Living, Learning, and Serving

Last Update from India

2009-06-25T14:02:00.000-07:00

I can’t believe that ten months have already passed, and that my time in India is coming to a close. I leave Ahmedabad tomorrow morning, then attend our endpoint conference for several days, and will then travel through the Himalayas for a while. I’ll be back States-side on July 20!

In terms of my projects, things have come to a close. The marketing project I was involved with – marketing products made by my NGO for the western market – has been established; samples were made and sent to the US and the NGO seems to be ready for forthcoming orders. The documentation work I did for the legal office is also finished; both English and Gujarati copies of the two-year report have been printed for the NGO. My work with the manual scavenging community – collecting stories of those who have given up manual scavenging for alternative livelihoods – is also finished; take a look at this website to read these stories.

Working on making items for the marketing project

But, like I’ve mentioned before, it is really the moments in between these projects that have been the most meaningful. The village visits, laughing with young women, attending village weddings, forming relationships with my coworkers, drinking endless amounts of chai, speaking broken Gujarati, and feeling a sense of identity and belonging to this place, a rootedness to the culture here, a sense of home. Those are the moments that I will always remember and that tie me to this country forever.

Wearing a sari for the first time!
At a wedding of one of my coworker's siblings - wearing my coworker's sari

I now leave India with more questions than I ever had before. What did it mean for me, as a westerner, as a Gujarati American, to come to Navsarjan for this time period to "serve"? When I look into the faces of the desperately poor and hear about their situations, what do I say when they ask me for a solution? How do I wrap my mind around the untouchability and atrocities I've seen this year -- and how to make sense of it in a world that perhaps doesn't seem to care and denies its existence? And how do I take a hold of what I’ve learned and witnessed here, continue to make it relevant to my life when I return to life back in the States?

Me in one of the villages I visited -- the young thin girl in the front is the victim of an awful rape case (Navsarjan is currently fighting on her behalf)

But, at the end of it all, what I do know for sure is that after spending months with the legal staff at Navsarjan, I have decided that I specifically want to continue to work on human rights issues from the perspective of law. I’m excited about this, and am very much looking forward to this opportunity!

For now, thanks for journeying along with me this year and I look forward to catching up with many of you when I return!

A Day in the Life ...

2009-06-21T06:44:00.000-07:00

AIF, the organization that sent me here to India, has asked us to write final documents about our experiences here. Below is one that I wrote, "A Day in the Life..." It is long, but if you are interested, I hope it can help paint a picture of my life here.

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*I work for Navsarjan, an NGO whose primary mission is to eradicate caste-based discrimination. We work primarily with Dalits (“untouchables” or the Scheduled Castes) to address their concerns – such as legal justice, education, vocational training, and so much more.

The Journey

The sun has hardly been up, but my day has already started. I am in a rickshaw, wind blowing on my face; music blasting from speakers behind me; cars, bikes, and scooters, dogs, cows, and camels all surrounding me. I am in Ahmedabad beginning my journey to one of the villages in Gujarat where my NGO works.

The drive to the main bus station from my apartment is a long one. I begin from my suburban middle class neighborhood; on the way I find bungalows and slums, apartments and tents, homes of the fabulously wealthy and homes of the desperately poor. I then cross the bridge that divides my city into two, entering the old city from the new. I am immediately surrounded by throngs of people and find myself overwhelmed by the traffic and noise around me. On my left are a number of women squatting on the ground and selling all types of vegetables. On my right are migrant families waking up from under pieces of blue cloth barely hung on sticks, a feeble structure they know to be home.

I finally reach the main bus stand and look at the hundreds of buses around me. Unable to read Gujarati, I am humbled as I learn what it means to try to navigate the world without being literate. I look around at the people at the station, families carrying their belongings in small white sacks, women dressed in some of the most beautiful saris they own as they prepare to go to a wedding in their native village, until I find a man in a khaki uniform, a bus conductor. I ask which bus will take me where I need to go, and after some pointing and navigating, I hope that I am on the right bus, ready to begin the three-hour journey into the village.

Sometimes the buses are so crowded that people are pushing and pulling, screaming at each other as we climb up the stairs to get a spot on the bus. Having not yet mastered the Indian art of wiggling into tight spaces, I can never find a seat during these routes, and instead find myself barely standing squeezed in the middle of five people. But not all days are like that; on the days that I am lucky, I have a seat next to the window all to myself, and can feel the breeze blowing directly onto me.

It is on these bus rides that I do most of my thinking. What will I learn about today at the village I’m visiting? What do I tell them when I look straight at the desperate poverty they live in and they ask me what I am going to do for them? How do I make sense of the stark contrast between the poor and the wealthy in this country? How can I be sensitive to the culture around me while at the same time making calls about what is right and wrong, what is okay and not okay? Can I ever truly fit into this culture, or will I always be a foreigner to this land?

