Is this what the "secular" majority thinks?

I recently entertained a few people from India who I believe would prefer to call themselves "secular" and "progressive". And, every time I started talking to them about economics, economic policies and politics (I tend to follow that order - start with economics and end up at politics) I ran into some interesting observations that I do not agree. The list is not really in the order it was discussed

1) We need a "benevolent capitalism"
According to this, the poor in India are not receiving the benefit of the economic boom. So, the government needs to do something to improve their plight.

Why do I have a beef with this? I have beef with anything where someone else is making decisions for you and giving handouts. The poor of india, I don't think, need handouts and subsidies. What they need is equal opportunity and access to products and services. And, it would help it the ones who are benefitting from the economic boom are doing their bit - paying their taxes, being involved in the community and strengthening the institutions. It does not help when you evade taxes or pay bribe (now, you can afford to bribe more)

2) Some groups like the "brahmins" are "smarter".
I think the person actually used the word "gene pool". Bloody hell, sounds racist. I think the person was trying to say that some groups have a predisposition for learning and intellectual pursuits. I guess it did not occur to this person this may be because these groups have had better economic standing or access to education. And, it is natural that if everyone you know is going to college and you can afford it that you too end up there. I bet that brahmins or any other caste in india belong to one distinct gene pool. We are mongrels - every one of us

3) The communists in india have "values" and stand for what they believe.
This, coming from a person who has never been associated with the communist party and has never been a communist ruled state or come close to communists or their policies, is probably the most dangerous. And, I guess a lot subscribe to this as evident from their strong showing last elections.

Yes, there was a time I beleived in this, too. That was before I finished college. For about five years I lived in close proximity to wannabe communists, up and coming communists and cop out communists ( the guys who joined them to have fun). It was when I was in college in Kerala I realized that the difference between Communists and others is the difference between Nazi thugs and street thugs. Which one is better? My disillusionment with Indian communists was complete when Rajiv Gandhi was assasinated. If you remember, he was killed by a suicide bomber during an election campaign. Overnight the local chapter of communists in the sleepy village in kerala, close to my college, decided to remove or X out posters of Rajiv Gandhi/ Congress and make it look like the right wing BJP had done it. Knowing the discipline of the organization I don;t believe it was an act perpetrated by individauls without the knowledge of the organization. Finally, if you apply some logic you will realise that the purpose of the organization is to improve the standing of the working class it is imperative that for the organization to remain meaningful the working class has to be kept opressed. So, they have no incentive to really improve the conditions of the working class.