Monsoons drench south India

The torrential rains and floods that affected India during the past couple months ushers in mixed feelings. \nThe state of Andrha Pradesh has received its heaviest rains in 5 years. Though monsoons have drenched north India over the past two months and have spread to the South, killing 122 people, displacing more than five million and leaving thousands of hectares of rice fields to fate, some greet the monsoons with warmth.\nProfessor Gerald Larson, director of India Studies, said India's monsoons are a mixed blessing. Every year, starting around June and stretching all the way to November, the monsoon rains hit several parts of India, causing much chaos and devastation. When the rain comes, it also brings life so crops can flourish after a long period of dry weather. He said the monsoons can hurt the economy of India, but if it were not for the monsoons, people would die of starvation.\nThe people of India enjoy the monsoons as a respite from the preceding drought. \"To the people of India, it\'s a season for making love and listening to the peacocks sing, which in India is a sign for making love," Larson said.\nReligious Studies professor David Haberman was in India when the monsoon season began. "The monsoon season is a very romantic period," he said. Before monsoons broke, it was difficult for Indians to leave their homes, which meant lovers were either together during the season or away from each other. \nIndian international student Neville Batiwalla said that the monsoons are actually quite welcome after a long period of drought. He said the streets end up flooded, but people get used to it. "It\'s no big deal, it happens every year. There\'s not much you can do about it; it\'s nature."\nHaberman added, "People don't look at the monsoons fearfully. There are people who beg the moonsoons to come. The general mood is that monsoons should come because without them, we're in trouble."\nThe Associated Press contributed to this report.