On other journeys, I turn to my neighbors and answer their questions about the work that I am doing, trying to change any misconceptions about caste, gender, and poverty that come up. Sometimes I am with staff of my NGO on these trips, learning about their stories and being inspired by their level of dedication and sacrifice for the cause towards which they work.

These journeys are not a means to an end, a pastime until I reach my final destination. Instead, they are crucial components of my time here in Gujarat, moments where I can dig deeper into my own reflections and can hear stories that will move me and compel me to continue working towards justice.

The Destination

After many hours on a bus, then on the back of a colleagues’ motorcycle, I finally reach the village, my final destination. I am with my colleague by my side, but am immediately overwhelmed by everything I see, children without any clothes, women covering their faces with their saris, and one-room homes that house more than ten people. I sit down on a rope-bed with other staff member in one of these homes, am greeted by the entire family, and we soon begin listening to their story.

On this particular trip, I am with the legal team, listening to cases of atrocities against Dalit individuals and thinking of ways to respond to these concerns through the law. The story I hear is overwhelmingly awful. I listen as a family tells me about their loved one, a young girl raped by a dominant caste man. The family is in tears as they recall the story; the pain is visible in their eyes. With the Navsarjan staff member by my side, we try to comfort them and the fieldworker talks to them about legal responses that we can take for their case.

The family turns to me and asks me what I am doing here. What will I do for them, how does my presence benefit them in any way? I am speechless, for I do not know how the words documentation and reporting matter to the family I am with, who have just seen their little girl brutalized. I simply say that I am here to listen to their story, that I am here to learn and to meet them, and that I will try to take their case to more individuals.

We end our meeting over chai, we all drink from saucers in our hands and I try my best to appear completely comfortable drinking out of a plate. We smile and we talk, and I am again humbled by what I’ve heard and moved by the strength of the human spirit, to be able to continue in spite of the most horrific incidents hat may happen. These are the experiences that have compelled me to continue working in this field, to always remain connected to those who have suffered and to fight on behalf of their human rights.

The Night

I then sit with my colleague on his motorcycle as we head out from the village back to his own home, another village nearby. It is night, the stars are out, and the wind feels particularly cold as we drive by. On this journey we talk about what we learned at the meeting, trying to understand as much as I can from my colleagues’ perspective.

We reach my colleagues’ home and am greeted by many members of the family. They all take such an interest in my presence there and the questions never seem to end. Kids come running to the house and look at us shyly, wanting to play together. The women gather in the kitchen and we sit together as I marvel at the perfectly round rotis that are made. We talk about each others’ cultures, giggling over marriage prospects, discussing untouchability in the village, and trying to make sense of the different worlds we live in. A feast is prepared for the evening; chicken, roti, vegetable, rice, and lentils, and I am asked to eat two or three servings of everything. Completely full and exhausted from the journey, I fall asleep quickly on the rope bed outside, under the stars and lost in thought about all that I experienced that day.

Humility

2009-06-13T09:52:00.001-07:00

If I were to describe my year in a word, it would be humility. Being humbled, before all those around me, my peers and fellow fellows, my coworkers, the precious Dalits I've had the privilege to meet and connect with.

It's just the nature of doing this kind of work -- jumping from one side of the world, barely knowing the language, trying to asses exactly what "skills" I bring to the table, trying to make connections with individuals and coming up with a concrete "project" to work on for ten months ...

After being pushed and pulled, challenged and elated, strengthened and defeated for ten months, I come away from my AIF experience with more questions that I ever had before. What did it mean for me, as a westerner, as a Gujarati American, to come to Navsarjan for this time period to "serve"? What was the impact of my ten months here? Did I do as much as I set out to do? What do I say to those who look me in the face, tell me about the desperate poverty they live in, and ask me for a solution? And how do I wrap my mind around the untouchability and atrocities I've seen this year -- and how to make sense of it in a world that perhaps doesn't seem to care and denies its existence?

I don't have all the answers about development or human rights; I only have more questions. I'm looking forward to the months ahead, to some time to think through these issues and process some answers.

Everyday Heroes

2009-05-29T08:37:00.000-07:00

One of the best parts of my placement with Navsarjan is being surrounded by such strong, passionate, and dedicated individuals. The people that I work with are such inspiring individuals, many of whom have worked out of the most hostile situations to dedicate themselves to the Dalit cause. Again and again, I am humbled and moved by their stories and by the actions that guide their lives.

