Sometimes feels like painful ignorance. On seeing the headline "Speeding train runs over 35 people in Bihar" in an Indian paper you might think that the train was going too fast, or in some way at fault. Only late in the article do you discover the small detail that the train wasn't actually scheduled to stop at the station. In India if you stand in the railway track and get hit my a moving train, the train is at fault. In respect of this logic the pilgrims burned the train and seriously beat the driver.
Monday, 19 August 2013
India is Great
The countryside on the bus from Manali to Leh is stunning. It varies between the green vegetation and granite of Manali, streaked with waterfalls, to the other-planet like rocky desert of Ladakh. If you are doing this 16-18 hour journey in one go, it's best to do it in both directions as the first few hours are lost in the dark. If you fancy doing it on a motorbike or bicycle... remember the oncoming drivers on the narrow mountain roads may be so tired they can barely keep track of what they are doing, and propped up with drugs. In my case the bus driver was further stressed by misfortune. On one of the permanent temporary bridges a loose metal plate smashed the fuel tank (at the time I had no suspicions). The diesel drained over the road in just 100m, but with amazing good fortune the last few litres pour over the road just as we pull up into a town. The smell of fuel gave me a clue as to the incident shortly before the noisy pointing crowd that gathered around the bus. The Indian tourists suggest all is over (a new bus from Manali will take half a day), but I joke that this is India, we'll be off in a few minutes with the fuel hose stuffed into a bucket of diesel. And so it is, in a few minutes the fuel hose is cut and loosely sealed into a container of diesel inside the bus using bits of plastic and cloth. Along with the various messy reflillings this ensures a thorough diesel fumigation for the rest of the journey. By the time we reach the muddy climb for the Rotang pass, the drivers eyes look heavy. He sits in the wrong gear in a daydream. In case this trip looks too romantic, remember that being India there will be someone in the front seat is being sick for near the entire journey, giving the left side of a bus a streaky decal.
Indian logic, continued
If your house is a few paces further along the road, make the bus stop again. I don't exaggerate this, even in the smallest cluster of houses the bus will have to stop several times. There isn't any consideration of the time lost by others, or the fuel cost, even by the bus operators. (Most of the time lost in a stop in this case is spent decelerating and accelerating)
Human nature, continued
I meet a man in Ladakh who claims he would rather be part of China. Perhaps I pushed him to it by angrily insisting that Ladakh was part of India, and should follow Indian norms for doing business, but he justified his view. It's greed, China has developed faster and he thinks the pay would be higher. He wasn't willing to accept that as part of a minority culture, be it India, Uyghur or Tibetan, he would suffer discrimination or even repression. Ladakh is mostly Buddhist, and there is a reason the Dalai Lama lives in India.
India as a window on human nature
At a talk on sustainable development, anti-globalisation and welfare themes for ladakh, I see it clearly. The real enemy of environmentalism and even happiness is human nature. As long as wealth is seen as a status symbol, then consuming is progress. As long as we compare our wealth against others, or see our relative wealth as something that makes us valuable, we can't be happy. This struck me when hearing about how low-impact mud houses are rejected in Palestine, and also in India, as these are seen as giving a lower social status than brick or concrete. This dream is clear in India, success is money. Having money means consuming, spending on visible luxuries, houses, cars, televisions. I fear that the cultures which show this, practically every culture in the world, are reflecting human nature. Isn't it clear, in our history money was food, and food is survival. The rich were the 'fittest', and we have yet to shake this off. As a westerner who has rejected money in favour of experience, I am part of a minority. This devaluing of money also occurs in the developed cities of India, but the artists and philosophers are the minority. Recycling and other strategies to reduce impact are just refuges, saving the world means accepting less, in terms of purchasing power. How many people are ready to accept less?
All the schemes and technical solutions to environmentalism are nothing without educating people, not just with information, but changing their very way of thinking.
All the schemes and technical solutions to environmentalism are nothing without educating people, not just with information, but changing their very way of thinking.
