Sure, the U.S. of A. has some major problems as well as some minor annoyances: telemarketers, the Reform Party, airline food, commercials for E.D., and PBS pledge weeks. But our new Indian friends face political and moral issues that, fortunately, we are not facing with the same intensity.

Hopefully, Cec Murphey and I have taught them some principles for writing with compassion and conviction in confronting these issues.

Censorship

The Indian press is carefully monitored by the government and all movie scripts must receive government approval. For instance, a spokesperson wrote, "The article on censorship was filled with lies. We could not let the paper print it."

Treatment of women and the poor

At times, police turn their backs when "high caste" members torture and kill "schedule" (lowest) caste members. While we were there, a report told of a low caste boy who accidently wandered on to the property of a high caste landowner. Because the boy had "defiled" the land with his presence, the landowner tied his hands under a running faucet until the circulation was cutoff and his hands had to be amputated.

In many areas of India, women and children eat last—if there is any food left. One of our students wrote, "To be born a woman is a crime against your family. Society passes judgment, and every male in your life carries out the sentence."

Marriages are still arranged in India. And, unbelievably, wives are sometimes beaten—and on rare occasions burned alive—if the inlaws don't receive sufficient dowry. In the past, widows were cremated along with their deceased husbands. Today, in "enlightened" India, Hindu widows are simply not allowed to ever appear in public.

Racism

Hatred between Muslim, Hindu, and Christian groups has led to growing violence. Every day of our stay, the front page of the newspaper headlined the continuing tension between Muslim Pakistan and Hindu India. Pakistan threatened to "respond appropriately" (ie: launch a nuclear attack) to "intolerable Indian attacks across the line of control in Kashmir."

During Republic Day, the Indian government increased security due to ISI (Muslim terrorist) threats. Rocket-launched grenades were discovered near the stadium—which was near our hotel.

One of our students, Vada, became a Christian in college. He still suffers hearing loss from the beating he received from his Hindu priest father after announcing his conversion. In fact, conversions are outlawed in three Indian states. A fourth is considering a ban. Potential converts to Christianity must get a government permit, but only after a police investigation to assure that they haven't been coerced to accept the Christian faith.

Pens and prayer!

The pen is mightier than the sword, but prayer is more powerful than both. I'd invite you to pray for all the people groups of India, and especially those wonderful writers in our classes in Mumbai (Bombay), Hyderabad, and Dehra Dun. I pray for their courage to confront the culture's cruelty with compassion and conviction.

I was also challenged by my new friends, that we all need to speak out on issues of sexism, racism, classism, and religious intolerance right here in our own Estados Unidos.

But after three weeks away from home, the only thing I'm planning to do right now is some serious napping.

Reporting from home, sweet home, I'm Jim Watkins

© 2000 James N Watkins