Here is one of the stories I've been lucky enough to hear:

Kantibhai - Perhaps the most inspiring story I've heard, someone who grew up in absolute poverty, was denied basic human rights (water, food, shelter) and the chance to study simply because he was Dalit.

For instance, he says that while he was studying, "The upper caste students could pick up any Dalit student they chose to beat us up. This could be with or without reason. Sometimes they get drunk and come to beat up the Dalit students just for fun. We had no right to say "no". We had to face it. We cannot complain. If we complained, we should face the abuse from the college administration as well. We just have to obey."*

Today, Kantibhai oversees Dalit cases from throughout the state of Gujarat. He firmly believes, "Nothing is impossible in this world!" and is proud to say it loudly! He is incredibly dedicated to this work, and has spent so many years running from village to village, meeting with government officials and non-Dalits to stand up for the rights of his community.

*I encourage you to read Kanti's story in full here.** It is such a moving story and will help to give you an overall understanding of what kinds of discrimination Dalits face today.

**Link has been fixed

Work Updates

2009-05-09T13:37:00.000-07:00

I have posted a lot about my experiences and reactions throughout my time here, but very little about what exactly I'm doing through the fellowship. Work is full of ups and downs, major challenges and incredible successes, but it's such an interesting journey. Here's a quick overview of what I've been up to:

1) Marketing Project

Navsarjan runs a number of different initiatives, one of which is a vocational training school for Dalits (and anyone who believes in equality), where courses such as driving, tailoring, motor rewinding, and beautician are taught.

From the tailoring and design courses, the students and a production team make a number of beautiful items - clothes, cards, pictures, paintings, wall hanging, tablemats, cushion covers, etc. We are currently working with a US-based team to expand the reach of these products to the international market. We are aiming to be able to sell high quality products to the western market -- and in so doing, increasing the skill level here and raising awareness about Dalit issues back home.

Learning about product quality and embroidery from another NGO

2) Two-Year Report for the Legal Office

While Navsarjan's been doing legal work since it began, a specific legal office (the Center for Dalit Human Rights) opened just two years ago. For this project, I interviewed the legal staff, made case visits with them, and documented and evaluated it into a two-year report for the office.

With young women in a village during one of these legal field visits.

3) Manual Scavenging

I came into Navsarjan with the specific interest of working on the manual scavenging issue, and I'm grateful that I've gotten the chance to do just that. Currently, I'm working with the manual scavenging campaign team to:

A) Collect stories of manual scavengers who, against all odds and with the help of Navsarjan staff, have left the practice of manual scavenging. We'll be creating a website with these stories.

An entire community of Dalits who belong to the manual scavenging caste but refuse to practice manual scavenging, and instead make these 'supras'.

B) Talk with manual scavengers, learn about their situations, and see what options they have for alternative livelihoods. We also hope to bring some of them to work on the marketing project mentioned above.

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While these are all "projects" I'm working on, more than anything, this has been an incredible learning experience -- about Dalit issues and responding to human rights concerns. About working on-the-ground and about the reality of discrimination. It's the small moments, day-to-day, whether I'm stuffed on a bus or sitting in front of a manual scavenging family just talking, that are the most eye-opening and impacting experiences of my time here.

Untouchability Exists

2009-05-09T03:01:00.000-07:00

I've been learning about and witnessing Dalit issues firsthand during my eight months here as an AIF fellow. I've gotten so in-depth with the issue that there is simply no question about the existence of caste-based discrimination in this country -- I just can't deny the countless stories of abuse, rape, and torture against my Dalit brothers and sisters, the realities of untouchability and pollution associated with this group of people, the segregation (separate but 'unequal') that exists in every village, and the fact that on a broad-level Dalits remain economically and socially behind so many other groups of people in India.

I realize that caste and untouchability are very heated topics -- and that many, many, many will disagree with me when I write this, but I can't deny what I have seen -- the practices of caste-based discrimination and untouchability exist. It exists, not just in remote 'untouched' villages, but across the country, in most, if not all, villages and cities in India.

The most common form of untouchability occurs at the temples -- often, Dalits are not allowed to enter the same temples as upper-caste individuals. People belonging to upper castes will not associate themselves with Dalits - will not enter their homes, eat their food, or drink their water - for if they do, they will become 'polluted' themselves.

It starts from these 'small' acts of untouchability -- and builds all the way up to such horrific acts as torture, abuse, and rape against Dalits.

It's so hard for non-Dalits to make sense of this issue, to recognize it, and to identify with it. What does it mean for someone to be denied basic rights because they have a different last name? How do we make sense of an issue that doesn't really affect us or change the way we live? What is caste, anyway, and what exactly does that mean for Indian society? For many of us, this topic is just a foreign concept that is very difficult to grasp.

