If you educate a child

Educating a child can lead to a future that is brighter for the entire world.  We started out talking about child labor but I think the conclusion found in this lecture - that all children need to be educated - relates to everything that was talked about today.  Kishore always tells people that we meet with that we will be the policy makers in a few years.  When we are gone there will be a generation behind us.  Every child has the potential to be a leader in world affairs and planting the seed for a child's success in the future can start the moment they are born and someone gives them the opportunity to learn.

Our day started with a lecture on child labor and continued with a lecture on gender in India.  Unfortunately, another event was happening during the gender lecture that I wanted to attend so I was not able to sit in on the talk.  I did ask someone to take notes on the subject though, and was able in the end to learn a little about what was talked about.  Instead of the lecture I went to lunch with a few of my classmates and some representatives from a micro-lending institution.  We then went to meet the rest of the class at the Observatory Research Foundation (ORF) and a few of us went to a law firm after that.  The night ended with a JNU dinner and a suit fitting that could have been better.

Our first speaker was an advocate for children's rights and talked on child labor.  She said that 40% of forced labor comes from children.  She started working on a program to ID children who were bonded to get them released and in school because if a child is in school they are not able to be at work (with this program adults are also targeted and have a livelihood program).  Through this program, alliances were built with the police and labor departments and leaders in different communities. There was also a bridge program for the children to catch them up to their approriate grade level so they could then be integrated with children their own age.  However, with all of this girls were left out because the girls were often locked in their houses cleaning, fetching water, etc.  This would be their routine for their entire life and as they grew older they would have children who would receive the same fate.  After this was realized, the program started focusing on all children, not just forced labor, saying all children have a right to childhood. Families would say their children had to work because they were too poor and needed the extra income but when children were taken out of the workforce, wages of women increased three times and men's wages doubled.  She, therefore, made the argument that because children work there is poverty and this is helped by the fact that children are forced to work long hours and are cheap.  The program helped deepen demorcracy by giving rights to children and led to the Right to Education Act allowing greater access to education.  Our speaker concluded with some comments on the ILO 138 & 132 (India is still not a signatory of either) which say that the most extreme forms of child labor need to be abolished (illegal drugs, sex, forced, etc) but this invests in only some children and once you take one child out of one of these positions there is another child waiting to go in so it doesn't prevent anything. There is an enormous demand for education today and parents are willing to sacrifice to get their children into schools but they don't know how to do it. 

I often wonder what a child thinks.  They are too young to defend themselves and if this is the only life they have known, do they even know it is wrong?  If a child worker has known nothing but labor, I would think they would just think of it as a way of life.  Just as in poverty and other cruelties that exist, there needs to be a way to break the cycle.  A future policy makers I think we can help with this but I am skeptical that it will be enough, especially if we are not on the ground seeing what is happening.  Our speaker also said that bonded labor is the first access to credit.  People can't pay their loans back so they do it with labor.  I do think that it is great that people can be lifted out of poverty with credit but I am also hesitant at times because it had caused bonded labor and suicides.  Is there something else that could allow others to increase their well being?

Gender is something I find highly interesting.  Despite which country I am in this is something that is always important.  In India it seems as though there are many gods portyayed as women and yet it is a very patriarchal society.  Even in the US, though we claim all are equal, this is not true and I believe gender does play a role in decision making and there are still some discriminations that exist.  Women bare children, take care of their familes, and contribute immensely to their communities and homes and yet men still rule the world (I know this is exaggerated in most cases, but in some places all the traditional "gender roles" are still in place).  I was told that this talk included information on a dowry law.  To attempt to make things better, a dowry law was put into place so that women did not have to be "sold" for a certain amount.  However, when gifts were given by the women's family and something went wrong in the marriage, it was claimed that these gifts were a dowry...another law that was put in place and did not have the intended outcome.  My sister told me that in India women are burned ("bride burning") if they have an insufficient dowry or if a man wants to get remarried and one of my professors said this was true.  It is hard to find a law or policy that will prevent such occurences and also have a positive outcome without any backlash.  I also talked to some fellows at JNU and they were asking how I felt about the metro having a car for women and one for men.  This segregation was also in the metros in Mexico when I visited.  I said in that case I thought it was good because the reason for the segregation in Mexico was because women were getting assaulted and raped.  In India I didn't know if it was for the same reason or if it was a cultural thing.   The men I was talking to seemed to think the segregation made situations worse because if a woman gets on the train and enters the men's cabin, the men automatically think it is ok to rub up on her because she had the option to go into her own cabin and decided not to. It was a very interesting conversation. 

