I’m in Assam.
My first observation upon arrival was how similar the climate is to Kerala and Karnataka (both in South India). . .and also how much the Brahmaputra river in Guwahati reminded me of the lakeside of Pokhara (Nepal).
But let’s rewind a little first.
In Delhi, I had a lot of time to wander around Phar Ganj between my plane and train journeys. Phar Ganj is just outside of New Delhi station and generally considered to be the backpacker hub. I managed to get a cell phone, chai, a Hindi phrase book and some time on the internet. I also managed to get scammed by a lady who took me on a walk to buy her food after complimenting me on my earrings.
Even though I knew it was a scam, I followed her. She told me a story of how she had 6 babies and lived very far outside of the city and just needed some food. She didn’t like money. She had a small girl with her who put on a wide grin whenever I looked at her. She led me to a stall that sold dry food; flour, daal, spices and oil and instructed the man to load up plastic bags full of each. The total was 300 rupees (approximately $6). I told her I had never agreed to buy it for her but she just ignored my protest and bartered the price down to give the illusion that she was helping me. I kept looking to the small girl who, upon realizing I was looking at her, would immediately turn on her smile. For some reason I still don't understand, I gave in and paid.
Once the lady had procured her goods she shooed me off to ensure that I didn’t follow her “home”. A few minutes later I saw her again, following another foreigner down the street. . . .
I always find it hard in the heat of the moment to turn away from people in need, in this case, even when it's so obviously a lie. I should have just walked away from the start, but it’s hard when you’re being addressed so directly and in a friendly manner. I want to expect the best of people, give them the benefit of the doubt, be generous (really what difference does $6 make to me?). But then I remember a lesson I learned on the PEPY Ride and a post by Daniela (PEPY’s founder)in her wonderful blog. . .Every dollar you spend is like a vote. If you simply give money to people who are running scams or beggars or poor people, you are voting for more of the same. It’s harsh, but it’s also true. Simply giving money is not sustainable and doesn’t improve the situation, it just sends the message that foreigners (or more broadly, someone else) have money and can be sought out as a means of income instead of creating a better alternative.
I’m sure that the lady that talked to me took the food somewhere to sell it at a lesser value to get money and/or the shop she bought it from was also involved . . .in any case, there’s often a network of people that are supported by this kind of system. They’re everywhere in India, and other countries too. Anywhere there are tourists or money, really. But, what to do? It already happened. I’ll try to avoid this kind of situation next time. But it’s still hard to ignore someone who says they need something that you could easily provide. You’re tempted to think: it’s not necessarily always the case that there is a whole system in place behind them. . .maybe they really do just need some food right now. . .
Any good solutions out there?
The train was 2 hours and 45 minutes late arriving to Delhi. An 11:45pm departure turned into a 2:30am departure. I was getting tired so I went to the ladies waiting room and fell asleep on the metal chairs for a while. Finally the train came. My berth was with a family of 4, Mother, Father and 2 small children and another guy, close to my age. A couple minutes after the train left the station, we put the sleeping berths into position and were ready for bed. It had been an extremely long day and I fell asleep in seconds.
I awoke to a chai wallah. Best morning wake-up call ever! Then the question period began. It turned out the the family was from Assam and the other younger guy was from Shillong and spoke English very well. He acted as a translator for everyone else who wanted to ask me questions.
"You’re going to Guwahati?By yourself?!Why!?Isn’t this train boring?How old are you?How many brothers and sisters do you have?Are you married?Where are your parents?What do your parents do?" Etc.
The people I was sitting with were all very nice and friendly, I wish I could speak more Hindi already.
The guy from Shillong was named Nicky. He was in Delhi applying for a visa to go to the UK. He was tired and bored of India. He offered to show me around Shillong if I had time to go. Eventually he asked what exactly I was planning to do in Assam and after, in India. I showed him the itinerary of the study circle and found out some interesting things.
Akhil Gogoi, leader of the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS), was scheduled to be talking to us today with one of his colleagues. When Nicky saw his name on the paper he seemed surprised then informed me that he had been arrested just last week.
