India is a vast and diverse landscape, not only of mountains and deserts, but of peoples. It is, more importantly, a transparent society – individuals and groups from various backgrounds intersect on the same roads every day and are clearly distinguishable. The shepherd, riding on a bicycle, passes by buses full of young working men and women with college education, carts owned by fruit-sellers smoking or chewing paan waiting for customers, and “madams” going to the seamstress or saree-shopping in their imported Toyotas.

There is another dimension to the visible India that is unique and goes beyond the simplistic rich and the poor stratification. Temples, garlands and offerings, and other symbols of traditional beliefs are ubiquitous and most certainly not separated based on any secular / religious fault line. Religious values are not hidden behind doors or even watered down. Men, women, children and animals are all citizens of India when it comes to rituals.  These are some of the particularities of a spiritual nation – India – that are bound to deflect any intern’s “been-there, done-that” attitude.  

My internship’s goals were to explore some of the social determinants of health among female garment workers in Mysore, located in the south of India. I, along with another student from Dalhousie University, Nirupa (my roomie), discovered that solutions to poverty or long-lasting improvements to living conditions would necessarily be informed by the complex spiritual beliefs that are a part of the identity of women.  We visited many garment factories and communities and documented experiences where job stability has brought confidence as well as improvements in the workers’ lives. However, dowry, domestic abuse and alcoholism are still some of the problems deeply rooted within their households. These issues are rarely considered “private” and are actually normative. Responses to these conflicts are moreover related to issues of gender identity and socio-religious institutions.

Considering the sensitive nature of the interviews and research that was part of the objectives of this internship, it was imperative that our partners in India were true collaborators in this project. They were our initiators in the community and directed us on social protocol. As well, they were vital in binding us to the people that were part of the research.  My work specifically was dependent on the help of a translator who was active in helping me understand the realities of women who were working in the garment industry. Without their help, I would have not become the confidant of many women nor would I have had the opportunity to concretely visualize their environments.

India is a nation that will certainly leave you asking more questions. Many conversations that I had there were only made better by the addition of the steaming cups of milky chai on the table.  It was a great experience – Thank you to the AUCC and Dalhousie staff for giving me the opportunity.

Category: India, Upon return // 1 Comment »