For lunch we met with some representatives from Basix, which is an institution that deals with microfinance.  The entire class had visited the institution and some sites of clients but I had not arrived in India so I was very thankful for the opportunity to talk to people about about the program and learn what Basix had to offer and what the model was all about.  I think it is more intriguing for me because I wrote my economics thesis on microfinance and joint liability.  I am very interested in seeing how different countries form their models and if their programs are successfull. I talked a lot with one of the men about group lending.  He said that they assist with larger groups and help them get connected with banks to take out loans but they do not deal with large groups.  At Basix there are groups of 4-5 and they self select to be in the groups.  This helps because the (mostly) women know the characteristics of the other women and therefore will not let someone in their group unless they have resonable certainty that this woman will not default on her loan.  He said that there is a very good repayment rate, except for in one area where a Maoist group is telling the women not to repay their loans and offering them alternatives with lower interest rates.  Other than this, the repayment rate is excellent.  He also said that they work with households who are already involved in economic activity and are not working with the "ultra poor."  I was able to see that what I found in my case study, that was a case study on Ayacucho, Peru, was also true in this case.  Unless there are other outside factors, in an infinite game where women need to pay their loan back to be able to get another loan, they will pay their loan back because it is better to pay it back than to default and have nothing.  It was very exciting to talk to someone involved in the field and to see what I have researched has been successfull in India.

Adding to the excitement of this busy day, we got to visit a think tank, the Observatory Research Foundation, and talk to a former ambassador and his his senior staff.  We were allowed to ask any question we wanted and talked to them about energy, security, the economy, liberalization, the foreign service, and politics.  It was an extremely unique and enriching opportunity. 

After visiting with the ambassador, a small group of us went to talk to Dr.Goswamni's cousin, Lira Goswami, at her law firm.  This was also a very enriching experience for all of us interested in law and the economy.  She talked about how the law and business are, of course, intertwined.  We talked about companies setting up different branches - as liaisons, trading offices, and subsidiaries and how research needs to be done on the industry, regulartory framework and the most effective way to structure taxes.  There are also different treaties for different countries regarding taxes.  Of course the US is always worried about corruption, which there is a lot of in India.  I know in some interviews and classes we have talked about the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and some firms will not enter into a business contract unless the other party also abides by this.  Lira said that in addition to India being extremely corrupt, this problem has also been getting worse.  However, India does have an integrity clause/contract. 

In 1992-93 there was a lot of liberization and almost every sector can have investment without government approval.  There are still some sectors like defense, media, etc. where the government thinks it is important, from a national security view, to keep control of.  The impact MNEs have in GDP is miniscule because India is not dependent on foreign investment but she said they benefit in terms of perception and ability to do business.  India is a large emerging market and there is a huge potential for growth.  It needs to maintain a 9% growth rate to help with employment so it is important to open up to foreign investment.  India has a large middle class, English, good educational institutions, skilled laborand a democracy.  This gives them a leg up.  One thing they need to work on is certainty in tax laws and avoiding frequent change in the laws.  I think there is definitely room for growth, especially since there is such little foreign investment in India and business have only just begun to enter into the market.  I am also determined to find out how much MNEs help with growth and what this potential could be.  I also think that India being a democracy could have a play in investment in the long term.  With both India and China growing, if more certainty and rights are seen in India they may have a huge advantage.

Our night and semi wrap up for India included a party at JNU.  There were a bunch of JNU professors there including some fellows.  I spent most of my night talking to two fellows - one was originally from Canada but has been teaching in London for the past 10 years and the other was originally from the UK but has been working in South Africa.  It was a pretty fun night

Taj Mahal yesterday, fire today… In India anything is possible

This morning a few of us went to church, St. James, and came home to no power.   A few people went to the salon and others went to get coffee.  I went to the bathroom and came out to a little man busting through my bedroom door telling me to open the window.  There was an electrical fire. No problem, or so they say in India. Cultural experience. So here we sit in the smoke, windows open, on the coldest day in India thus far.