But what I can say in response is this: Untouchability is discrimination, plain and simple -- and it exists. No one knows better the reality of this caste-based discrimination than Dalits themselves. They live this reality and are quick to recognize it for what it is. It exists, it exists, it exists. Go to any village and talk to the Dalits there -- there is no denying it exists.

Understanding caste and untouchability is such a crucial component to learning India. It is part of the bedrock of this society and shapes so much of what happens here. We simply cannot understand India without understanding the social norms and practices that exist in this country.

I challenge you to take this issue on as your own, to recognize its reality, to learn as much as you can about caste and about those who are being left behind in India's development.

The Other Side of the Conversation

2009-04-23T23:48:00.001-07:00

A few days ago, I visited a village with Navsarjan staff where they were working on two cases -- one of an upper-caste man in the village who assaulted and attempted to rape a minor Dalit girl, and another of an individual who destroyed land belonging to a Dalit and threatened to take his life if he retaliated.

In the village listening to the Dalits' experiences

On the journey to the village, we began discussing some of the challenges the staff members faced in their work. Again and again, they said the most difficult thing for them was to stand directly in front of non-Dalits speaking of their work and the reality of the injustices they saw. Though certainly not all, they said that many non-Dalits are still quick to deny the practice of untouchability.

Praveen (fellow AIF fellow), Bhaldevbhai (fieldworker), Me, and Bharatbhai (fieldworker) on a train - on the way to the village.

During the train ride on the way home that day, I saw exactly what the staff members meant. In our train compartment, some of the men began asking the Navsarjan fieldworker I was with who he was and what work he did. He was careful in his response -- initially only painting a broader picture of working on "human rights." After the other men pressed him further, "What kinds of human rights?", he finally respond and said, "We work on issues for whomever needs them, women, kids, or Dalits--"

At that point, the rest of the men started retaliating, denying the practice of untouchability and claiming that the fieldworker's work was meaningless. It was an intense argument - 1 against 7! - where they accused the fieldworker of working with criminals and saying that his work was unto no purpose!

In my seven months in Ahmedabad, I have so clearly seen the impact of untouchability practices and a number of caste-based atrocities on Dalits throughout India. I simply can't deny that these practices continue unabated. Hearing the men's perspectives on the train was certainly hard to swallow -- Is there any room for dialogue and reconciliation when denial is so rampant?

I am reminded that for Dalit rights activists, the work ahead is quite demanding, extremely difficult, and very long indeed.

April Update

2009-04-23T13:55:00.000-07:00

This past month has flown by – with both ups and downs, successes and challenges, and I am grateful for that because I think that’s what development and human rights work is all about.

One of the highlights from the last few months is a village wedding that I got to go to! One of my coworkers got married in a small village about three hours east of Ahmedabad. I stayed there for a few days with his extended family, danced garba and ‘disco’ with the rest of the family, took part in some of the wedding proceedings, and really just loved my time there.

Shots from the wedding

In terms of work, things are starting to wrap up. I finished my two-year report for the legal office and it is in the process of being translated into Gujarati. The marketing project I have been working on (getting items that Dalits make into the US market) is also underway; we will begin purchasing cloth and producing items soon. And I’ve been spending more time visiting manual scavengers in the field – hearing from those who have actually given up the practice of manual scavenging as a result of Navsarjan’s efforts (the stories certainly are inspiring!) and working with others to evaluate what kinds of alternative livelihoods are available to them.

The best moments in my work, though, are when I am in the villages, talking to women one-on-one. I listen to their stories and learn about the pressures and expectations they face in their lives. Their lives are so challenging, and their struggles – first as Dalits, then as women – are so layered. In my broken Gujarati, I try to tell them to pursue their studies and make sure to put their kids in school – no matter the gender – and to stand up on their own two feet. I will be humble in saying that I don’t know what these words mean for the women in the context of their lives in the villages, but I know that these moments are precious to all of us and I look forward to having more of them over the next two months.

With the women in the villages

What I'll Miss

2009-03-23T13:53:00.000-07:00

There are less than four months left here in Ahmedabad (!), which means that most of the fellowship is now over. I have been thinking a lot these days about the things I am going to miss the most – and they are the simplest parts of my days here, things that are almost routine, but things that I know I’ll remember the most when I got back home.

I love eating lunch together in the office (where everyone – including me! – brings their individual tiffins of homecooked Gujarati food), learning to cook from my friends and neighbors, being overwhelmed by the generosity that is so common in the villages, taking the same rickshaws everyday, shopping at the same small shops everyday where the shopkeepers know who I am, eating at the same three restaurants in town, practicing my Gujarati … and there is so much more! Being here in Ahmedabad has been such a rich experience for me – I hope to savor as much of it as I can for the next several months.