Indian Common Sense
What do you write on the back of a 'no-entry' sign, 'no-entry' of course. Drop these signs in the middle of a few junctions in Leh so it is ambiguous which direction constitutes the entry and let foreigners try and figure out exactly which roads they can take.
Wednesday, 14 August 2013
Sunday, 11 August 2013
Ladakh is an amazing place...
Once you leave Leh. Ladakhi people are friendly and helpful, offering advice, lifts and fair rates. Once you escape the fixed rates and high prices of Leh you will encounter the small villages set in the irrigated green valleys leading down to the Indus river. Homestays allow you to stay for between Rs400 to Rs600 per day, including all meals, assuming you eat lunch separately. If its a very small village without an official homestay local people will be delighted to receive this money, and provide generous food.
Revenue of Ladakh
The major source of income into the Ladakh region seems to be government employment, alongside seasonal tourism. As this region lies on the border of China and Pakistan the military presence is significant, and many local people enter the army. (From discussions with the families in many different homestays). Other persons too are largely employed in various government enterprises, which have a high manpower requirement due to serving relatively small communities. In one government school the pupil-teacher ratio is just under 3. Part of the reason for this high employment is the low efficiency resulting from supplying many small communities which are cut off in winter with: education, food distribution and medical care.
Things you don't notice
The official first language of India is Hindi.... but the army signage and frequent motivational slogans are in English. There is also a very occasional Hindi translation for some practical matters such as army shop opening times and conditions. Yes the use of dated British terminology is obvious given the history, but this isn't the national language. (To preempt the debate, while English is a national language some states now teach Hindi exclusively over English, because India is forward thinking and has fully considered the benefits to international trade with all the other Hindi speaking countries)
Defence issue Jam
The Jam at the guest house is marked as "defence issue only, not for public sale". It's probably the first time I have eaten black market Jam, but not so shocking. What strokes my curiosity more is that the black market alcohol is also 'defence issue only'. A most curious quota.
The toilet situation
I'm quite at home with an Indian squat toilet (now considered to be a 'water toilet'), but Leh has introduced me to new standards. At first, the standard, squatting over a gap in the floorboards in a hut. This is known as the 'Ladakhi dry composting toilet' and the human waste is mixed with earth, and used as next years fertiliser. Actually it's not so bad, if you don't miss water; the dry region generally prevents a noticeable smell. On moving to more rural areas the earth is piled up around the gap at a slanting angle. This makes the squat slightly wider and distinctly less comfortable, but at least the earth is close at hand. On the next level, subtract the roof of the hut, as in Ladakh it only rains for a very limited number of days each year. For delux models, subtract the walls, and drop aspect. This essentially leaves you shitting in a hole in a field, with a shovel flush.
Grey water
One of the methods of reducing water consumption in Leh (technically located in a desert) is to re-use 'grey' water. If you want an example of grey water, suppose one man washes his hands, clothes and dishes in a small stream running through the village. A second man a few houses down washes his hands, clothes and dishes in the same stream, and so on... ad infinitum. Perhaps the local authority has seen a possible flaw in this scheme with their prohibition of washing in the streams of upper Leh.
Rate fixing take two
After speaking to the local husband of an Italian woman now living in Ladakh, I have a new understanding of the various 'associations' of Leh. Part of the reason for their existence is to keep business ownership in local hands, and prevent larger tourist operators in Delhi taking control. This seems like something reasonable, to protect local livelihoods in a region with few other Industries. Unfortunately I suspect this second aspect of the associations also breaches the 2002 Competition Act, and is illegal. That's progress folks...
Imported beggars
I'm frustrated on seeing the dark skinned begging women in the street walking around carrying babies, using the standard and persistent "my baby" begging angle. These beggars are not local, or from the next state, they have traveled with (possibly their own) children over 1000km to beg during the tourist season. I asked one of these beggars where she was from and she replied Rajastan. This wasn't my first guess, of Uttar Pradesh, but they are both dry dusty poverty stricken dumps, so it makes little difference. In the traditional Indian cast system those with the darkest coloured skin are often placed at the bottom of society and perform the 'lowest' jobs. But in ladakh, the native population are a largely separate group slightly closer in appearance to Tibetans, and without such an obvious distinction on skin colour. Thanks to migration the worst jobs in town are again held by those with the darkest skin, who will walk up and down in the hot sun all day carrying balloons, or selling drums, for low pay.
