Third Notes From India (4^th Year)

January, 2006

Finally am making it to a cyber cafe again. It has been more than 2 weeks since the last quick glance at my mails.

December 11,05 I arrived in Bhopal from Delhi. The headlines of the daily English paper reads that it is the 20 year anniversary of that horrible toxic gas leak incident (Union Carbide, a US corporation) where thousands of people died. Since it affected the genes, children that survived then bearing still deformed children today, the article says. The suffering has been immense and...Union Carbide until present, has not paid any compensation to survivors, nor cleaned up the chemical mess it created. What is wrong with this picture???

I was picked up by a member of IWID (Initiatives for womyn in development, an NGO organizing this instructor training) and taken to a hotel. In evening S. joined me and later when D. arrived our facilitation team was complete. R. arrived from a long train ride to join this training from Madras. She had gone thru the program 3 years ago in Tamil Nadu, but without the necessary apprentice support was not able then to follow the requirements up. Tamils do not speak Hindi (political reasons), therefore both of us are depending on translations this time.

A car and driver waited for all of us (plus the co-ordinator's 2 year old, her babysitter, who's a village woman in her 20ties) and took us to Ujjain some 5 hours away to the venue. This time it was held in a very simple and clean Christian Training centre.

The Phase 2 Instructor Training (of 3) started that evening with introductions. From then on the next 7 days started at 6:30 with Yoga/kata/meditation and the days ended around 10 pm. 5 of the 13 womyn were repeaters, i.e. apprentices. The focus of this phase is "teaching strategies". Lots of note taking and doing presentations to our group in teams. More integration of NVC (nonviolent communication tools) get squeezed into the morning check -in. In the evening we make time for understanding 'somatic trauma healing'. Time flies by and before we know it... it is time for 'check-out'. It was challenging for many to take time out for these 7 days. One left her husband right after an accident, another left her sick mother, another did not get support from her organization to come (therefore had to carry all expenses), another missed her child's birthday. In the check-out many appreciations for all our efforts. M., an apprentice, addressed me in that round: 'last time you said you would not return, and I appreciate that you found a way not to let go of us quite yet! We haven't been ready!'

We are glad that most of us will meet again for Phase 3 in late January.

Now I return to Delhi. Here I join S and S (from Jagori, womyn's NGO) to do a follow-up on a wenlido basic they taught in the Delhi slums some 8 months ago. I am eager to see how wenlido has affected their lives and what they remember of the workshop. They live in a resettlement slum. Half finished brick square buildings. The rooms are 10'x10' where they live with their extended families. Whole families live on the roofs. No power, and many piles of branches around for cooking fuel. They had 3 murders in their community this last month I am told! The womyn are very friendly. I see how much trust has been built between them and S and S. Much understanding has been reached around gender issues. Many of the wenlido principles are remembered. They tell me they feel more confident dealing with conflicts. Not being well in their bodies, the techniques are a struggle for them but they seem to love the opportunity to do warm-up exercises and revise the techniques. Fo! r lunch the womyn bring chapaties and vegies from home. It is regarded as rude not to accept their offering , yet I would prefer in my heart to give the offered food to their daughters (they get to eat what is left after father, brothers are finished...).

A family feud is being addressed, between a mother -in-law and daughter-in-law. It has been affecting the whole community and they had come to last wenlido workshop in good relation. I end up in the role of calming the mother as she is taking up lots of space and the daughter (17 and pregnant) is withdrawing into a shell, crying. In the end we only hope they heard each other a little more.

Our tiny room is darkening, no power, and the husbands outside, complaining about 'dinner' not being ready. We wrap it up, hugs and appreciations.. I can't help but feeling odd... heading across the city to a nice cozy warm bed.

Next day we try out our newly designed 3 hour module of 'wenlido intro' on Jagori staff.

No time for rest as I take the train for 22 hours to 'Gujarat phase 1' training. I have been struggling with a bad cold/cough and therefore get a air conditioned train sleeper ticket. Unfortunately the air conditioning aggravates my throat into an endless cough.

At the moment am coming thru Rajathan, a semi desert just below Pakistan. The earth is beige, shrubs and wispy trees interrupting the monotony. Just now we're passing by an encampment of at least 100 gypsies in a field. It is morning and they are packing up. The womyn are dressed in their heavy garbs with heavy metal adornments and mirrors hanging from their clothes, nose and hair.

When nearing a settlement I see a cluster of men with colorful big turbans. Clusters of womyn with their colorful wide long skirts, and colorful wide scarves tied as a half saree and many use it to cover their faces.

Rajathan is known for their backward and oppressive stance toward womyn.

This week a news headline was that a group of Dacoids held a train wagon hostage for 5 (!) hours, while it was rolling. Robbing everyone, killing one, and gang raping a woman in the toilet. She is not laying charges.

Often we see railway police with their rifles slung over their shoulders. Where were they then?

I feel perturbed wondering when our desire for nonviolent communities may become a reality? Until that happens, I only know to do what we can, to empower womyn. I like to imagine that nonviolent communication (NVC movement) is affecting the human communities and inspiring more men to form groups and see the benefit to do their part toward nonviolence.

