Crossing the Ganga on the way to Behatti was a serene experience. There is something powerful about witnessing a river you’ve heard worshipped for thirty years. The sheer breadth of the river is striking and it looked even so serene early in the morning. The superstitious side kicks in and I think I’m off to a good start.
I visited three Husk plants and toured a market place all glittering with Husk powered white lights. An incredible reminder of the real difference this organization is making in the lives of these villagers. Just pulling out my camera in the marketplace resulted in an instant crowd around me…I need to invest in a more discrete camera to truly capture the faces amidst the bright lights.
Most of my day though was spent trying to reconcile the differences between my reality and the reality I was observing. This highlighted even more at the Dhaba where we stopped along the highway around Ten. Bihar has “line hotels” – fast food joints at best where truckers stop to eat. They are open 24-7, open aired and serve the basics. While I shivered in my fleece waiting for our food, I noticed a little boy with ear muffs running around in shorts serving water to the guests. Soon, he hopped into the bed behind me, covering himself with a blanket from head to toe. Having recently watched, I am Kalam, I couldn’t help but think about the realities of the countless young boys that won’t have the happy ending Kalam did in the movie.
My thoughts get interrupted as 5 guys carrying giant guns enter the Dhaba. Their faces are covered and they are hovering around like they own the place. They enter the kitchen, the back room, without any concern for the patrons. No one at my table even flinches. Suddenly it is apparent that I’m the only girl in the entire Dhaba. I am hesitant to even bite, because I’m envisioning a typical Hindi movie scene. Bihar has a reputation for violence and I’m going to experience it on Day 2. Reluctantly, I whisper to a fellow traveler, making sure he notices the guns.
He dismissively asks, “Where?”
God, I should have taken the Security Briefing seriously.
“All around” I murmur.
How could you not notice five guys hovering with guns?
Finally he says, “Oh, they are cops….see their camouflage?”
Despite so much talk about mental models and steering away from stereotypes – it took about 20 seconds to divert to the worst.
I’m left questioning how (not if) I can play a part in reducing the differences between the realities I am witnessing.
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