Before coming to India I was contacted by one of the organizer’s contacts in Canada who told me of a 30 000 person protest that had occurred in the North East just a few days before my departure. I’ve since found out, the protest was in response to a land dispute where a slum had been erected. There was a peasant uprising that resulted in police firing into the crowd of unarmed protesters, killing 3 people (one a 9 year old boy) and arresting Akhil. . .unfortunately he won’t be able to make our seminar. His arrest prompted the shutting down of most of Guwahati, tea stalls and everything, in solidarity.
He’s a very popular guy.
A few hours later, Nicky released some frustration: “You can’t change anything. Anyone who tries to change anything is in jail or dead. Just enjoy the scenery and then go home. India is corrupt and crooked, no one can do anything to fix it.”
I didn’t argue. That I can’t change anything is probably true. That no one can do anything, I don’t believe. Certainly, it’s dangerous and difficult. Much easier to turn away and not let these issues concern you or go to another country (like I am currently doing too!) and pretend that the same or at least, similar issues, don’t exist there. . .you feel much less responsibility to do something about them if you don't know about them.
Instances of injustice are not separate, in my opinion. Injustice to one person, any person is an injustice to me as well. If there is a violation to any person’s basic human rights, it is a violation to my rights. If we give permission, even through idleness, for the disregard of one person's rights, we give permission for the same disregard of our own rights as a potential consequence.
It is naive to think the same violations cannot occur, under different circumstances, to anyone. If we let human rights abuses continue unchecked, I fear that they will. I feel that The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is almost taken as a joke to many corporations, businesses and developers. Only the rights of those with money or power matter. . .and only in so far as their right to acquire more money and power. Anyway, I guess I should move on to the rest of the trip. . .and stop ranting.
Finally I arrived in Guwahati. The train took an extra 10 hours to arrive than was scheduled and I missed a very interesting day regarding the big push for hydroelectric power and giant dams in North East India (they’re planning to build dams to produce a total of 70 000MW in the North East) and their environmental impacts. I haven’t been fully briefed on everything that I missed but I will try to make a post about it soon.
I ate dinner with Simon, who first introduced me to the Study and Research circle, 2 other Canadian ladies, one who just finished her undergrad and one doing her PhD. and 3 other attendees of the seminar, one of the most prolific Marxist Leninist writers in the country (apparently) from South India, a professor from a university in Delhi and another student from the south. 2 others left yesterday, one was closely affiliated with Akhil Gogoi and has been getting a lot of media attention since the arrest. He had to return to Delhi but hopefully I will get to meet him sometime in the future. The other went to a different city for a memorial of a friend of his that was killed when he uncovered too much information about corruption (I don’t really know the full details, sorry.). We are currently waiting on him to arrive so we can start today’s seminar. . .
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| The Chicken Neck |
But let’s rewind a little first.
In Delhi, I had a lot of time to wander around Phar Ganj between my plane and train journeys. Phar Ganj is just outside of New Delhi station and generally considered to be the backpacker hub. I managed to get a cell phone, chai, a Hindi phrase book and some time on the internet. I also managed to get scammed by a lady who took me on a walk to buy her food after complimenting me on my earrings.
Even though I knew it was a scam, I followed her. She told me a story of how she had 6 babies and lived very far outside of the city and just needed some food. She didn’t like money. She had a small girl with her who put on a wide grin whenever I looked at her. She led me to a stall that sold dry food; flour, daal, spices and oil and instructed the man to load up plastic bags full of each. The total was 300 rupees (approximately $6). I told her I had never agreed to buy it for her but she just ignored my protest and bartered the price down to give the illusion that she was helping me. I kept looking to the small girl who, upon realizing I was looking at her, would immediately turn on her smile. For some reason I still don't understand, I gave in and paid.
Once the lady had procured her goods she shooed me off to ensure that I didn’t follow her “home”. A few minutes later I saw her again, following another foreigner down the street. . . .