St. James is a colonial era church built by James Skinner who was discriminated by the British because of his skin color and not allowed to serve in the army.  For such an old church, this place was beautiful and well preserved. When we walked in (there were three of us) there were only 2 people other than the reverend and us (it was also one minute until mass….by the end there were many more though.  People are even late to church apparently).  One of my friends got to do the first reading, which is pretty neat.  Not many people get that chance in India! I really wanted to talk to the reverend and ask him how he found his religion and what it is like being a priest in a country full of Muslims and Hindus.  We have seen sooooooooo many temples that it was odd going to a church in the middle of Delhi on a Sunday. 

After the fire fiasco we headed back into town (the entire class).  We went to Qutb, the oldest and tallest building in Delhi.  The building was the one that started the city in the 11^th century. 

We then went to the largest mosque in India and had a 15 year old tour guide, who hopefully attends school during the week.  Since the restaurant we were eating at was nearby we decided to hang around the area for a few hours until it was time to eat. I wanted to go to what I called the “hectic market” – a market where the poor and lower middle class were shopping.  All of the shops were closed because it was Sunday and so there were people selling on the side of the road. 

We took bike rickshaws around, through alley ways and such, and stopped at a sari shop.  All the girls tried on a bunch of saris and a few bought some.  The plan is to wear it during our presentations for this class in the US, and of course so we can have reunions in saris while we drink gin and tonics. Speaking of, we still had a few before dinner so we went to happy hour for a drink.

Then over to Karim’s for our goat.  Yes, that is correct.  My professor ordered a goat to be had by all from a hole-in-the-wall restaurant where our professors refused to allow us to drink out of the cups because they were too dirty. Every day something new.

Meet me at the Taj Mahal

This wonder was as beautiful as I could have imagined and the pictures miraculously catch a fair amount if its beauty.  The Taj Mahal was built by Shah Jahan in memory of his wife, Mumtaz Mahal.  Apparently her three wishes were: for him to take care of her children, never remarry and make something in memory of her that would last forever.  Her wishes certainly were fulfilled by the Shah. There was writing in Arabic on various places.  To the eye all the writing appears the same size but in gets larger as the writing goes towards the top of the building. There is also color that shines in the sun that looks like various gems but is rock.  In addition to building this mausoleum for his late wife, he was also building one for himself.  His son arrested him and kept him in a fort under house arrest so this project could never be completed.  In his room the Shaw filled an area with water so at a certain angle he was able see the reflection of the Taj.  I feel like there is not much I can say.  Words cannot do the Taj Mahal justice.

On one side of the Taj Mahal there is a Mosque, which is still in use today.  The other side has a guest house that is no longer in use.

After the Taj we went to Agra Fort and had to rush through because it was closing.  Our tour guide was pretty cool and showed us a lot – he was also in Slumdog Millionaire! However, I think the best thing that happened at the fort was being there when a monkey decided to steal juice from and Indian baby.  Super entertaining.  

The future depends on us - more than I think we know

The week has flown by! Pretty soon we will all be back in the United States and that is so hard to believe!  We of course learned a lot again today but did not have a field trip because we are getting up early to go to Agra to see the Taj Mahal!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I think we are all pretty excited about that. 

Since many of my peers are studying national security, they really enjoyed the class this morning, which was on Indo-US relations.  The speaker was a professor and is the first Indian I have met who did not have an Indian accent.  She had a very distinct British accent and spoke very eloquently.  She also had a very good presentation.  She talked about how interdependence and globalization in the 21st century has opened the opportunity for engagement and mutual benefit for India and the US.  She talked about foreign policy and how it is basically advancing a country's interests.  The lecture went over the situation today and how everyone is non-aligned and that many think the era of the US as a unipolar power. India is in everyone's future and it is growing.  It wants a relationship with the US but it also wants one with China, especially because they are neighbors.  There are concerns of proliferation, WMD and non-state actors having access to these  as well as maintaining peace and security in this multipolar world.  A few other things mentioned were, of course, Kashmir and the opinion was they need to decide what they want through ballots.  She also said we should stop supplying aid and weapons to Pakistan without conditions.

After tea we talked about the education system in India (higher education). It was interesting to learn about how different higher education is from the US.  Like other countries, Indians have to decide very early in life which career they will have and only the best will be able to succeed.  Even people who are good at what they do may not get far because there are so many people competing against them.  The most interesting and eye-opening comment I got was to my question about study abroad and if it existed in India.  The response was we (Americans) will define global politics.  Indian students will not. We study abroad and learn about India but no university here has study abroad to learn about our politics and government.  This shows the power structure of the world.

