Monday, March 11, 2013

Camp at Byatha on March 9th 2013


For a long time I have been thinking of taking my students to village. I know that most of them have limited understanding of a village life and the issues faced in the village.
I also realized that an overnight trip to a village may be too short to get a complete perspective but it’s a good starting point. But at the end of it I also know that we have achieved quite a bit. . I do not know who felt what? Who learnt what? Who enjoyed? Who felt bored? Who got tired of walking? If anyone felt lack comfort? ………………….. No one complained to me about their discomfort, so thanking all of them for an insightful outing for me and my other faculty who gracefully accompanied us.  
After we came back I was so tired and I just crashed! Woke up only next day at 7AM!
This trip made me to think more and more in the manner we approach things, people, thoughts, and also the way we learn to think, interpret people. There were some surprises for me in terms of my expectations from students (some students I did not expect shocked me with their interpretation and interaction in the village). I am not blaming anyone it’s just for my thought; I know at the end all of them behaved very well, I also know they needed much longer time and also much relaxed program. But unfortunately I don’t have much time but it’s worth that we think about it.
Evening @ Village:
This is the aspect I liked the most from the aspect of learning. Learning when I say from the aspect of students and as well as villagers. As a villager born and bought up in the same village knowing people’s background personally there is lot to talk about it. But I must say the level of interaction and the kind of question posed by students was simply amazing. Not just that their level of interpretation and observation of the time we spent in front of Temple with the villagers was simply amazing at least with the people who come and spoke to me individually. I know some of them are shocked by many facts and it was the reason in taking them there.
That apart what made me to think is Gopal my School-mate who expressed his anger about the system, reservation, caste system, also partly culture. According to him there should be no reservation, according to him no caste system exists today as the way it used to be, now they sit together.. he took an example of Venkatesh who is my other school-mate who was also sitting next to him. What he forget or probably not noticed is that Venkatesh was waiting for his mother and father to go and work in the farm owned by Gopal’s father/ Grandfather as daily Cooli and get cold Ragi  Ball for him to eat, and whereas Gopal was waiting to eat Hot Rice.
Today they are sitting next to each other outside the temple, will Venkatesh able to go inside the house of Gopal today? Has Gopal taken Venkatesh along with him to village temple? Question is not just Gopal it’s for everyone in the village.
Gopal also spoke about the reservation benefits available to SC/ST.. did he realize that electricity is supplied to him in subsidized rate to his farm, he has got ration from the ration shop at a subsidized rate, also what about the other many subsidies like capable to walk to everyone’s house in the village, can visit every temple in the village, can talk and question almost everyone in the village just because he had born in upper caste family. Can Venkatesh claim same liberty?
Gopal had no answer when he was put forth these difficult question about the caste system but I know the fact that he stood there till that question and despite of difficult question he remain stood but others had already left and the remaining people are only the Dalit youth and not upper caste. The difference between Gopal and others are, Gopal has less exposure and willing for challenge and not interested in just escaping from there. I have hope with Gopal that one day he will change and take Vekatesh to his house and will eat together!   
I would like to invite my students to write their experience and learning from this trip.