A few of us were privileged to travel with Dr. Iyer to Grand Rapids, Michigan this past week and present on Gujarat at the biennial Henry Institute’s Symposium on Religion and Public Life at Calvin College. For an 8:45 a.m. presentation the room was occupied by students from the Asian Politics course offered by the host institution. It is encouraging to see people engage with the topic and ask questions regarding both the current state of Gujarat and what the future holds, particularly should the Chief Minister go to Delhi. There was a gentleman who expressed interest in advocacy regarding the situation in Gujarat, and the professor of the class met with us personally to thank us for bringing an international element to the Symposium where the focus is typically on Christianity and American politics.

We returned with a great deal of gratitude that we live in the state of California, and that we are sharing the story of Gujarat with even more people. It is perhaps overly optimistic, which I am not necessarily prone to, but I believe we will begin to see more and more people engaging in informed discussion about Gujarat, Narendra Modi, and the exclusion of minority populations from the participation in mainstream Gujarati society. Follow the Center for Conflict Studies on Twitter and Facebook for future events concerning this topic. Peace.

It’s been a bit more than a couple of months since we’ve returned. We have been trying to share the stories we heard in Gujarat. The Center for Conflict Studies here at MIIS published a coffee table book, “Gandhi’s Gujarat: Vibrant Diversity” which features the group’s photographs and text written by the course director, Pushpa Iyer. We launched the book at a presentation of our trip to the MIIS and Monterey community this past Thursday.

With the semester coming to an end and some of us graduating it seems like the J-term course is concluding, but the importance of paying attention to and talking about Gujarat hasn’t waned yet. There is still a conference presentation where we will talk about what we witnessed on the ground in Grand Rapids later this month, and we hope that the book sales will go to people beyond our circles of family and friends. I hope that we begin to hear a “din that can no longer be ignored,” to quote our professor, and that more people will begin to take notice and talk about the true vibrancy of Gujarat.

I won’t spend a lot of time describing Gujarati cuisine. There are some very descriptive blog posts dealing with the sweet and spicy flavors that characterize the Gujarati’s approach to the culinary arts. I am only writing this post in order to stress the role that food played on this journey from fast food in Ahmedabad to five star restaurants with incredible views to the late night meals in a kitchen of a tribal village in south Gujarat.

We ate well in Gujarat. Very well. In fact, it could be argued that the occasional stomach conditions that interrupted the eating pattern was probably a good thing in that it forced us to take a break. I believe I ate a packet of Parle-G biscuits anyway that particular day. I have never felt so full for so long in all my life. I would sit down thinking that I would just eat something light, and half an hour later I would be stuffed to the gills again trying to figure out of one more bite of something would push me over the edge or not.

There are a lot of options for food in Gujarat, and in Ahmedabad it seemed like we tried them all. I had Hong Kong style noodles, marinara sauce on penne pasta, these little pizzas that I dream about sometimes, hot sweet and sour soup, South Indian dosas and Idli Sambar, pani puri, once almost two serving bowls of pav bhaji, many plates of Gujarati thali, khaman with chilies on top, chocolate glazed donuts, Cadbury 5 Star bars (thank you, Dr. Iyer), and many cups of Nescafe.

Outside of Ahmedabad there were some significant food experiences as well. In a tribal village near Bhiloda we ate what we were told was a “weed that grew among the wheat.” It was mixed with cheese and had a green color and it was served with this cornbread that we witnessed being made. My mouth waters thinking about it even though my stomach is currently full. Near Zankhvav in the South we ate twice one day in different tribal villages. The food was fantastic and I stuffed my face at both meals, but it was that second meal with the most amazing rice that I felt like I would have to wear an elastic waist band for the rest of the trip.

Food makes up a significant portion of the memories that I carry away from this trip, and if ever a foodie wants to know where to vacation… I have a suggestion.