And we climbed like monkeys

It was a rough start but the day got better.  My room is right next to the dining and gethering area so I have to wait until everyone goes to bed to fall asleep.  I am also awake when people start gethering, watching videos, playing music, or skype. It is frustrating because my ear plugs do not block out sound like they should. I'll just hope things get better and people tire out so they sleep more.

Both of our classes were a little tougher to get through today.  Me being tired may have contributed to that but the content and presentation also may have influenced my thinking.  The first lecture was on law, which I thought would have been interesting.  It was in some sense but the professor had such a horrible power point it was hard to focus.  I felt like it was exaclty what you should not do: many slides, paragraphs on each slide, and reading directly from the slides.  It was a little upsetting; you'd expect more from a law professor. Nonetheless, I did learn a few things and enjoy a few comments. In India there are 22 official languages and 300 more that are spoken with different dress and cultures in different areas.  I agreed with his comment that a strong, independent, competent legal profession is imperative to any free people.  He said that the law needs to be closer to the people to solve societal problems and that radical changes are needed along with implementation of the law to achieve social justice.  After so many years of independence the poor man still wonders why he is invisible to the affluent eye of the law. Laws have to be made less complex and more workable.  The rights of the poor need to be asserted; right now they have them in theory but not in practice.  Unknown, unasserted, unavailable rights are not rights at all. 

Our second lecture was about India's multicultural experience.  We learned about Sufism and the Bhakti movement.  That's pretty much all I've got on that...........

After lunch we had a splendid afternoon, much better than I thought it would be (I was a little suspicious when I heard we were going to a fort)!  Our first stop was Tuqhlaqabad Fort.  It was HUGE!  We only had an our to explore and didn't even see a fraction of what was there.  We took many pictures.  I climbed part of a wall with some Indian children who were around and pet a cow.  I also saw a bunch of Indian women gathering.  One of the guys who spoke English said they were praying to a god.  I asked if I could join them if I took my shoes off and was told yes.  I was shown what to do for a blessing and they let me take pictures.  When all of us met up after an hour we went across the street to a mausoleum.  We again walked around, took pictures, and saw monkeys. It was a fun afternoon.

P.S. I can't figure out how to flip pics so they are not sideways. Just FYI. They are saved the right way but don't upload correctly. I knew you'd understand!

Sorry there are so many! Making up for yesterday :)

Ben's mom: if you're reading I am glad you like my blog so much! It is nice to know you are following! If you'd like to know anything else just ask!

A day with no pictures but lots of learning

Another good day in India has passed.  I forgot my card in my laptop so I couldn't take any pictures, but no fear, there was still lots of learning involved in my day and more pictures will be taken tomorrow!  Today started with another two lectures followed by the National Museum, a talk with a Kashmiri, and a drink at the Imperial Hotel.  Overall a successful day.

Our first lecture was great.  I found it incredibly intriguing and fortunately, I think most of my peers did as well.  I very strongly believe that growth does not lead to development and am interested in how to fix this.  Fortunately for me, our lecturer, Dipankar Gupta, spoke to this AND wrote a book on it (which I will be buying and he will be signing!).  He talked about democracy, the rich and poor, and growth and development. Gupta commented that the number of poor in India will be different depending on the source, but the bottom line is most people are poor; India is a poor society.  Certain sectors such as IT have grown (it now represents 4% GDP and is growing), nonetheless, this sector only employs 3 million people. The organized sector is stuck at 23 million employees which has been the case for the past 30 years.  Much of the growth that is happening is in the informal sector (93% of labor is in the informal sector) where people are willing to work a lot for low wages and no benefits.  Skilled labor is not needed; factories have plenty of unskilled workers getting the job done cheaply.  Gupta said onw way to help with this is through foreign collaboration - foreign companies increase transparency, decrease child labor (even though, according to him this isn't really an issue and child labor is not more economically efficient), and demand minimum wage and over time (though this is rarely enforced).  If foreign companies insist on these issues then things may change.  He also said we should look to the European model (past 100 years or so) - EU was not always rich, they invested in the social sector.  Instead of being costs, education, energy and health were seen as investments.  There is money to do this it is just in the wrong places due to corruption.  If policy is made for society (not the poor) and everyone can access institutions they become public goods. Today 80% of health expenditures come out of pocket in India.  There is growth, but is it bad? Is it detracting attention from where it should be?  Gupta believes that when Obama and other American presidents have praised India for it's growth the country takes this as a false sign that they are doing well when they are not.

