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IIE | Eric EgglestonIIE | Fulbright News & Publicity
Eric Eggleston
India
May 2004
See previous submission from Eric Eggleston
Trust Over Chai
There is only one reaction I have when I find myself in new surroundings-I explore. Prior to my time in Delhi, I had never lived in a major metropolitan area, and the city offers ample bounty of nooks and crannies for the curious to investigate. This megalopolis has had many incarnations as it was settled, conquered, resettled, abandoned and finally grown to it current, massive parameters, and most of its former inhabitants have left their distinct, tangible fingerprints upon its modern surface. As I have wandered the streets of my new home, I have been constantly astounded and impressed by the incessant invitations to step into the shade and share a cup of chai (spiced tea made with milk and as delicious as it is essential to the culture).
As I became increasingly comfortable in this new corner of the globe, I began utilizing these excursions as more than just interesting ways to know Delhi and its people. Coming to India to study Islam, I found myself at the cusp of a tremendous opportunity to explore the plethora of perspectives the capital offers about this long established faith tradition. Be they recent comers to Delhi from Kashmir, a family who traces their lineage back to the reign of the Mughal emperor Akbar or even Muslim immigrant communities residing in the nation's capital, I have had the opportunity to try to develop trust over chai. Whenever I sit at the table or on the curb, I just listen and try to encourage those I meet to share their story with me-usually, they are more than willing to do so. Once we have established something of a rapport, then it sometimes is possible to pose a few questions to them about their religion and its place in the world. It is over chai that I have learned some of my most treasured lessons.
Fulbright emphasizes the idea of mutual understanding. This area that I feel is the most important aspect of my time here, particularly in light of the current conflicts occurring on the global stage. To so many people, the invasion of Iraq made no sense; the difficulty the occupation authority now faces is not a surprise and the debate that preceded the commencement of hostilities embodied the way that America often conducts foreign affairs. Invariably, current events such as these are major topics of conversation whenever I have chai with a new or even a more familiar friend. What emerges in conversations is a tension in the perception of the United States and its role in the world. There is deep respect for the ideals espoused by the US and the economic opportunities it presents; however, there are often equal parts of skepticism and apprehension for America's role in global affairs through its foreign policy. One fellow I meet in Varanasi summed this perception well, saying, “Your country, it has a right to defend itself. Both our religions [Islam Christianity] tell us so. But at some time we must say 'the violence must end.' What's happening today cannot be the will of our God.”
I wrote in my last entry that India is a land of paradoxes, and my experiences of rambling freely through the streets of Delhi is a foil against what many of my female friends experience. The way men treat women here is the most challenging thing I've confronted during my grant. There are levels of social exclusion toward women in general in India, which is difficult to observe and harder to discuss; however, the treatment of my young, female friends has been a greater challenge than I ever imagined. Many of my closest friendships in Delhi are with women, and I never could have guessed the amount of anger, frustration and exhaustion this groping and intimidation would impose on all of us. The omnipresence of crude and disgusting comments, accompanied by lewd and degrading smiles revealing the sexual power are difficult, and part of too many days for my female friends in India.
From afar, it is easy to romanticize the treatment of women back in the States; the truth is that sexual harassment and rapes are more rampant than most people would like to believe, especially on college campuses, and there is a great deal of progress still to be made on our own soil. Here, this unfortunate phenomenon reveals itself in a different form and it is its constant manifestations in public that can make venturing out on the streets feel unsafe for women at times, and not worth the hassle at others.
As a student here, seeking to cultivate mutual understanding, this has weighed heavily on my experience-I unfortunately have alienated some male acquaintances because I was insistently seeking answers to this taboo subject. I cannot wrap my mind around the cultural norms that allow a man to fondle a woman in public without her permission, so I am always searching for the societal or personal contributions that lead to this behavior.
I often travel, locally or around India, with female friends. Frequently I take on the role of bodyguard more than companion, constantly scanning those around us to prevent any unwanted advances. When I first realized that I instinctively took on this posture when walking through crowds or boarding transports, I thought I was terribly paranoid. However, the number of men's hands I've grabbed and thrown away from friends' bodies, the number of times someone has been looking a friend up and down, moving closer and closer then catching my stare and bolting to the other side of the crowd, have convinced me that my protective stance is warranted. It's a systemic and cultural problem that my short time here will do nothing to alter, and all I seem to do is echo the sentiments of many women here: the problem is obvious, the solution is not.
My project itself looks at one educational system developed originally by Sir Sayyid Ahmed Khan and his associates to better the position of their community in the wake of formal British control over India. One of the objectives of this study is to examine how this astute group of individuals utilized both contemporary ideas and subject matter in terms of their religious affiliations. How did this group of Muslims confront 'modernity' in their age? The greatest challenge in this process is the immense amount of material to explore in a relatively short amount of time. As a result, the final document that I had hoped to produce while I am here will have to wait until I return, in favor of collecting data and asking new and more specific questions as new information becomes available to me.
In order to find answers to my questions, I have had to delve into the vast pool of literature about the early period of British colonial rule, with special focus on the Revolt of 1857 and the forty-year period thereafter. This could be a project in itself; however, in sketching the basic outline for myself of what Sir Sayyid confronted, it becomes increasingly clear to me why these men were looking to the future, in a grandiose manner, and looking for a method to improve the lot of their community. The specifics of that program, the language and the concepts that lie behind them, as well as the literary efforts of Sir Sayyid himself, directed at times toward Muslims and in other instances toward the British, are the most intriguing aspects of my work.
India is beautiful; India is appalling. It's ancient and modern. To this meager list of juxtapositions could be added countless others, but I will leave it at that for now. Some of my most valuable experiences, both professionally and personally, have arisen in response to what I have confronted in my adopted home of India. It is impossible not to be changed by the potentialities that are alive here, some welcomed and dreaded-such are the paradoxes of India.
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