New Delhi: YouTuber Benjamin Rich has drawn criticism online for calling India the ‘most frustrating place to travel’ in one of his travel videos.
Also known as Bald and Bakrupt, Benjamin Rich began his vlog with a rickshaw ride to Delhi's Paharganj while sharing vignettes of his journey to the capital city and Kolkata.
Comparing the changes to the capital city from his last visit, Rich acknowledged ‘some improvements’ but added ‘not too many’ referring to the traffic.
While praising the friendliness of Indians, he complained of potholes, waterlogged streets and constant honking alongside saying that India ‘the most frustrating place to travel’.
He warns viewers not to attempt a trip to India ‘unless you are a professional traveller’.
Many viewers accused Rich of showing only the negative side of the country with one man on social media asking ‘Showing the worst of India in order to get the most anti-India engagement?’.
Another user accused Rich of ‘deliberately trying to show the worst things possible to proclaim India a failed state.’
A third user said that foreign content creators use India to earn money either by ‘praising or rage-baiting’.
However, some users agreed with Rich saying that roads ‘have unlimited potholes, delays in big projects, and railways are never on time.’
Alongside highlighting travel difficulties in the country, Rich pointed out issues such as ‘terrible air pollution and trash thrown into rivers’.
In the comment section the YouTube wrote the reason why he called India a failed state saying that the country has ‘awful air pollution. Rubbish that is thrown directly into rivers’.
He pointed out that ‘58% of Delhis rubbish goes straight into the Yamuna River’, adding he had seen rats everywhere in the capital city.
Most important of all, Rich said that India’s infrastructure could not ‘cope with monsoon rains although the government knows it will happen every year’.
Rich however added that he had no hate ‘towards the people of India who as always I found fun and friendly’.