The Wedding

2009-02-28T04:04:00.000-08:00

In February, my dad’s friend’s daughter got married here in Ahmedabad, and the wedding was certainly the event of the year! The wedding involved nine nights of festivities – lots of delicious food, dancing, and various other functions. My parents and cousins also came down for the event, and it was wonderful to see them here as well.

Some photo highlights:

Me and my parents at the wedding

Team A-bad (AIF Fellows) at the wedding: Natassia, Rick, Me

Wedding Fun - Garba in the streets!

Caste-Based Atrocities

2009-02-11T11:48:00.000-08:00

These are actual cases from my recent field visits, a look into the types of caste-based human rights atrocities that continue to occur to this day.

Case 1: A Dalit man and a Patel (dominant caste) women decided to marry – a love marriage. Since the two belonged to different castes, their families did not approve of the marriage. The couple got married and moved away from the village – something unheard of because everyone here lives with their extended families. After some time away, the couple returned to their village for the support of their relatives.

One afternoon, the husband and wife were walking along a path behind their home, with the husband several yards ahead. All of a sudden, the wife’s father came up to her and murdered her – still so angry with her for marrying a Dalit and “shaming/polluting” the family.

A number of Dalit homes surrounded the scene of the incident and all of their doors were open when the atrocity occurred. But, after the incident, everyone shut their doors and ignored the entire mess. Not a single Dalit eyewitness was willing to speak up for the Dalit family.

Case 2: Two manual scavengers were contracted to clean a clogged septic tank belonging to one upper-caste male. Cleaning the tank meant literally immersing themselves into the gutter, getting covered in human waste, and unclogging the blockage. The two men initially refused to do the work, but the man who contracted them refused to let them go until they completed the task. The manual scavengers were then forced to submerge themselves into the gutter without any protective gear. After inhaling the toxic fumes present in the tank, the two men died immediately. Their families are now alone, with no other options for livelihoods and incomes.

Case 3: A minor Dalit girl was abducted by a non-Dalit man, taken to his home, beaten with a chain and raped for a period of six months. She was then trafficked from home to home for another six-month period, where she was continuously beaten and raped. A year after she was abducted, her family found her again. The young girl, though visibly shaken and with very little support outside of Navsarjan, is yet strong now – she is back in school and is focused on being able to create a life for herself and to stand up on her own two feet.

There are hundreds of such cases that are registered with the police every year, but only a few finally end in judgements for the accused. How long will we allow such abuse and atrocity to occur – and when will victims of such blatant violations of human rights find justice?

A field visit - the Navsarjan team meeting with the family of one of the atrocity survivors

Visiting Rural Gujarat

2009-02-11T11:24:00.000-08:00

I just returned from perhaps the most impacting few weeks of my time in India. I spent the last few weeks in rural Gujarat, travelling from district to district and village to village to learn about the way the legal team of Navsarjan has intervened in serious cases of atrocities against Dalits. It’s part of a new project I’m working on – to document these stories and evaluate the work of the staff over the past few years.

While the cases I saw in the field were heavy and awful (I will write more about them specifically in the next post), the time that I got to spend with Navsarjan staff members and their families at their homes in the evenings was incredible. Each family just welcomed me in with such enthusiasm – taking such wonderful care of me, offering the best of what they had to me (always giving me the bed while they slept on the floor, for instance), and just surrounding me with their love.

One night, I sat in the middle of a group of thirty women – from teenagers to elderly women – as we talked about caste, race, America, and untouchability practices in the village. Another day, I spent the afternoon laughing and giggling with a group of young girls, explaining what American food was like and asking the women about their marriage prospects. Still another, I walked around the village with a family, learning about the way caste affected the social structure and about how they had seen untouchability practices throughout their life.

There are so many questions that this time has raised for me – about poverty and wealth, caste and untouchability, simple living and materialism, service and humility, women and men, rural and urban, America and India. How do all of these different worlds coexist – and how do they all fit in together? But perhaps answers to those are for another post, another day ...

Riding next to acres and acres of beautiful farmland on the back of a bike

Breakfast together

The community saying goodbye and sending me off

Obama: The Reaction Here

2009-01-21T22:08:00.001-08:00

From my colleages here at Navsarjan, in response to Obama's presidency:

"I'm so happy that Obama is president because he represents all of the 'Dalits' in the world"

"I saw Obama's speech yesterday. I was crying when he was talking. He said his father couldn't eat at a restaurant, but now he is president of America. He gives me hope." (Quoted from someone who is a Dalit)

A Refreshing Midpoint

2009-01-19T22:03:00.000-08:00

The fellowship that sent me here, the American India Foundation, arranged for a midpoint retreat for all 22 fellows in the program. We met at Anandwan, an ashram created by Baba Amte, an inspiring social activist who dedicated his life to the lepers, disabled, and others who are cast out of society. Anandwan is beautiful, filled with acres of farmland, incredibly warm people who have taken up residence there, and delicious fresh food – all grown and made right there at the facility.