The second lectures was by an historian, R. Mahalakshmi, whose name is actually the same as the Goddess of wealth.  She gave us a lecture on ancient civilization in India.  She also told us interesting stories that explain a lot of the architecture and myths in Indian society.  When we went to the museum after the lecture she also came with us, which was nice.  However, we only had an hour in the museum (which was three floors) so we were pretty rushed.

The best part of the day was talking to the Kashmiri.  We met him that day Kishore was buying pashminas and I had been hoping we would be able to return to visit the owner! He  asked us not to mention his name ore the name of his shop when we were talking to him (a small group of us went).  He said he never talks to journalists but our professor, Kishore, bribed him by saying that one day we will be the policy makers and politicians and perhaps we will be on his side.  At the end he said he had told us the truth from his heart and the story the way it really is.  Here is what he told us:

He started with a brief history of how Kashmir had its own constitution, prime minister, etc. until 1947.  Trouble started with the India/Pakistan partition.  The British didn't settle anything when they left.  Nehru was originally from Kashmir so when Pakistan came in Kashmir called India for help.  Pakistan got half of Kashmir, then the UN came in and it was said that the people were to decide the fate of Kashmir.  In 1952 Kashmir would have merged with India because they saw what Pakistan did and how they looted when the entered Kashmir (he was born in 1948 so this is what all of his family says).  He said that there was so much poverty in Kashmir that if one brother was to go out he would have to borrow is other brother's pants.  They were so poor that both could not go out at the same time.  In 1953 there was an argument with Nehru.  Until this point no Indian could own property in Kashmir (they could lease but not own bc Kashmiris didn't want them to come in and build large buildings and ruin the land), all positions in government were held by people from the states (except finance, defense, and communication).  Then in 1953 India started to abolish things.  There were appointments instead of elections and many things in the Kashmiri constitution started to be amended.  In the 1960's wars between India and Pakistan started and continued with war over Kashmir. For a long time no large powers came to help, nor did relief agencies. There was no more thinking about joining India and many freedom parties were formed. He said that the Pakistanis don't want the people of Kashmir, just the land and resources.  In 2006-7 the two Kashmirs decided to open up trade between each other. he said it was like East and West Germany when they wanted to see their families and everything else on other side.  The shopowner said that at this point he was the head of the organization leading this and met with the head on the Pakistan side.  He said he showed him the Indian Kashmiri side and his counterpart could not believe what he was seeing.  The Indian Kashmir had roads, houses, etc.  It was prosperous compared to Pakistan.

In 1989 everything was taken by the Miltons and he moved to India in 1990.  India did not trust Kashmiris because they thought they were all Miltons.  From 1990-2005 all the boys had to leave college and were without an education. This is a problem being faced now.  He said that Kashmiris are an undecided people.  An American journalist who came into his shop after spending 6 months in Kashmir told him after he asked what she thought that they were living on hope.  He said Kashmir is full of pains and the leaders are also corrupt.  The people want to live with dignity and respect; it is everything.  Even if this meant they only had one meal a day they would pick dignity and respect over higher living standards. He said that Kashmir would be much better off with India, but on certain conditions, the ones that were held before 1953 with their representatives from their state, etc.

This guy has lived in India for 21 years and has never had a problem; it is like everyone is family.  He said it is the politicians that make the problems of Kashmir. Indians, Pakistanis, and Kashmiris are all good. The best thing that can be done is to force the countries to figure the problem out.  Bush 43 pushed away from this and it did not do any help (Clinton, however, was good).  The Kashmiris do not want financial help from any organization.  If the large powers would stop doing business with India and Pakistan and stop supplying guns, etc to both sides the Kashmir problem could be solved and this is what is wanted.  The US stopped everything in Iraq and stopped all business to find weapons there; they should do this here and solve the problem.  Kashmir was taken by force.  If the British had settle things before they left there would not be a problem today.  The Kashmiri people are not free. All of their rights have been taken away.  They are not free to talk and there is no democracy.  They do not want to join Pakistan.  Many argue that there are many Muslims but there are also many Muslims in India.  Kashmir was also never part of India. The people are entitled to get their democracy, pride, and independence back.

