With apologies to India, the world's largest democracy.
“Ladies and Gentlemen please fasten your safety belts and make sure your seatbacks are in the full, upright position as we begin our final descent into Kolkata”.
The first of my senses to be offended was hearing. Taxi drivers here keep one hand on the wheel and the other on the horn as if one more blast will suddenly clear up the mess in front of them. This was also the first time I’d heard several drivers apparently trying to beep a red light green. I made it into the city feeling lucky to have been involved in only one accident. Our battle worn cab got rear ended pretty hard by an SUV whose driver had clearly underestimated the value of a loud horn.
I left the hotel early the next morning dodging piles of crap yet to be cleared by the civic maintenance men. I stopped for a cup of tea in the alley near by and almost began to enjoy myself despite people dropping in to relieve themselves further down in the shadows. I’d thought it smelled a little funky coming in. On my way back I noticed a small group of men huddled on the street eagerly waiting to be next in line to a junky being shot up with a hypodermic needle. He got helped off to a vacant section of sidewalk and covered up with a blanket next to others I’d failed to notice before. After living in Thailand the last several years I didn’t think I had much innocence left to lose, I was wrong. The TV in the hotel had a good selection of English channels. If you were looking for something positive about Kolkata, that’s the best I have.
The next day I was cleared to fly into Aizawl and was happy to read in the morning news that India was soon to crack down on its domestic “high flyers” drunken pilots. —I am not making this up, Dave Berry. — Not being a big fan of small planes, or drunken pilots, I decided to have stiff drink before boarding. The flights, to and from, were uneventful.
For me the work in Mizoram State was mostly an exercise in listening and learning. As is often the case in Thailand, the BREF does not import expertise as much as it relies on the people here who are committed to improving the educational opportunities for refugees. To this end, Mom and Dad have formed committees in Aizawl, Champhai, Zokhawthar and other more rural communities to select students for educational grants ranging from 25 to 150+ dollars. These grants are reserved for the poorest of students; however in a place like Mizoram, deciding who is the neediest is a tall order.
We had varied amounts of success meeting with the students. One guy figured out, early in the game, that he could avoid answering any questions with one simple admonition; “I have no answer for this”. At other times we had enthusiastic conversations with kids on a wide range of subjects. We’ll get better at this, and so will they. I’d like to take time to thank the chairmen of these committees, Pianga, Kianlova, No Kap and Tluanga (the latter two shown in the picture with me) as well as the members of the CWO (Chin Women’s Organization) whose names are too many to list. Unbelievable as it may seem, the potential of women to teach grades K-12, is largely ignored.There are difficult things to see and even harder stories to hear in Mizoram. Driving from Aizawl to Champhai we passed several granite outcroppings where people were employed making gravel, turning big rocks into small ones, with crowbars and hammers. Later on, where the road has washed out, you drive over that gravel. It’s not possible to make that sit right. In Zokhawthar our most senior student lost his legs in an auto accident. According to our translator he now prays for death. There’s not any access for disabled people for many miles. He doesn’t have a wheelchair. Lastly is Lalchanhima, an eighth grade student who has a bone infection in his thigh to the best of our knowledge is not receiving proper medical treatment.
Mizoram is a provocative and compelling place. It is also worth noting that, aside from Medical Mercy Canada, whom we brought to Mizoram, and the BREF, you are unlikely to meet any other people working in this area. In Thailand we work along side of many NGO’s, and large government funded groups, committed to providing support to refugees. In Aizawl, and points east, we’re it. One’s left with the feeling; if you want to do something to make a difference, do it here. It’s a great place to start.