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Indian Summer '11
I spent the last week cruising around the Adavasi areas of the Udaipur district, trying to soak in as much experience of Indigenous culture as possible while trying to avoid being soaked by the torrential monsoon. The trip was a mixed-bag of experiences, from receiving the warm hospitality of the 'poorest of the poor' to the cryptic blessings of an Adi-dhum medicine man. The real purpose of my journey was however to see the successes and failures of developmental efforts' in the area.
I travelled through the worlds' oldest mountain range for 5 days on an old motorbike with Mr. DS Paliwal - a social activist of sorts who has rejected caste-ism and many beliefs and comfort of mainstream India and has devoted his entire life to the adivasi movement. He has a very interesting, renegade approach to development, one that incorporates powerful, subversive struggle within the anti-oppression movement. Through his eyes I saw a whole new (and much more honest) view of the NGO world and Government schemes of India.
Some highlights:
- Watching the colourful dances of a Bhil tribal festival
- Climbing the lush green mountaintops to find hidden shrines
- Sleeping under the stars in the villages
- Talking theater and art with a mulsim Youth Group working for indigenous and gender equality
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