Church near Zankhvav

On the ground in Gujarat I was intrigued by the syncretic architecture of the temple/mosque structure at Siddhpur, and was fascinated by the use of traditional tribal symbols inside Christian houses of worship (see above photo). The mixture of Hindu and Islamic traditions in one place seems rather beautiful in the midst of discordant communal relations that have characterized Gujarat. Of course, one must realize that the syncretic architecture is also a result of a conqueror who is most likely perceived at that time to be enforcing their own culture. Yet, here it is, two seemingly contradictory approaches coexisting in a sacred space.

A surface look at the syncretic practices of the Jesuit missions in the tribal areas reveals the complexity of this concept. Christianity, in the case of Gujarat, came riding in on colonialism, and probably found a foothold through less than savory tactics. However, today there are Jesuit missions advocating for a tribal identity that stands separate from any of the “new” religions that have been introduced to traditional tribal sacred practices. We saw the “Om” symbol on a Christian cross and where a traditional steeple sits on top of a church we saw a tribal structure used to honor ancestors. We also heard about the tribal identity being appropriated by the Hindu nationalist groups, and saw some houses with Hindu symbols painted on the exterior while crucifixes adorned the interior. It could be argued that we are witnessing a traditional tribal group identity struggling for survival.

I wonder if in a few hundred years the Hindu symbols, the Christians symbols, and the traditional tribal symbols will be looked at as something that represents harmony? Is it eventually something beautiful when world views that seem incompatible find a way to coexist?

used by permission from artist, Satish Acharya

It was not an unusual occurrence for us to hear the praises sang of Narendra Modi while we were on the ground in Gujarat. Several times I was told that Modi was responsible for the economic growth in Gujarat, and once a student at the Gujarat Vidyapith (the university that Gandhi founded) informed me that we would see development credited to Modi in rural villages. Of course, we would go on to see evidence to the contrary of this perception, and have been rather vocal about what we saw concerning development on the ground in Gujarat.

What has been the most fascinating aspect of our research upon return has been the defense of Modi by certain elements of the Indian diaspora here in the United States. The way that they personally attack with acidity and vehemence anyone that criticizes Modi is somewhat disturbing. The most recent example of such behaviors was when the Wharton India Economic Forum invited the Chief Minister to speak via videoconference at an event they were hosting later this month. Popular news outlets report that his participation was cancelled by the Wharton School of Business due to pressure from the University of Pennsylvania and about “200 signatures” gathered by Indian-American professors who opposed the event. Interestingly a Facebook group formed soon after the announcement was made that Modi would be speaking at the event had over 900 members in just a few days.

The university newspaper, The Daily Penn, has been carrying various opinions regarding the event and the revocation of Modi’s invitation to speak. The Modi detractors always criticize his somewhat dubious human rights record along with the fact that he would use the platform to promote a model of development that is exclusive and in some instances directly harmful to minority populations in Gujarat. The Modi supporters often accuse specific people and UPenn departments of the most outrageous things such as “anti-Hinduism” and insinuating they support Islamic terrorism. It is disturbing that there isn’t a substantial push back in any intellectual fashion from Modi supporters, but a lot of intolerance and eerily familiar tactics that we heard about on the ground in Gujarat.

I have personally found that most people who would support Modi are largely uninformed about the ground realities in Gujarat, and even when not vitriolic in their defense of Modi they are suspect of the criticism. I invite interested parties to research and find out more about what the controversy is over Modi both in and out of India, and if supportive be ready to give rational arguments in his defense without resorting to personally attacking those with valid criticisms regarding Modi and his ideological practice of governance and development.

There is a lot of news coverage regarding a recent study by the University of Montreal that is harshly critical of Mother Teresa of Calcutta. I won’t spend any time speculating, criticizing, or defending the finer points of contention in the article, but I can share the experience we had serving at Mother Teresa’s Home for the Destitute and Dying in Ahmedabad.

