Safety
I have not personally witnessed anything I would describe as a threat to my safety (other than the risks experienced while driving). That is not to say that it is always a safe environment, but I do not see India as being any different to other countries in this regard. While there can be the sometimes aloof and abrupt nature of some people, this does not translate to any actual threat. Walking the streets in the dark around my neighbourhood has been fine, and other than keeping an eye on the street dogs most people will just ignore you. I speak as a man of course, and women will be advised to take more caution – hence the women only coaches on the metro for example – but again, that is the case in many counties not just India.
It is not uncommon to be stared at, and for personal space to not be respected. There are also stories of women getting ‘touched’ unwantedly on crowded buses or trains, so exercising sensible levels of caution is always advised.
I have seen some pretty heated arguments between locals, and fights could occasionally break out and at the very least some loud and angry disagreement. But those I have seen have been isolated to the individuals concerned, and I have not witnessed this spilling over to non-interfering bystanders. My advice if experiencing anything like this is to stay away and not seek to get involved. The nature of people here is to investigate goings on like this, and hence a simple argument could soon evolve into a small crowd of people trying to ‘help’. So just stay out of it and let them get on with whatever they are doing. As I said though, such is a rare occurrence and I’ve only seen this a few times in my time here.
Overall, India is like any other country and normal precautions should always be taken. Aside from the overt curiosity which may be shown, personal safety is not something I give much concern to and I feel relatively comfortable here in that regard.
JC in India 