Undoubtedly, reconnecting with and listening to all of the fellows was the best part of my time there and perhaps even one of the highlights of my entire time in India. I was – and continue to be – blown away by the passion and dedication my fellow fellows have to development, to justice, and to India. Listening to everyone present about the work they have been doing, sharing in the challenges and successes of our time here, and drafting plans and making guesses at what the next five months would hold for us was such a refreshing experience for me, for all of us.

I’m excited about the journey ahead, especially because I now know that I’m not here alone but as a part of a group of committed individuals. I look forward to hearing more about everyone’s work, visiting their NGOs, drawing connections between all of our projects, and (of course!), travelling together through India.

Anandwan, the ashram where we had midpoint

AIF fellows - What a great group of friends!

Happy Holidays

2008-12-30T07:45:00.000-08:00

From Team A-bad

Human Rights Denied

2008-12-20T07:23:00.000-08:00

"Dalits have faced a unique discrimination in our society that is fundamentally different from the problems of minority groups in general. The only parallel to the practice of 'untouchability' was Apartheid in South Africa. Untouchability is not just social discrimination. It is a blot on humanity."

Prime Minister Singh, 27 December 2006

I just got back from a weeklong conference in Delhi where we examined the practice of untouchability and caste-based atrocities across nine states. I met Dalits who had seen their loved ones starve to death, who had been beaten, assaulted, abused, and raped, and who had been stripped of their dignity all because they were born as "untouchables".

When did we decide that our worth as human beings was based on the families that we were born into - a last name that we hold? When did it become okay to assault, murder and rape other human beings ... and when did their last names justify such actions? And when will we all take action against such clear violations of human rights?

Below are photos of some posters that different states brought to the conference. The photos depict the situation for many Dalits today - destroyed homes, manual scavengers, and victims and survivors of atrocities.

Lunch

2008-12-13T07:42:00.000-08:00

I really am going to miss some of the simplest parts of my day - like lunch! We place our tiffins of homemade Gujarati food in the center, take our individuals rotis (bread/tortilla), and dig in together! My cooking is the yellow cabbage dish on the bottom :)

Recent Reflections

2008-11-29T08:12:00.000-08:00

After a few months with Navsarjan, I now realize that the NGO isn’t actually focused on eliminating poverty, but more on eliminating discrimination. It’s all related, yes, but the distinction is an important one to remember. In my visits to the villages, I’ve learned that the manual scavengers aren’t actually the poorest; often, people of “higher” castes are actually much poorer! (This is the case here in Gujarat, but in other states, I think it’s very different.) But I think the poverty the Dalits experience is different – social exclusion, denial of rights, lack of access to health care and education, and so much more.

A friend of mine mentioned to me the other day that our work here often seems to be more so about the journey than it is about the end result. I think that’s really true, and I’m starting to learn more of that everyday. Sometimes when visiting villages to do my work, I will spend eight hours in transit for a one or two hour meeting! It really just doesn’t make sense – until I look at the entire day as part of the experience.

I love the conversations I have along the way. Sometimes, I’m sitting on overcrowded trains engaging with my neighbors about the atrocities that Dalits face to this day. On other journeys, I’m talking to Navsarjan staff – trying to understand these issues from their perspectives and hearing about why they are doing this work. Their stories are always inspiring and challenging – my, how much people persevere through for justice!

If we take this idea one step further, this also means that my time in India is not just about the end result – about the garments and the livelihoods we hope to create – but also about the journey along the way … the relationships that are built, the experiences we have, and what all of us learn from each other. I’ve taken away so much from the experience already, and I’m excited to see what else is in store for us!

The Bigger Picture

2008-11-15T10:15:00.000-08:00

I thought I’d take a step back to give greater context to the work I’m doing – so that you can understand manual scavenging in the broader perspective of Dalit issues and development in India.

(Meeting with women manual scavengers who live and work in the villages)

Untouchability in India is practiced in a variety of ways – including violent acts (such as assault, rape, and murder against Dalits and particularly Dalit women), land encroachment, trafficking, social boycott, and the negative health impacts (even death) from caste-based occupations such as manual scavenging.