There was recently a Kashmir conference but there were no Kashmiris there.  Nonetheless, it was still concluded that if the problem is not settled soon the problem will not be between three parties anymore, it will have to include four - India, Pakistan, Kashmir, and China.  This is a real fear.

The store owner said that no one does anything as a favor, everyone acts in their own interests.  The US has intervened in areas where they have interests.  If there are none in Kashmir, nothing will happen.  Kashmiris love the American people, they just don't like our government.

After a day of learning we headed to the Imerial Hotel.  Very nice and very Western.  I also bought probably the most expensive drink I will ever buy. $20 and a cultural experience.

Nehru and Ghandi

Today has been one of the best days so far. I learned so much, not only in our two sessions of class but in the Nehru Memorial Museum as well. Instead of having two class sessions in the morning and a field trip in the afternoon, we had our trip in the morning today.  We also had class at the museum instead of at JNU. 

At the museum we learned so much about Nehru, the first prime minster of India, and Ghandi, who most people know for his famous lead in nonviolent disobedience against the British. In the morning we learned mostly about Nehru.  The entire museum was dedicated to him and was located in the house he occupied when he was prime minister.

When we were in the museum there were also many children there, probably on a field trip.  There were a few children who asked to take pictures with me.  All of them seemed interested in us because we were foreign or different.  It seems like wherever we go we are taking pictures of people and they are taking pictures of us. 

Our first class took place after tea (by the way, I am really starting to love the tea breaks here! This one consisted of tea and a few typical Indian snacks, which were, of course, delicious).  The lecture on India's development strategy since independence by one of the history professors/director of JNU, Aditya Mukherjee.  He talked about how you have to know history to be aware of context, other wise you will not be able to effectively analyze what has happened or be able to answer the questions you want to ask.  Aditya talked about the Indian National Independence and how it was a prolonged movement involving mass amounts of Indians who were interested in sovereignty, democracy and a multicultural state.  He emphasized that movements create states and that when a state is born it keeps elements of the movements that made them. India was unique in that it was the first nation in history to want to move forward as a democracy during their period of industrialization.  With this there was no civil war after the revolution, as there had been in other countries.  Democracy was able to survive because no one was suppressed. There was consensus on a mixed economy (private and public) with import substitution and a welfare capitalist model.  This period saw remarkable growth. Aditya continued to talk about reforms in 1991 and the opening up of India and globalization. It was a very interesting lecture.

Our second lecture was on building a democratic and secular society in a post colonial society, looking at India as a case study, and was given by Aditya's wife, Mridula.  Mridula is also a history professor at JNU in addition to being the director of the museum and library.  In her lecture she talked a lot about democracy and Ghandi.  She talked about how there was a new intelligencia, and they started the process towards independence.  There was also a lot of information about other nations emerging from independence and other modern ideas rising in India.  From this Ghandi and nonviolent revolution emerged.  Indian nationalism was formally rooted in the economy, and colonialism was compromising economic and social interests. Ghandi and others showed the people of India through example what democracy was.  They formed their own groups, voted for leadership, and made decisions.  The press and public was used as a platform which evolved into rallies and mass meetings and eventually the strategy of civil disobedience. Over 70 years the ideas spread to all areas of the country and all levels of society. They became valued and internalized.  Ghandi also not only tolerated but encouraged dissent because a democracy consisted of views from both sides. He also knew that the nonviolence movement could only succeed of the masses participated.  He believed that civil liberties had to be absolute and both him and Nehru believed in democracy as an absolute value.  The means are as important as the ends - you can't have a democracy with achieving it through non-democratic means.

After class we got to see the library, which was impressive.  It is the largest library in Asia. We were able to see all the books as well as archives and microfilms.  When we visited the microfilm section we looked up the day after India gained its independence to see the news article. We also met a woman who wrote about the subject and she told us to read her article.

When we went to see transcripts we got to see the original manuscript of Discovering India, Ghandi's handwriting, and a letter on behalf of Kennedy to Nehru. We were not allowed to take pictures of the documents but were allowed to take pictures of the room.