Nights are cold. Snow in Shimla. It is warming up around noon in the desert now, only to drop to freezing again tonight. I am not the only one coughing in this train ....

Gujarat! P. has been preparing for this Instructor Training (TOT) for 2 months. Teaching 8 basics in as many districts and selecting 25 womyn for this program. 5 of who are Muslims and 1 tribal. This training is specialized in that the womyn will be teaching to adolescent and pre-adolescent girls. Many will be teaching to child laborers. This first phase again is for their personal development.

The venue is north of Ahmedabad at Seva Rural, a large womyn's organization with more than 20 000 members. The buildings were built by womyn. We have a big hall which also serves as dormitory at night. The training is well received. 3 years ago we had a training here organized by Olakh (womyn's NGO). Unfortunately not enough support again for apprentices made it that only 2 managed to pull thru and stay active. This time I am happy that 2 from Olakh are joining us. The only regretful thing about this training was that we could only accept 16 of 25 for the phase 2. This created the unfortunate challenge for the group to handle the pain of rejection. A Gujarat wenlido network has been created and we hope everyone will stay joined and support each other until the next TOT.

Right after closing, off I go on a train to Nagpur to a Buddhist/NVC gathering of close to 4000 people. Mostly low cast Hindus who converted to Buddhism and are followers of Ambedkar. He lived in same time period as Ghandi. Ambedkar was of untouchable cast and thru fortunate circumstances received high education abroad (4 doctorates). He came back to work in political arena. Due to his cast he was not allowed to drink the same water as his colleges nor rent a flat close to work. No one would rent to this highly educated man! He was determined to change the lot of his people. He was exceptional and was even asked to write the constitution of the new independent India. Ghandi was his contemporary. Ghandi wanted the low caste to be respected for the work they did and respected as human beings. Ambedkar wanted rights for them and opportunities for change, not bound anymore to cast duties. Ambedkar wanted proportional representation for the Daliths (untouchables) in the senate, as they constituted a large portion of society. Ghandi went on a 'fast to death' in opposition to his proposal. Eventually Ambedkar had to withdraw, as his people became the focus of even more contempt, abuse and violence.

Myself am very curious now what could have been Ghandi's needs were behind his stand!?

Ambedkar converted to Buddhism 6 weeks before his death. Buddhism being a belief system that encourages self exploration, responsibility for self, does not have an 'outside god' to be pleased, who punishes and rewards. Millions of people converted with him. But the movement fell short as he died in the same year, 1956. There is a movement though. This year on his conversion date 50 years ago in October, millions are expected to convert again.

This gathering in Nagpur (central India) is meant to deepen and strengthen the movement. NVC actually supports many of the Buddhist precepts. What they say about speech is that it is to be:

Ø truthful

Ø kind

Ø helpful

Ø bringing harmony and connection

Marshal Rosenberg (initiator of the NVC movement) was invited and I was curious how he would manage to teach so many people, many of which are not educated. People came from 20 Indian states, and 25 foreigners from 8 countries. I was the only one representing Canada! Left side of the big gathering tent was filled with the womyn in their coloreful sarees, sitting on the floor shoulder to shoulder, and the right side reserved for the men.

The attempts were terrific, and inevitably frustrations and misunderstandings arose amongst the people. Some womyn around me got up and left at times. It is a huge challenge to observe the way we think. People versed in NVC organically created groups and helped people get more understanding.

Subhuti is a man highest in this order of Ambedkar Buddhism (Dhammachari) and originally an Englishman. He is a wonderful speaker linking for us all the Buddhist teachings, meditations and NVC. His skill of talking to a large audience of varied education levels was remarkable.

I enjoyed this whole process and regretted having to leave early.

I was eager though to utilize the bit of time before my next training in Gujarat to visit my friend A. in Tamil Nadu, who lost her daughter (my little friend) recently. It is from here I am writing to you now. My heart is glad to be present here in this time of grief and loss of a wonderful young soul. A. says it is better to have known the light of Kimay for a short while than never having known it at all!

My friend and the ocean are having a grounding and centering effect on me. In Chennai on my arrival in Tamil Nadu I was picked up by friends (IWID organization) who actually drove me all the way down to Auroville to A. On the way we visited several temporary shelters for the tsunami survivors. I even took a picture of a boat named "Quebec Canada"! With the tsunami donations IWID has bought an auto rickshaw for womyn in a fishing village, so they are independent and can take their baskets of fish to the surrounding areas. This has been very difficult for them in the overcrowded buses. Womyn (rickshaw) drivers are unheard of around here. They even were trained in mechanics to repair it! I got a tour in the rickshaw and I tell you those womyn like speed! A bit scared I got when a cow crossed the road in front of us. This village is located right next to the nuclear power plant in Mahabalipuram (sacred temple town, south of Chennai). I saw the damage on its walls, and I am told no one knows if there were any nuclear leaks. A lot of damage but the loss of lives was only around 50 in this village.

Tomorrow am leaving Auroville already, back to Chennai, a meeting and then to the north of India. Tomorrow is also Pongal, a most important festival for the Tamils.

I am always glad to hear your thoughts and questions or needs for more clarity!

In womyn's strength, togetherness and courage ... globally and locally ...

Gitta