I live in one of those countries, so I’ll try to answer your question.
India, though under British rule, never had much classical Western culture. A Western education was only open to Anglophile, upper- and middle-class Indians who explicitly embraced British culture and values. This changed over time, but it has left the common man firmly enamoured of local culture and suspicious of anything “Western”, especially in matters religious.
India was colonized by the British, so there was a lot of Protestant influence. Services in the vernacular were the norm, and Anglican Churches (the Church of South India and the Church of North India) were formed by liberal Anglican leaders.
The Catholic missionaries who made converts often lacked logistic support, especially with the gradual collapse of the Portuguese empire. Moreover (I’m quoting from my parents here), many of the later comers were often reluctant to promote or educate their own converts, whom they rather looked down upon; instead, they wanted to curry favour with the upper castes of India, whom they respected for their education and moral standards. Catechesis suffered badly, and “Catholic schools” often became schools for the rich and the powerful - a problem that was exacerbated when we achieved independence and were left in the hands of a poorly formed local clergy.
Though many local priests were ordained, the formation they received was far from optimal. Latin was not emphasized, and exposure to classic Catholic theology was almost zero. Even those (like my father) who served as altar boys at Tridentine Masses were
The result of this lack of cultural support - a phenomenon that predated Vatican II by
at least one generation, was that when the “spirit of Vatican II” hit India, what resulted was the perfect storm - Masses that sometimes looked like Hindu rituals, impromptu solos and sermons borrowed from our Protestant compatriots, “New Moon” and “Full Moon” festivals, and an emphasis on popular piety at the cost of liturgy and catechesis. In many parishes, “Christmas” is renamed “Yesu Kristhu Jayanthi”, lowering “Yesu Kristhu” (Jesus Christ) to the level of Hindu divinities such as Krishna. English Masses are a
little better, but many of them are quite pitiful.
If any FSSP priests are reading this: we need you guys, please! A Traditional (or at least conservative) move could stop the massive haemorrhage we’ve had to the C.S.I. and the Assemblies of God, who are perceived as being more serious and devout about their faith!
) However, she is weak on liturgy, purity* and catechesis, and that always gets to a purist like me.