.. That poverty has no place in western countries and poor Indians are better off than other poor.”
A third wrote: “The thing is India has improved a lot!!! Obviously there is still room for more but it has come a long way in the last decade and people are not ready to accept the fact that the country can change so quickly!”
Louis CK performed in Mumbai, Bengaluru and New Delhi during his India tour in March. The debut concerts attracted capacity crowds, with the tour organized by District by Zomato.
