India Blog
This post must begin with an apology since this was meant to be posted yesterday. We couldn’t. Because we were dog tired, sorry, dead tired (lest we offend animal lovers and PETA activisits for invoking the name of dog in vain) – after scouring Gujarat’s countryside on our field trips.
I accompanied Fred Guanais and Roberta Kacowicz from Brazil, Kevin Bacon from UK and Ruth Gee, our regional director in India and Sri Lanka to visit Rajendranagar and Munsiwada on field trip themed on access to healthcare. We were accompanied by Mahesh bhai from SRISTI and Priti Vashnavi from IIMA.
Sahayog Trust in Rajendranagar is at the forefront of leprosy patient rehabilitation in India, led by Suresh Soni.
At the Sahyog Trust
We then made our way to Munsiwada village, deep into the tribal heartland in Sabarkantha district, to meet Ramaji Vaid, who uses traditional herbs to heal all those who come to him from far near, man or beast.
Stream in Sabarkantha district in Gujarat
We left the high-speed fourlane highway for two lane state highway, which soon shrunk to thin ribbon of metalled road and eventually there was none. The last 2 kms to Ramaji Vaid is dirt track, and our convoy of Innovas bumped, rolled, groaned and finally, literally, scraped through to reach Ramaji’s village.
Patients queue up at Ramaji's residence for consultations
Ramaji welcomed us into his home, where his patients throng the long, colourful, verandah skirting his thatched mudhouse.
Ramaji Vaid welcomes us
Ramaji patiently answers our questions, tells us how he picked up the knowledge of herbs from his father and careful observation of life around him. He tells us that his healing is not limited to human beings and domesticated animals but he has also found out herbal pesticides that are far less harmful than chemical ones but as effective.
Ramaji Vaid in his herb garden
Ramaji’s ‘laboratory’ is basic: chopper, knife, mortar and pestle, an electric grinder (all of Gujarat’s 18,000 villages have power practically 24×7, something even no metro city in India can boast of), open flame oven.
Ramaji's 'lab'
On our way back from Munsiwada, we take a wrong turn and loose our way in rural hinterland. But eventually we make it back to the highway and make sharp dash for Ahmedabad. The next event, the ‘Question Time’ with IIM-A students on Social Justice and Inclusive Growth’ is on from 9 pm (legend has it that IIM students sleep less than 4 hours a day on average during their gruelling 2 year course, preparing them for lifestyle to justify their 6 figure monthly salaries in the days ahead).
It took 30 hours to get there and another 30 back. There is so much to say but already on the road with another BC adventure. The days were so intense I have no doubt it will take us all a few days before we are able to digest so many words, reflections, smells, tastes and diffferent starting points from all those present but could not let one more day go by before saying that we started off by discussing the concept of social justice. There are as many understanding of the concept as there are people, and as many ways for making justice and fair distribution real as there is the will to do so. A heartfelt thanks to organisers and participants for sharing their lenses. I’m sure they will soon come together in a kaleidoscope of colours we will be able box them in and find a way of moving forward by mixing the different shades so as they lighten up the dark corners of the world.