Halol, Panchmahal District in Gujarat

August 15th – Halol

After a 2 hour speed fest along the Ahmedabad – Baroda expressway and another hour’s bone rattling ride, I reached the town of Halol last night. My guide over the next few days is the leader of the Yuv Shakti movement – Nayan. Oily paneer and rotis later, we went to where Nayan stays with 3 other Yuv Shakti staff. To be honest I was quite apprehensive about where I will stay here in Halol and what the place might be like. However after spending a year in Vikhroli, I really don’t think I will encounter such conditions in many other places. Where I a staying is not great but fine for all practical purposes: large, very clean beds and friend staff around.

Last night, I also visited the Yuv Shakti office in Halol. Nayan did the night beat stopping off at a chai stall to chat with some local volunteers and one of the Muslim elders who plays a key role in mobilizing Muslim youth and opinion in favour of Yuv Shakti. Nayan explained to me that a lot of his work happens this way. Young people here talk only when they are outdoors, at their hang out places and this is where he is able to find out the real issues.

This morning (Indian Independence Day) after the morning ritual of sugary syrupy chai, we took a rather unique auto contraption with 4 wheels to the neighbouring town of Ghoghamba. The vehicle seated between 14 to 16 people in our hour long ride. I swear it shouldn’t sit more than 6. Breakfast in Ghoghamba in the Yuv shakti office: oily, greasy Gujarati versions of tapas – simply delicious.

Soon the staff of Yuv Shakti began trickling in. Being independence day, the office was officially shut but each leader had his o her own celebration running in different villages. I first met Sumitra: a bubbly jack in the box woman from a village in the taluk. She had studied in a public school in the village and was teaching youth of her own village when she heard about the Yuv Shakti program. She was instantly snapped up by the program to head the teaching project for young adolescent girls. Since most of these girls who enter the program are drop outs or have little education Sumitra’s methods of teaching revolve around communication, skills, health awareness, sexuality, basic livelihood skills and an over riding theme of awareness in terms of heir rights. The candid explanation of her achievements and challenges, the matter of fact discourse of change she has created only served to magnify in my eyes , the impact Sumitra is having. She says that as she is from these parts, she is determined to ensure the girls in her district are all made aware of their rights and opportunities. Walking the talk.

Asha is the young girl who oversees Yuv Shakti’ kids program called Megh Dhanush or Rainbow. The program selects the weakest kids un each village and public school and provides them with an alternative education and learning platform. The system if rote is thrown out of the window here. Each teacher in the program receives a 3 month training course after which he o she is responsible for a centre. Innovative teaching techniques are used. Soon each such centre will be equipped with 2 computers. Asha’s passionate explanation of the kids’ program and the politics she has to wage with village elders makes for a captivating story. This is but yet another sad example of local authorities who are scared to see real education being imparted to kids while their own public schools flounder in a sea of apathy. Asha was excited as she had organized the screening of a Bollywood movie in one of he village centres. Swades was her preferred choice of an I-day movie. It just showed another dimension of how mature and advanced her understanding of the issues and their interventions is.

I also sat in on a 2 day “team days” of youth leaders from different villages in this district. The agenda for the meeting was basically refreshing the vision and mission of the Yuv Shakti movement, helping these local leaders understand the concepts of equality, justice, rights to information and services and leadership. The issues discussed are free ranging and wide: politicians, local village elders’ opposition, social issues and evils, women’s rights, tribal exploitation, attempts by the Bajrang Dal ( a body of the BJP – India’s extreme right wing militant political party) to obviate any progress amongst the Muslims and other repressed groups…the list is long, the issues seemingly endless but little drops as they say.

Some observations so far:

I have been in Gujarat for 6 days now. I have not yet seen a SINGLE mosque or church. Not one. Testimony to the genocide that this state witnessed in 2002

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  Himesh Reshammiya’s painfully foot tapping songs just cannot be escaped, even here in a backwater called Halol in the Panchmahal District of Gujarat
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  Bollywood has a huge grip over the masses…the power film stars wield in India can only be understood when you travel to the semi rural and rural districts and towns
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  Contrary to popular opinion, the food in general I have eaten in Ahmedabad and Gujarat is fairly average. The Gujarati food has been a big let down. Mumbai scores any day. Maybe I have not visited the right places…I shall do that when I return
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  I have been complimented excessively on my Gujarati. The youth group in Halol said that my Gujarati is “Shuddh” and “Mitthu” which means very pure and I speak it with a lilting, sweet accent (which I do). They are all shocked as to how someone from Bangalore can speak it thus
  

Pictures will follow in a few days