After we saw the transcripts we saw pictures of Nehru on his US tour.  We saw him with pictures of various presidents - Nixon, Eisenhower, and more.  It was amazing.  We actually got to touch the pictures and albums of the pictures from those times. A lot of these things we wouldn't even be able to see if this was a museum in the US!

The last thing we did in the museum was see a movie about Ghandi.  It was on his nonviolent revolution.  It talked about how he gathered the people to defy the salt tax and told everyone to disobey the laws set forth by the British.  If they did this the British could not govern them.  The movie went through the progession of the revolution through the independence of India and death of Ghandi.  It stated that Ghandi was the first Indian to meet with the British Prime Minister as an equal.  It later went on to discuss how Ghandi's beliefs were again used in Tennessee in desegregation.

We concluded by going to the souvenir shop.  This was a sight to see because they sold books, very interesting to a class of graduate students!  I don't know if the museum has ever sold so many books to one group of people.

On the bus ride home we talked a little more about policy issues.  In one of the lecture it was mentioned that when a survey was done the poor said they were in poverty because they were illiterate.  Their view had to do more with the lack of education than the lack of material goods.  Dr. Goswami talked about how electricity is not a need because you can live your day by sunlight and sleep in the dark.  What is needed is clean drinking water, primary education and basic health.  There has been improvement in this but there are still too many people still deprived of these basic needs.  Parents are uneducated and cannot educate their children so the cycle continues.  There are people who tell families they will take their girls and find them jobs in cities (8 or 9 year old girls) so they can send money back to the family and then sell the girls into prostitution. This happens more often than is should and we need to be thinking of policy options to correct this.

Our First Day of Class

 Class started today.  It was supposed to be an easy day, like an introduction to the course.  The agenda was to eat breakfast, go to the university, and have class. Class today was to be an introduction "getting to know you" class and a brief lecture on the problems and prospects of the Indian economy.  Welllll things never run on time here. Breakfast was about half an hour late and our class session went over about an hour (dinner was also an  hour later than we were told today!).  I don't think anyone minds going later, we just never follow the schedule.

Our lecturer today was the Vice Chancellor of the institute and pretty much told us how Indians are willing to work harder and longer hours and that is why we are afraid of them - competition.  He also said that we think we are getting richer but we are not and we are going to get into trouble by spending so much.  He said a lot of other things as well and a lot about China.  After class our professor told us that we needed to speak up when these guys are talking - we are Americans and Chinese (one of our classmates is from China) and we should not take Sh*t (in the words of our professor). He said don't let them tell us things we don't think or know are not true - argue back.  We'll see where the rest of the classes go.

We were supposed to go to a museum after class but when we got there it was closed because a foreign diplomat or other important person was supposed to be visiting so we went to another market.  It had food and vendors from various regions and states of India.  You also had to pay a small fee to get in so there were not beggars there.  I was walking around with Goswami and he was with us at one of the stands he had bought scarves at a few days ago.  After talking to Goswami the vendor said he would give us the same price he had given Goswami the other day.  Goswami said the vendor had told him that they usually double the price and the vendor and tour guide split the profits.

From the market a few of us went to the suit place in another location.  We got measured for custom made suits and got to pick the fabric, color and style that we wanted. Then we grabbed a drink before heading home and bargaining for another rickshaw to take us to the hotel. 

Dinner was vegetarian tonight followed by Kishore giving us a lecture after our debrief, which included him getting a map of India so it could further contribute to our lesson.

Last Day of Freedom

Today was the last day of roaming around and exploring before class begins.  We started out with "American breakfast" this morning for those who have been having upset stomachs.  Many of us have been getting a bug or something and have been having trouble dealing with the food.

Almost all of use went to church this morning.  We had the bus so were able to plan out what we wanted to do for the day.  We organized everything last night and had a full day planned for today.  The majority of us wanted to go to a Catholic ceremony, so that is what we did. One of our professors called the night before to make sure it was ok to attend the church and we got the ok. Of course we got lost on the way - we were independent today so there were no professors to speak Hindi for us.  We had the bus and driver to ourselves which made for an adventure.  Even when the drivers say they know where they are going that is not always the case.  Even when they have no clue they will always say sure, they know where they are going. We were late to church but so were many others. 

