CSW 61 Parallel Event On its fifth anniversary of hosting Side and Parallel Events at the United Nations, Commission on the Status of Women, Montage Initiative celebrated the role of youth leadership in advancing gender equality by showcasing its student immersion trip to India. Youth speakers from the Student Advisory Board discussed how the inclusion…
Category: Journey Through India
In December 2015 and January 2016, I was fortunate to make a group voyage to India with Montage Initiative and Fairfield University. After wandering through Northern states of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Rajasthan, these writings are the culmination of my experiences, thoughts, and observations from the scenes and faces encountered in India.
Widows
Originally published for Montage Initiative and the Student Advisory Board. Rolling into Ma Dham shelter was one of the most emotional and memorable moments of the trip. Under the clear sky and bursting sun of midday, the sheltered widows lined up to greet us with flower necklaces in their hands. As we got off the…
Patriarchy and Women in India
Experiencing Patriarchy Originally published for Montage Initiative and the Student Advisory Board. India is a strongly patriarchal society, of different degrees depending on the level of development of individual states, cities, and regions. Going around to the cities of Vrindavan, Delhi, Agra, and Japiur, virtually every public space in India, one thing stands out to…
Journeying through India
Walking through the open-air markets in Delhi India, one is bombarded by the sights, sounds, smells. The colors of the clothes in the markets, the smell of the hot fried food on the streets, the shouting of sellers inviting customers, the roaming dogs (or undisturbed cows in the case of Vrindavan)… One witnesses the highest level of affluence next to the most despairing poverty. While India faces unprecedented levels of poverty, the diverse people of India – from the children to the elderly women – show true strength, spirit, energy, and vitality that inspire and awe me.
“Rather Radhe” – On Spirituality
The temples and ceremonies of Vrindavan are spectacular – beautifully ornate, lit up, and resonating an energy of majesty and divinity. The atmosphere triggers the feeling of a world festival. As we approach the center of the temple complex, I feel the beatings of the drums and tambourines run up through my bare feet on the ground. Excitement grows as people funnel in upon the black and white marble checkered floor and columns in the midst of chanting and music.
The photo that launched a gang intervention
As the men approached the bus, the monkeys jumped on and crawled all around it, with us inside. Thrilled at seeing monkeys for the first time in India , my colleagues and I were delighted. Then some of us made the grave mistake of taking out our cameras and photographing the monkeys… The psychological stress of being surrounded in such a predicament is high.
Selfies and “Madam, please”
The children of India won over my heart. Whatever school we went to in whichever village we visited, they greeted us with precious smiles. I felt inspired by their energy, welcome, care, and vitality. However, children in India face terrible labor exploitation. Out of all issues that I have witnessed in India, this one breaks me.
Shop 64: economic struggle
The beautifully hand-made garments and products from different regions of India are glorious and enticing treasures. But facing off against their gatekeepers – market merchants – is not for the faint-hearted. You must prepare to enter into the bargaining arena if you want to win the goods, and in India bargaining is a sport second only to cricket.
India: setting the environment
As my plane descends upon Delhi, I cannot believe the contrast between the blue sky of the horizon and the gray coating over the city… Walking around the city requires much concentration. In terms of senses stimulation overload, Times Square NYC cannot compete with the streets of Delhi.
K-squared 