Saturday, 10 August 2013
Reports and stories of sexual harassment in India
It is impossible to make a single statement on this without judgement, implications and insinuations. Even the act of selecting and presenting the stories and details forms part of this judgement. At my more frustrated moments I would let dark words slip, but now I write simply a list of the stories I have heard. I have tried to avoid including hearsay, and stick only to what I have heard directly from the recipients, and the few cases I have observed myself. I am not without awareness that there are a complex set of cultural norms in India, which foreigners may often breach, but this is only part of the situation. There are many aspects which must moderate any reaction, for example it may also be far more likely to encounter mental illness on the street.
There are two important footnotes to consider on my reporting. 1,2
From an English woman in Dharamshala. She recounts being followed on the road from the next town by a man masturbating and shouting "one kiss, one kiss". She believes the problem has got worse in the 10 years since she first visited India.
From a woman in Dharamshala. She describes being followed through the streets by a man, who continues to follow her inside her hotel. After she has closed the door to her room he bangs and shouts "How much" repeatedly. The Hotel staff are alerted and as you can imagine, the man is vastly outnumbered.
From a Dutch woman in Manali. She recounts how the owner of the lodge where she is staying said "We're full, but you can stay with me" (implying his room). On its own perhaps not so shocking, but he later adds to this and claims to have slept with over 50 tourist girls.
Personally observed. A Russian woman is travelling on a bus in Goa. A man standing behind her seat is staring at her, and making some strange, disturbing and suggestive gesture. He watches her, spits on his fingers and then rubs this on the back rail of the seat, as if rapidly stroking it. He continues this for some time, without distraction.
Personally observed. A rickshaw driver in Madhya Pradesh slows down and leans out of his rickshaw to stare at a young Hindu girl. This isn't subtle, or simply distraction, he is leaning half out of his vehicle making a clear point of eyeing her up from just a few meters distance. She is possibly around 16 years old, and disturbed by this, starts to walk much faster.
From a Swiss woman in Ladakh. When alone in her room, in a house under construction, the construction workers form a crowd around her open door and stare at her in silence. Note 3
From an English girl in Tamil Nadu. She and two other friends leave the city where they are staying for the weekend, and check into a hotel in a city several hundred kilometers away. Later, on returning to the hotel, they discover the receptionist from their previous hotel is inside their room. He had access to their travel plans, and somehow managed to talk his way into the hotel.
From a German girl, recounting time in Delhi. She and a friend are standing on a second floor balcony, an Indian man approaches in the street below, drops his trousers and beings masturbating. Female Indian friends told her she should have thrown something (harmful) at the man.
From an English girl, living in Gokarna. From her experience over several years she recounts how an Indian man staying at the largely tourist location was caught staring into a hut occupied by a tourist girl. This was possible as construction is rarely solid, and some rooms are constructed only from palm and bamboo.
Personally observed. On the tourist beach of Gokarna, where the tourists conform far less to Indian norms, groups of men turn up at the weekends. While normally limited to staring and taking photos, they sometimes form circles around single women on the beach, often followed by the tourists fleeing the situation. In some occasions, especially in the water, there are attempts at touching. It is recounted and I have observed lodge owners persuading offending men to leave the beach, while carrying a machete.
Personally observed. While briefly standing in a road in Delhi with a European woman, she suddenly lets out a shocked 'ow'. An Indian man has pinched her bottom, and walked hastily off before I'm even aware what country I'm in.
Personally observed. A man lies down on a station platform and covers himself with a blanket, he is facing an Indian family with a man, woman and two children. He then masturbates under the blanket, before getting up and walking off. It is not clear which member of the family he was watching.
1. I try and avoid the mistake of some personal reporting of harassment which involves introducing the perceptions of the aggressor. Mentioning whether he was seen as "creepy", "strange" or "unattractive", in general any description to this effect, implies this was a factor in the act transgressing acceptability.
