As I sit here trying to put my current chaotic thoughts into words, I find that instead of answers, India has simply left me with questions. And I think back to the reflections where we attempted to find some answers, some truth, in the madness that was India, and how again and again we ended up in the same place – another question.
Arriving in India for the third time I was, looking back, over-confident. I had been there, done that, and although I knew it would be tough, I felt that this time things would be clearer. Not surprisingly, India had other ideas and instead I have finished up with even less clarity.
One moment that really sticks in my mind was seeing an elderly lady begging on the streets of Kolkata. There should have been nothing about her that distinguished her from the hundreds of beggars that we saw in the city however the fact that I had seen her before, two years ago, on the exact same street in the exact same position got to me. From there I began to see what I believed to be the truth about India – that it was a harsh and unfair place where the problems are so immense that they could easily be described as being insurmountable. Arriving at this thought is a very easy place to get to and can lead to the conclusion that there is nothing that we can do; and therefore why bother trying?
However, listening to the people at Freeset, and seeing what they have achieved, I was forced to question this line of thought. When asked what they were doing to help the thousands of women still caught in the sex trade in Kolkata, Dan’s answer was simply “What are you doing about it?” Again another question! But within this question lay the seed of an answer. The answer is not simple or obvious, and will involve a lot more self-reflection and, of course, more questions. For in the end it is not really the answers themselves that matter, but rather the process of asking, that leads to change. What we do is important, we can and do make a difference in the lives of those around us, and it is up to us to ensure that this is a positive influence. After all,
“The world is never saved in grand gestures, but in the simple accumulation of gentle, soft, almost invisible acts of compassion; everyday acts of compassion.” - Chris Abani
Finally I wish to share a folktale that has stuck with me from the day I read it:
There once lived a man who set off to look for truth. He scoured the world in search of it, giving up his possessions, his family and his home, all to search for truth. After many years of wandering, his travels took him to India where he heard tales of a distant mountain. Atop that mountain, people told him, he would find that place where truth resides. For many months he searched, until he found the mountain of which they spoke. He climbed for several days until he finally came to the mouth of a cave. He called into it and his call was answered by the voice of an old woman. “What do you want? ”I seek the truth.” “Well, you have found me.” He entered the cave and there, in the back, saw the most horrific creature he had ever laid eyes on, huddled over a fire. Her eyes bulged out, one further than the other, and bumps covered her face. Stray teeth stuck from her mouth, and her long tangled hair hung down in matted strands. “You?” he said. “You are truth?” She nodded.
Though shocked at her appearance, he stayed with her and found that she was, indeed, truth. He lived there many years, learning her ways. Finally, as he prepared to leave, he asked how he could ever repay her for all she had done for him. “I would ask simply this,” she said. “When you go out in the world and speak of me, tell them I am young and beautiful.”
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