village visit

I have been writing many blog posts in my mind but with such limited access to the computer they rarely make it here. Yesterday was an incredible day that took me from a samosa brunch at my Hindi teacher's home to a south indian feast of idli and coconut curry at the home of the director of Hindi studies at the local university founded by Gandhi in 1922. today i went on a field visit with an organization that works for Dalit rights. I have a posting coming up to discuss my understanding of the caste system and the status of the "untouchable" community, but in the mean time- the dalits are a marginalized group that is struggeling for equality. our first stop was to a dalit boarding school that is found amidst the cotton fields of Gujarat. we were greated by 154 shimmering smiles, 3 songs, and many eager questions. the first question posed to us by an 11 or 12 year old boy was: What discrimination is found in the US?

The dalit children are shunned in their villages: told they will amount to nothing, forced to sit on the floor in the back of the classroom, expected to clear the streets of animal and human waste, and given names that translate to things such as dirt. their peers fear them and belief they will be tainted if touch or are touched by a dalit. they come to this boarding school for 3 years and are transformed into inspired youth with the belief that they can amount to anything, but with a clear understanding that they must engage in a fight against discrimination. they set out to transform the definition of dalit- to them it means one who believes in equality for all.

i wish i could write more now, but the clock is against me. i hope the message these children illuminate is heard by someone reading this. i am carrying it with me and will continue to explore it in future posts-as soon as the clock slows down a bit.

all the best from ahmedabad!