India Diary Accounts of Howard Students Researching in Kolkata, India Three students were selected in 2005 to go to India as part of the Howard-Jadavpur--US-India Research Intiative . This program is coordinated by Dr. Anita Nahal. Students interested in applying for this Study Abroad in India experience can contact Dr. Nahal at 202-806-7887 or anahal@howard.edu .
September 11, 2007
Studying at Jadavpur
University and experiencing the culture of Kolkata, India proved to be
an enlightening experience that challenged me to expand my understanding
of people of color across the globe. I had done extensive reading about
the Black experience in America and had begun to investigate African
diasporic issues, but I had yet to make strong connections between
people of the African Diaspora and other peoples of color. While in
India, I became interested in two specific issues that resonated with me
as an African American and as a woman: the oppression of the Dalits and
the Politics of Color. Exploring these issues would help deepen my
understanding of global movements, Eurocentric standards of beauty and
oppression.
Prior to visiting
India, I spent approximately three (3) weeks in South Africa learning of
the political economy of South Africa and the Black Consciousness
Movement. When I traveled from South Africa to India and commenced
studying, I began to draw connections between this Black Consciousness
Movement in South Africa and the Dalit Movements (to include the Dalit
Panther Movement) in India (primarily through reading because the issue
of Dalits was not as central an issue in Kolkata). The Dalit Panther
Movement utilized and produced literature to progress its ideas and
employed fiery rhetoric as a means of highlighting the gross inequity
Dalits faced in Indian society.
I also began to draw
correlations between the issues with skin color that were relatively
pervasive in Bengali culture and the issues African Americans face. As
a matter of fact, while in India I visited a beauty salon where I was
encouraged to bleach my skin by choosing from a wide array of bleaching
selections. I respectfully declined. On another occasion, an
interviewee indicated that he had noticed many people staring at me and
he conjectured that if I had been “fairer” their response would have
been different. These experiences enhanced my understanding of the vast
effects of global Eurocentrism and oppression.
Not only was the
investigative research I conducted a rewarding experience but also the
total experience of the culture—eating new foods, particularly the
delicious mangoes; visiting museums; speaking with the people, and even
learning a few words in Bengali; viewing the landscape; exploring the
city. This research and tourist experience has broadened my
understanding of the world, instilling in me a renewed appreciation for
traditional cultures, the positive effects of globalization, and the
diverse ideological views of people across the globe.
Antonette Jefferson
Ph.D. Student, School of Social Work
Howard University
Study Abroad in Kolkata, India