When we got there mass had already started.  The church was very small and it was open so it was relatively cold.  All the seats were taken when we got there so we had to sit on plastic stools that were available for extra people.  The mass was in English and followed what a mass at home would look like for the most part. The singing, however, was definitely more upbeat.   There was also no kneeling. There were benches for pews and nowhere to kneel.  We later found out that this church, St. Luke's, is the one that the American Ambassador usually attends every week.  He was not there this week but hopefully he goes next week and we do too!  

After church we had some time to spare before lunch because restaurants don't open until 1pm so we decided to go to Purana Qila, an archaelogical site.  We walked for a bit (in the wrong direction) and decided we should take some rickshaws to the site because it was taking us so long together.  We all piled in (4-5 of us in the tiny things!) and away we went!  We pretty much got dropped off very close to where we were until we were led the wrong way.  Purana Qila was very impressive, as most things we have seen so far have been. We walked around for about an hour, taking pictures in all of the structures.  Everywhere we went there seemed to be a couple sitting there.  There were couples in the fields too.  I never knew an archaeological site would be the place to hang out with your girlfriend!

 

After the site visit we grabbed a few more rickshaws and headed to the park for lunch.  Lunch was very good today.  We went to "Have More" and I think we all would have more! It was delicious.  I had dal and garlic nan and it was soooooo good!  The restaurant was very nice too.  Outside of the restaurant were tons of people trying to sell us things (and of course, trying to charge insane amounts because we are tourists.  It was quite funny when Kishore looked at them like "your kidding...no.") AND someone with snakes that played the flute-like instrument to make them come out of the basket!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I was really afraid to hold the snake but they guy was out there and letting us do it so I did!  He put the littler snake around my neck and then had the cobra in the basket.  I could feel the tension and movement in the snake when he was playing his flute.  At one point the guy hit the snake because apparently it was coming towards me! Crazy.  I was less afraid of the little snake around my neck than I was of the cobra in front of me. There was this little blonde girl, maybe four years old, who was not afraid at all and went up and let they guy put the snake around her neck. She absolutely loved it!

Goswami joined us in the afternoon and came to the Lakshmi Narayan Mandir Temple with us.  It was nice going with him because he was able to tell us about things.  We learned about some of the gods from the Hindu religion and what they represent.  The main one of the temple was Vishu.  When we walked in we saw a statue of him and his wife, Luxury.  Vishu is one of the gods of the trinity. Goswami said that almost every home will have a room set aside for worship.  If the family does not have a home they will set aside a corner or place to worship.  He said when he was a child before he took an exam he would have to pray to the god of learning and if he didn't do well his grandmother told him he did it wrong.  If we prayed to one of the gods in the temple people were there with powder to put dots on our heads.  I asked Goswami if he had ever seen A Little Princess and told him about the story with the blue God and how the girl had drawn a circle around her to keep her safe.  He said that was a true story in the Hindu religion and there was a line that could not be crossed.  The evil transformed himself into something else and the girl crossed the line to save him and was kidnapped and that was how a war began. Once again we had to go into a room for foreiners before we entered to be told what to do and we had to take our shoes off and leave our cameras. Goswami said that after the Mumbai bombings they have been a lost stricter about letting people take things in the temples.

The last stop of our day was to the Lodi Gardens.  We actually got to play some cricket with a family that was there. I was not very good!  We were able to see more structures and as always they were beautiful.  We got to go on the roof of one building.   When we went to the other we could see the first building perfectly through the door of the one we were in.  Goswami said that was common for buildings to be built like that. The Taj Mahal is the same way.

No matter where we go it seems like we always get dirty.  It is very hard to stay clean in India. There is dirt and dust everywhere.  It was not a smart idea to go see everything in our church clothes!

Happy New Year!

Correction on the information: there was a rumor of Kishore renting out a club but we actually bought tickets to go to a club for the night. We came back after shopping to get ready and then headed to the night club to welcome 2011. 

The club was three floors, with an open bar and hors d'oeuvres.  There was lots of dancing and mingling with classmates and Indians, definitely a cultural experience. We met people from all over the world including a student from Afghanistan and some of his friends who were visiting him in Delhi for the new year. Throughout the nigth there were many Indians who were interested in us and there may have been a  few awkward moments... none that will be expanded upon here...

At midnight it went black. There was no countdown or dropping ball, all the lights just turned off. When they came back we were in a circle and of course someone started the Aggie war hymn and we all joined in. There were many confused Indians wondering what all us crazy Canadians were doing. Priceless.