Navsarjan works on all of these issues from a variety of different angles, but the heart its work is actually legal aid – providing legal support and services to those Dalits who undergo such awful atrocities. Separate from this are other campaigns about topics such as land rights, women’s rights, manual scavenging, etc. My "main project" technically falls under the manual scavenging campaign, but I’ve actually been working in many other areas as well.

Solidarity?

2008-11-13T20:24:00.000-08:00

"I am a Dalit. If I don't fight for my rights, then who will?"

-Coworker at Navsarjan

GObama!

2008-11-04T20:43:00.001-08:00

Team A-bad in Action

Me, Natassia, and Rick - AIF Fellows in Ahmedabad

Beautiful Kerala

2008-11-03T21:31:00.000-08:00

Over Diwali break, my friends and I visited Kerala, a state in South India. It was my first time seeing this part of India -- I was blown away by how different this was from anything I had ever seen in this country! India has so many different faces and sides; I am grateful that I was able to see this beautiful part of this enormous country.

Incredible views from our travels.

My Birthday

2008-11-01T20:44:00.000-07:00

Celebrating on a houseboat cruising through the backwaters of Kerala
From left: Chandni (now: US), Rick (A-bad), Natassia (A-bad), Meera (Bangalore), Me, Michael (Udaipur)

October Update

2008-10-18T02:13:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

I hope you are all doing well! I was so excited to hear from many of you after my last email. Thanks for all of your thoughts, insights, and encouragement.

What a whirlwind this month has been! Quite a lot has happened, so I'll break it up:

MY WORK:

I spent a lot of October shadowing different members of the manual scavenging team to get a better grasp of their work and needs. After many such visits, I have finally decided on the project that I'll spend most of my time working on while in India.

I recently visited the village of Paliyad, about five hours away from Ahmedabad. Paliyad is organized by caste – meaning, every caste and sub-caste lives in its own section of the village. The Dalits live in the poorest areas of the village and are not allowed to interact with people of so-called "upper castes."

Paliyad has no toilets. Without any functioning sanitation system, the villagers are forced to defecate out in the open without any cover. The only people who are willing to clean up this human waste are those born into the Valmiki sub-caste, the manual scavengers. They are told from the moment they are born that this is all they are capable of doing.

Right now, I'm working on a project to help rehabilitate these manual scavengers – to have them leave manual scavenging for good and to enter dignified occupations. The government has (supposedly) started to build public flush toilets in the village as well, which means that if this is completed, the manual scavengers will need to find alternative livelihoods.

The project I have decided to do focuses on garment making and tailoring, as these products can be easily transported from the village to the city (where there is less caste discrimination) and can be done from people's own homes. One woman in the village currently knows how to make beautiful godhris or quilts. I hope that the greater Dalit community in Paliyad will be able to learn how to tailor and make these godhris. I also hope that I will be able to find a market for these garments in Ahmedabad. In so doing, we would be able to provide these Dalit families a sustainable income from a dignified occupation.

The project is incredibly challenging, as the families have so far been unwilling to work together and are resistant to switching out of manual scavenging. There is also already an established garment market in Ahmedabad, and it may be difficult to penetrate that. I hope that over the next eight months, I will understand some of these challenges better and will be able to navigate them in a productive and positive manner.

I'll keep you posted on how things go!

MY LIFE OUTSIDE OF WORK:

After a few weeks of temporary housing, I have finally settled into a two-bedroom apartment! I'm sharing it with another AIF fellow, Natassia. The apartment is wonderful – in the heart of the city, but in a quiet gully right off the side of it. It's also exactly in the middle of our two offices, which is perfect.

Also, October is a very festive month in India, with two major Hindu holidays – Navratri and Diwali:

Navratri is particularly significant in Gujarat. For nine nights straight, people dress up in some of their fanciest chanya cholis and saris to dance garba and raas for hours. While I've been to Navratri festivals in the US before, there is nothing quite like what I experienced here in Ahmedabad. The dancing was phenomenal, the outfits were incredibly beautiful, and the music lasted for hours and hours. (Photos in another post)

For Diwali break, I went with five of my friends down to the southern state of Kerala. The trip was definitely one of the best vacations I've ever had. From riding elephants and seeing breathtaking views of nature to dancing and singing to "Desi Girl" (a Bollywood song) on repeat in the car, the trip was definitely unforgettable! It was also great for me to see what life in India outside of Gujarati culture is like because I've never before experienced that. While Kerala and Gujarat are incredibly different, it was reassuring to notice some of the same threads that tie this country together – the incredible generosity, the other-centeredness, and a rich culture and unique language!

(Rick, Chandni, Michael, Me, Meera) - In Kerala

Other than all that, I hope to hear about how things are going for all of you!