I always find it hard in the heat of the moment to turn away from people in need, in this case, even when it's so obviously a lie. I should have just walked away from the start, but it’s hard when you’re being addressed so directly and in a friendly manner. I want to expect the best of people, give them the benefit of the doubt, be generous (really what difference does $6 make to me?). But then I remember a lesson I learned on the PEPY Ride and a post by Daniela (PEPY’s founder)in her wonderful blog. . .Every dollar you spend is like a vote. If you simply give money to people who are running scams or beggars or poor people, you are voting for more of the same. It’s harsh, but it’s also true. Simply giving money is not sustainable and doesn’t improve the situation, it just sends the message that foreigners (or more broadly, someone else) have money and can be sought out as a means of income instead of creating a better alternative.
I’m sure that the lady that talked to me took the food somewhere to sell it at a lesser value to get money and/or the shop she bought it from was also involved . . .in any case, there’s often a network of people that are supported by this kind of system. They’re everywhere in India, and other countries too. Anywhere there are tourists or money, really. But, what to do? It already happened. I’ll try to avoid this kind of situation next time. But it’s still hard to ignore someone who says they need something that you could easily provide. You’re tempted to think: it’s not necessarily always the case that there is a whole system in place behind them. . .maybe they really do just need some food right now. . .
Any good solutions out there?
The train was 2 hours and 45 minutes late arriving to Delhi. An 11:45pm departure turned into a 2:30am departure. I was getting tired so I went to the ladies waiting room and fell asleep on the metal chairs for a while. Finally the train came. My berth was with a family of 4, Mother, Father and 2 small children and another guy, close to my age. A couple minutes after the train left the station, we put the sleeping berths into position and were ready for bed. It had been an extremely long day and I fell asleep in seconds.
 |
| Brahmaputra River |
"You’re going to Guwahati?By yourself?!Why!?Isn’t this train boring?How old are you?How many brothers and sisters do you have?Are you married?Where are your parents?What do your parents do?" Etc.
The people I was sitting with were all very nice and friendly, I wish I could speak more Hindi already.
The guy from Shillong was named Nicky. He was in Delhi applying for a visa to go to the UK. He was tired and bored of India. He offered to show me around Shillong if I had time to go. Eventually he asked what exactly I was planning to do in Assam and after, in India. I showed him the itinerary of the study circle and found out some interesting things.
 |
| Pan vendor |
Before coming to India I was contacted by one of the organizer’s contacts in Canada who told me of a 30 000 person protest that had occurred in the North East just a few days before my departure. I’ve since found out, the protest was in response to a land dispute where a slum had been erected. There was a peasant uprising that resulted in police firing into the crowd of unarmed protesters, killing 3 people (one a 9 year old boy) and arresting Akhil. . .unfortunately he won’t be able to make our seminar. His arrest prompted the shutting down of most of Guwahati, tea stalls and everything, in solidarity.
He’s a very popular guy.
 |
| Sunset on the Brahmaputra |
I didn’t argue. That I can’t change anything is probably true. That no one can do anything, I don’t believe. Certainly, it’s dangerous and difficult. Much easier to turn away and not let these issues concern you or go to another country (like I am currently doing too!) and pretend that the same or at least, similar issues, don’t exist there. . .you feel much less responsibility to do something about them if you don't know about them.
Instances of injustice are not separate, in my opinion. Injustice to one person, any person is an injustice to me as well. If there is a violation to any person’s basic human rights, it is a violation to my rights. If we give permission, even through idleness, for the disregard of one person's rights, we give permission for the same disregard of our own rights as a potential consequence.
It is naive to think the same violations cannot occur, under different circumstances, to anyone. If we let human rights abuses continue unchecked, I fear that they will. I feel that The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is almost taken as a joke to many corporations, businesses and developers. Only the rights of those with money or power matter. . .and only in so far as their right to acquire more money and power. Anyway, I guess I should move on to the rest of the trip. . .and stop ranting.
Finally I arrived in Guwahati. The train took an extra 10 hours to arrive than was scheduled and I missed a very interesting day regarding the big push for hydroelectric power and giant dams in North East India (they’re planning to build dams to produce a total of 70 000MW in the North East) and their environmental impacts. I haven’t been fully briefed on everything that I missed but I will try to make a post about it soon.
 |
| Coming back from Nalbari |
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| Brahmaputra sunset |
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