This facility houses terminally ill and severely disabled people who are found dying on the streets of the city and are brought in for medical treatment (if it is an option) and palliative care when it is not. It was one of the more positive and energizing experiences of the trip for me. The residents of the home were extremely helpful, both to each other and to the sisters who cared for them. There was a sense of community among them that was quite inspiring, and although watched over by the sisters the mobile individuals were eager to serve the immobile men who sat along the wall. The interaction between the residents and the sisters was warm and bore evidence of mutual respect.

I have been in many nursing homes here in the States throughout my life and there is always a rather sad sort of smell that fills the air at these institutions. It stood out to me in stark contrast that there was no such smell at the home in Ahmedabad. The sisters take such care with making sure the residents are clean and in an environment that is beneficial to those who are dying. Most residents are conscious of this and assist the sisters in cleaning after those who cannot do anything for themselves. It is evident that the sisters at this home are devoted to a life of service towards the destitute and dying.

I found the dedication of the sisters to their work to be a challenge to make some effort in life to give something back to the human race of which we are all a part. I was inspired and motivated by the community that existed in a home that isn’t a place I would have purposefully sought out hope and inspiration. I am sure that there will continue to be a lot of mean-spirited attacks on Mother Teresa (at her religion as much as anything she accomplished) in the coming months, and I hope that most who read it try to explore a little deeper past the surface sensationalism into what is actually played out on the ground at her missions.

“In the discourse of anthropology, hierarchy is what is most true of India and it is truer of India than of any other place.” – Arjun Appadurai

Dalit temple

I came across this quote before departing for Gujarat and I found myself reflecting on it often both during and after the trip. The language that we heard (and used) certainly gives strength to Appadurai’s assertion. “High” and “low” castes, “lowest of the low” when referring to a specific group belonging to the untouchable groups, “upwardly” mobile versus “downward”, and “backwards” were common words that we encountered in descriptions of various groups of people within the Gujarat society and culture.

One of my classmates used the word “divisions within divisions” when speaking about the stratification of the social order that we witnessed and researched with regards to Gujarat. It is common to witness certain individuals and groups being marginalized within a community that is perceived as marginalized by a wider population within society. Often it appears that the divisions within divisions at the lower caste levels has more to do with a socio-economic class position than a particular caste order, but this is admittedly an observation made from a very limited perspective with regards to both time and geographical area.

Everyone in Gujarat seems to be aiming for an upwardly mobile movement along the socio-economic class scale. I wonder if it is easier for some to move up the class ladder rather than escape a specific caste, but often the lines between caste and class are blurred. It is interesting to note that a large number of people that referred to their tribal or caste identity were doing so within the context of a discussion about their rights within that broad category of “human development.” We did meet individuals who were working on ending discrimination against caste, but often the conversations revolved around whether or not a specific group was a part of the wider development that is perceived as a defining trait of Gujarat.

Dipankar Gupta wrote that as a agrarian economy gives way to industrialization and democratic politics rise the caste system collapses as caste identities rise. I am not sure that we witnessed any sort of collapse of the caste system, but it is worth considering the idea that caste identity and modernization in Gujarat have a very interesting relationship that will be fascinating to keep tabs on in the coming years.

We visited the Bahucharaji Mataji Temple and learned a version of the legends that are attributed to the goddess that is worshiped there. There are different versions of stories attributed to the goddess there. We heard of one that involved a pond that changed the gender of any creature that went in to the pond, and an internet search reveals various versions of stories where men had to dress as women in order to atone for specific sins or to overcome the curse of impotence. The common thread is that the legends involve some sort of transgender theme and the temple has long been a sacred place of the hijra (a community of male eunuchs who dress as women) people in India.

We learned that there is an unseen and rather stealthy move by the government to redesign the temple and reinterpret the legend surrounding the goddess by the current Modi-led state government in Gujarat. Official tourist sites for the temple describe the goddess as an incarnation of the Mother Goddess and list her primarily as a goddess who is patronized by women. At the end of the description is a note that says the goddess is flocked to by transvestites and eunuchs who seek her blessing.