2. I have used girl and woman interchangeably. Reviewing my own unconscious selection it has little correlation to either age or my own intentions. In the modern usage, I see 'woman' simply as formal, and 'girl' informal.
3. This is only an example of the multitude of stories which involve men staring. The consequence of unbroken eye-contact is often fear. This is a broad spectrum of levels of interpreted behavior.
There are two important footnotes to consider on my reporting. 1,2
From an English woman in Dharamshala. She recounts being followed on the road from the next town by a man masturbating and shouting "one kiss, one kiss". She believes the problem has got worse in the 10 years since she first visited India.
From a woman in Dharamshala. She describes being followed through the streets by a man, who continues to follow her inside her hotel. After she has closed the door to her room he bangs and shouts "How much" repeatedly. The Hotel staff are alerted and as you can imagine, the man is vastly outnumbered.
From a Dutch woman in Manali. She recounts how the owner of the lodge where she is staying said "We're full, but you can stay with me" (implying his room). On its own perhaps not so shocking, but he later adds to this and claims to have slept with over 50 tourist girls.
Personally observed. A Russian woman is travelling on a bus in Goa. A man standing behind her seat is staring at her, and making some strange, disturbing and suggestive gesture. He watches her, spits on his fingers and then rubs this on the back rail of the seat, as if rapidly stroking it. He continues this for some time, without distraction.
Personally observed. A rickshaw driver in Madhya Pradesh slows down and leans out of his rickshaw to stare at a young Hindu girl. This isn't subtle, or simply distraction, he is leaning half out of his vehicle making a clear point of eyeing her up from just a few meters distance. She is possibly around 16 years old, and disturbed by this, starts to walk much faster.
From a Swiss woman in Ladakh. When alone in her room, in a house under construction, the construction workers form a crowd around her open door and stare at her in silence. Note 3
From an English girl in Tamil Nadu. She and two other friends leave the city where they are staying for the weekend, and check into a hotel in a city several hundred kilometers away. Later, on returning to the hotel, they discover the receptionist from their previous hotel is inside their room. He had access to their travel plans, and somehow managed to talk his way into the hotel.
From a German girl, recounting time in Delhi. She and a friend are standing on a second floor balcony, an Indian man approaches in the street below, drops his trousers and beings masturbating. Female Indian friends told her she should have thrown something (harmful) at the man.
From an English girl, living in Gokarna. From her experience over several years she recounts how an Indian man staying at the largely tourist location was caught staring into a hut occupied by a tourist girl. This was possible as construction is rarely solid, and some rooms are constructed only from palm and bamboo.
Personally observed. On the tourist beach of Gokarna, where the tourists conform far less to Indian norms, groups of men turn up at the weekends. While normally limited to staring and taking photos, they sometimes form circles around single women on the beach, often followed by the tourists fleeing the situation. In some occasions, especially in the water, there are attempts at touching. It is recounted and I have observed lodge owners persuading offending men to leave the beach, while carrying a machete.
Personally observed. While briefly standing in a road in Delhi with a European woman, she suddenly lets out a shocked 'ow'. An Indian man has pinched her bottom, and walked hastily off before I'm even aware what country I'm in.
Personally observed. A man lies down on a station platform and covers himself with a blanket, he is facing an Indian family with a man, woman and two children. He then masturbates under the blanket, before getting up and walking off. It is not clear which member of the family he was watching.
1. I try and avoid the mistake of some personal reporting of harassment which involves introducing the perceptions of the aggressor. Mentioning whether he was seen as "creepy", "strange" or "unattractive", in general any description to this effect, implies this was a factor in the act transgressing acceptability.
2. I have used girl and woman interchangeably. Reviewing my own unconscious selection it has little correlation to either age or my own intentions. In the modern usage, I see 'woman' simply as formal, and 'girl' informal.
3. This is only an example of the multitude of stories which involve men staring. The consequence of unbroken eye-contact is often fear. This is a broad spectrum of levels of interpreted behavior.
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