All the best,
Ekta

Navratri

2008-10-15T02:38:00.000-07:00

Beautiful clothes, incredible music, and dancing that lasts though the night.

Even in the midst of such festivities, caste still dictates who is and isn't allowed to have fun:

My First Field Visit

2008-09-30T09:09:00.001-07:00

“Don’t just come and look at our homes and our poverty. So many people come here to look at us, but no one does anything for us. Don’t be like everyone else. Do something.” -Manjulaben, a women manual scavenger working and living in Ahmedabad.

September Update

2008-09-25T20:51:00.000-07:00

September 25, 2008

Hi everyone!

Hello from the city of Ahmedabad, India! I have been here for the last two weeks and have adjusted to life here surprisingly quickly. I really do love it here and am very grateful to be in this country contributing to such an incredible NGO – Navsarjan.

I arrived in India on August 31st – to New Delhi. I spent two weeks there in orientation with 22 other AIF fellows, all of us committed to this country and passionate about contributing to its development. I think the best surprise for me was how well we all connected. Even though we come from such different backgrounds – from finance to music! - we have been an incredible support network for each other. It's great to know that there are 22 other people in this country joining in on an experience just like the one that I have in front of me

Orientation was a whirlwind. In such a short span of time, we learned an immense amount about the development of India from a variety of speakers, including bankers, academics, politicians and, of course, NGO leaders. We also visited a few NGOs, including one that worked on improving education and livelihoods in rural Rajasthan (a neighboring state). It would be impossible to capture all that was said to us during orientation, but I definitely left orientation excited about this opportunity and inspired to continue to work for change.

I am now in Ahmedabad working for Navsarjan. The experience so far has been quite the adventure! When I wake up in the morning, I never know quite what the day in front of me will hold - anything from visiting rural villages to sitting in office meetings held entirely in Gujarati, the local language.

After a couple of weeks, I have a better grasp of what Navsarjan does. The NGO works to eliminate caste-based discrimination in India, particularly against the Dalits (so-called "untouchables"). What's amazing is the NGO is entirely staffed by Dalit men and women – so these people that I'm working with are fully committed to the cause because they have lived through some of this discrimination themselves. Navsarjan's approach is also very holistic, including everything from legal advocacy to education and vocational training.

A lot of people say that caste is no longer an issue in India. Even after just a few short weeks in India, I now realize that is entirely untrue. It plays a huge role in the way society is run, particularly for those who belong to "lower" castes. Untouchability is also widely practiced, especially in rural areas, where Dalits often encounter caste-based violence.

Even among the Dalits, there is a hierarchical sub-caste system, the "lowest" of which are the manual scavengers. So "low" are they that other Dalits don't even want to associate with them. These manual scavengers are given the dirtiest jobs in India – cleaning up human waste, unclogging sewers, removing dead animals off the streets, etc. This practice is officially illegal but is continued widely.

In learning all this, I have narrowed my interests and role in the NGO to this very issue of manual scavenging. I have already visited some of these communities and hope to work with these individuals to advocate for their human rights – sanitation, water, shelter, etc. I still don't know exactly what my day-to-day role at Navsarjan will be, but for now I'm shadowing dynamic women in the field to get an idea of what the concerns are and what Navsarjan is doing on-the-ground.

I hope you are all doing well! Thanks for reading this. I'll be sending another update in a few weeks. Send me an e-mail and please let me know how you are!

All the best,
Ekta

(AIF) Heading Off to India!

2008-08-30T00:55:00.000-07:00

Dear Family, Friends, and Former Professors and Colleagues of mine,

I hope that this e-mail finds you well!

As you may know, I am leaving for India this Saturday August 30 on a fellowship called the American India Foundation (AIF) Service Corps. For ten months (September - June), I will be in the city of Ahmedabad in the western state of Gujarat (which works out very well because I'm Gujarati!). I am placed with a non-governmental organization (NGO) called Navsarjan or "New Creation."

Navsarjan works with the Dalits or "untouchables" to bring about their human rights from a variety of different angles, including women's, labor, and land rights. As of now, I am not sure what my work will be on a day-to-day basis, but I look forward to the journey and contributing to this cause.

When I arrive in India, I will attend an intensive orientation for twelve days with the other fellows and learn about the development of India. I will then move to Ahmedabad, get settled into my apartment, and begin my work.

I hope to send out monthly email updates on the work that I am doing there and on my experiences, thoughts, and reflections. Be on the lookout for these emails.

For more information on the fellowship, go to: http://www.aifoundation.org/serve/servicecorps/default.htm

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For more information on Navsarjan, go to: http://navsarjan.org/.

I hope that you enjoy the rest of your summers and I look forward to hearing from you!

Until soon,
Ekta Dharia