We learned that there used to be large numbers of the hijra community around the temple, but that they had all but disappeared after the remodeling of the temple. We saw two hijras when we visited and spoke to them briefly. They both stated that they were happy serving the goddess and felt that the changes regarding the temple were positive. They also stated that they did not wish to speak any longer about the subject than the short responses they gave regarding temple changes and the fact that hijras who used to live on the temple premises had moved away. We were told by others that the hijras that used to live near the temple made money by begging, but many had now been forced into prostitution as a means of survival.

It seems that Modi and the current state government is actively trying to create a Gujarat for a specific community that does not have room for the hijra tradition in the mainstream society. It is obvious that yet another group is not benefiting from the “vibrant” development that is advertised as a strength of Modi’s leadership

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Gujarat has a state amendment that requires a Hindu who wishes to convert to another religion to seek the approval of a civil authority in order to do so. There is no such requirement for anyone who wishes to convert to Hinduism. Father Cedric Prakash has called it a “draconian law” and it has been of particular interest to me as we have traveled through Gujarat during the first part of our trip.

Some Catholic priests informed us that they did not perform conversions at all, but others said that they baptized only a few people due to the fact that people are too intimidated by the state’s law on conversion to convert openly. We heard an account of families who have Hindu symbols outside their home, but crucifixes hanging inside. The priests and missions that we have visited thus far do not appear to be proselytizing the non-Christians of Gujarat, but even those who want to convert anyway are facing difficulty in doing so.

There are some accounts of evangelical groups who come in and preach for an evening, baptize people, take photos, and then leave. The state government doesn’t have an issue with these groups because often the conversions are only temporary.

There have been challenges to the bill through legal means by various rights groups. The bill includes Jainism and Buddhism as sects of Hinduism which has caused Buddhists to speak out against the bill as well. There are numerous cases of Dalits, the untouchables, converting to escape the caste system, but so far there doesn’t seem to be any indication that mere conversion is satisfactory for them in this regard.

The bigger issue is of course the denial of freedom of religion to the citizens of Gujarat, and in particular the furthering of a fundamentalist Hindu ideology that compromises the principles that the nation of India was founded upon.

Chief Minister Narendra Modi has claimed that the US refusal of a visa to him is due to this anti-conversion bill. Perhaps in part this is true, but the larger reason is his questionable role in the 2002 Gujarat carnage for which he has yet to express remorse or apologize for.

It will be interesting to see how others respond to this bill and to the ideology of the Modi government.

students at St. Xavier’s school in Bhiloda

I am very excited to be visiting the state of Gujarat during the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit. The website for this summit quotes chief minister Narendra Modi as saying, “”Gujarat, with its all inclusive, sustainable and rapid growth, is emerging as a globally preferred place to live in and to do business.”

While researching prior to the visit I have come across some interesting statistics regarding the status of human development in Gujarat. A recent article in Rediff Business stated that “Gujarat’s rank in poverty reduction is 11th among 20 major states, according to the Planning Commission, with a slight increase in poverty last decade among the state’s tribals, who comprise 17 per cent of its population.”

I am intrigued and I have questions. Now for the exciting part… interviewing on the ground to see what the people who live their lives amidst this development, vibrant or not, will tell us about what is going on around them. How inclusive is development in Gujarat? I tend toward the belief that it is not all that inclusive, but I am prepared to receive the perspectives of everyone that we encounter. It is the stories that form the picture of how development plays out for people on the ground, and the stories are what we are going to Gujarat to hear.

There is a lot of excitement about Vibrant Gujarat, but there seems to be a lot of ignorance about the violence and the injustice in Gujarat. There are a lot of questions that we are carrying with us on this tour through Gandhi’s land. I hope we get to share the beginning of some answers to these questions in the following weeks.