Traveling across India

By Tamer Mahmoud, India 2009 Program Coordinator:

Here I lay, in a 1st class AC tier section of the train with the sun setting across the horizon of India while heading westard toward Mumbai.

The past week since I've touched India on 18 December 2009 (India date format) - I have been constantly on the go:

Searching for hotels, checking them out, understanding the local culture and customs, familiarizing myself with the landmark and just taking in what is perceived as foreign in my mind.

I have had the opportunity to stay in a nice hotel, a run-down hotel; rode a well preserved taxi cab, a run-down taxi cab that's on the verge of breaking down and yet, one of the fastest moving vehicle on the road; seen poor people living on the street, taking shower using water sewage, using some of the greeniest water I've ever seen; kids running around bare-foot or even naked; takin whiff of all kind of smell including dust making my nose and fingernailes pitch black; spoken in so many dialects of english, (some with heavy British influence, some considered as "India English"); watched people bumped into each other without a glance or a gesture of any kind; horn honking at every corner with signs saying "Horn OK"; many signs saying "Obey Traffic Rules" and yet seeing red lights being run, drivers cutting each other off, some even dare to drive on the opposite direction to get to their destination; heads being shaken tilting side to side; smiles given with heavy tobacco nested between the teeth; seen the well-known landmark such as the Gateway to India, Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, Bombay University, Howrah Bridge, Victoria Memorial; seeing different worlds between Mumbai and Kolkata; different attitude and way of life.

You can see at each city that its a world where advancement of technology is at shoulder to shoulder with traditions - battling for the front-line. I was once given two stories that reflect certain aspect of culture:

First story: India is like a bucket full of crabs. You find one crab struggling to get out - all the other crabs would grab that one and pull it back in.

Second story: The poor people of India were once given luxurious apartment building, fully furnished, all for free. The people came, took all the furnitures - sold it - then, went back to their makeshift home on the street.

What can one make of India as a country? Only one who have come, seen, live, breath India can gain a hint of an idea at best. Try I might, India is difficult to put into words - many have tried and succeeded, many also have tried and failed.

In the end - India will always be India, rich in it's full 60+ years of history since it's Independence and sufficient to say - much like the rest of the world - has much growing up to do; as do we individuals.

With the way I percieve India to be - reflect the impact it has on deaf community. Think about the crab bucket - how can education, let alone deaf education thrive? How can human rights, let alone deaf human rights thrive?

This is only the beginning - we first learn the right questions to ask, then we search for the answers together. Let's explore and make a difference together.