Latest news with #DeclanRowlands
NDTV
25-07-2025
- NDTV
Video: Foreigner Shows "India's Staggering Wealth Divide", Internet Reacts
A foreign tourist has sparked a discussion online after sharing a video that highlights the stark contrast between wealth and poverty in India. Declan Rowlands, a content creator known for posting about health, food, and travel, uploaded a clip of himself working out at the gym of a luxury 5-star hotel in Chennai. While showing the stunning sea view from the hotel, he also pointed out the glaring disparity visible from his window. "The view I looked down on while squatting from my pristine 5-star hotel gym in India will tell you everything about the insane wealth divide here," read the text overlay on the video. The video begins with Mr Rowlands doing his weight exercises at his hotel gym. Moments later, he pans the camera to reveal a wide, scenic view of the sea with crystal-clear blue waters. As the video progresses, he zooms in on the left side of the frame to show a cluster of buildings situated right along the shoreline. "Those buildings you see are practically slums. I've truly never experienced contrast like it," reads the text overlay on the clip. View this post on Instagram A post shared by D E C L A N R O W L A N D S (@declanrowlands) "This view from the Smith machine summed up India's staggering wealth divide. I only use the phrase 'practically slums' to help emphasise the contrast," the content creator wrote in the caption of the post. Since being shared, Mr Rowlands' video has accumulated more than 12,000 views. The post has sparked a discussion online. "I'm from Chennai and in most Indian cities the concept of slums are meant to coexist with the residential population living there and these people are basically supporting the entire household work so the area which ur shooting this from MRC nagar, and I bet even the hotel would be employing a few from these humble dwellings. Over time these do get redeveloped but for the lower middle class," wrote one user. "You see the contrast here because the poor aren't hidden away in India. There is no shame in being poor here. Unlike certain developed countries in the west, there are no specific areas where only the poor reside, and certain areas meant only for the rich. Here we live together, rich and the poor, 5 star and the slums next to each other," commented another. "Hypothetically tea-bagging the poor," remarked a third user.
Hindustan Times
24-07-2025
- Hindustan Times
Foreign tourist claims view from 5-star Chennai hotel shows 'insane' wealth gap: 'Practically slums'
A foreigner travelling in India shared a post claiming to sum up the wealth divide in the country during his stay at a 5-star hotel in India. Declan Rowlands, who posts health, food and travel content on social media, shared a video of himself exercising at the gym of his 5-star luxury hotel in Chennai, where he is staying for the next four months. Sharing the fantastic view of the sea from the hotel gym, Rowlands said that it offered a peek into how stark the wealth divide in India can be.(Instagram/declanrowlands) Sharing the fantastic view of the sea from the hotel gym, Rowlands said that it offered a peek into how stark the wealth divide in India can be. "The view I looked down on while squatting from my pristine 5-star hotel gym in India will tell you everything about the insane wealth divide here," he said. He panned his camera from doing his weight exercises to show a wide view of the sea with clear blue waters. He then zoomed into the left side of the frame to show a strip of buildings right by the water. "Those buildings you see are practically slums. I've truly never experienced contrast like it," he added He claimed the view was a representation of income inequality in India. "This view from the Smith machine summed up India's staggering wealth divide. I only use the phrase 'practically slums' to help emphasise the contrast," he emphasised. Rowlands has been documenting his stay in India's south. During his long trip, he dealt with the country's humidity and enjoyed delectable Indian food. In a series of videos, he shared his journey around the city and explored the wide variety of food options.
