Manali Missives 52/2014 Guest Editorial: Snapshots of India
Welcome to another issue of Manali Missives. Over the past 2 weeks Lena and I have taken my parents Ailsa and Alf, my brother Ross and his wife Debbie around 2 of the 3 states, the Punjab and Himachal Pradesh, included within the bounds of the Church of North India’s Amritsar Diocese. They saw much of the extent of my work (only Jammu & Kashmir were missing) and by spending some days in Manali they were able to gain a feel for Lena’s work and our home
David Reichardt
Snapshots of India
We came to India prepared, we thought, after reading all the advice of the travel guides, having the appropriate vaccinations, and learning how to keep our valuables safe. But stepping out of the arrivals hall in Delhi airport to face the confusion of the waiting crowds, we were apprehensive. That we quickly found our names on one of the numerous boards being held up was reassuring, but our first happy surprise of the journey was the driver handing us bottles of iced water before we stepped into the car. A small thing, yes, but so welcome.
Another point at which we had anticipated stress and confusion was at New Delhi railway station, as we set out by train to join David and Lena in Chandigarh. What looked like chaos in front of the station resolved as three porters took charge of our luggage, and led us to the correct platform. We thought that was the end of their duties, but they were concerned when Ross and Deborah went away to explore the station, and called them back in plenty of time to board (with the porters loading the baggage and seeing us settled). Such a pleasant surprise!
Having met David and Lena in Chandigarh, we set out the next day towards Amritsar. We were driving through the fertile agricultural lands of the Punjab, but the farmers had closed the road as a protest – apparently not an uncommon action – so we had to find another way. That is not so simple, given the density of traffic and the quality of the roads. David, who was unfamiliar with this area, happened to speak to another driver who was turning back, and this man said, ”Follow me, I know this area well.” He actually went out of his way to guide us through the city of Ludhiana. We gratefully went on our way and he has subsequently become a Facebook friend of David.
That same day, when we stopped for a late lunch, my camera slid off the seat of the car as I got out. It was found on the ground by a security man, and returned to us as we came back to the car. We were beginning to feel that some of our preconceived notions about India needed to be revised.
In our one day in Amritsar, we had three significant sites to visit, and they became more significant for us as we had further experiences of aspects of India. The first was Jallianwala Bagh, an enclosed area where, in 1919, British troops stormed in and massacred more than a hundred unarmed citizens holding a protest rally. Reading the tributes in this place gave us an understanding of the long campaign for self-determination that preceded independence for India in 1947.
Nearby, at the famous Golden Temple, pilgrimage site for Sikhs, we saw the gold, the colonnades and marble buildings surrounding a large pool. What we did not see were the kitchens in which meals for thousands of needy people are prepared and served daily. That care for the poor was another discovery about India.
Late in the afternoon, we drove 30 kilometers from Amritsar to the border with Pakistan where, every evening, with much military posturing – battle cries, high-stepping marching in ostentatious uniforms, fierce gestures at close quarters, but no actual physical contact – the national flags of both countries are lowered, and the border gates closed. As a prelude, with loud music playing on the Indian side, women came down from the packed grandstands of spectators and danced…..while we could see on the Pakistani side the women heavily veiled, and a lone male waving the Pakistani flag. So things are changing for Indian women, and we can expect these freedoms to continue.
But Manali is the heart of our visit to India. We came into the town at the end of a 6 hour drive from Palampur over a narrow, twisting, crowded, ever-rising road. Lady Willingdon Hospital, where Lena works, is something of an oasis near the mall at the centre of town. To come in through the gates is to enter a haven where traffic noise is subdued, where staff care for patients, and relatives sit patiently and wait. It is a community: many staff live onsite, the canteen serves food for all who come, and any townsfolk taking a shortcut through the grounds can glimpse a baby being shown to relatives at the door of the operating theatre. It has 55 beds, and more than 100 staff, many of whom live in the compound. Such a community develops strong common concerns, so that all who come in through the gates experience the warmth of dedicated care. Smiles and “Namaste” greet us at every turn. We feel accepted and part of the community.
These snapshots of life in India have shown us features of life that surprised and delighted us in a country making the transition from a traditional society under colonial rule to an independent, modern republic.
Ailsa Reichardt
