Return to the proverbial Roots

Sometime in September this year a friend of mine and I submitted an application to participate in a program called the "Know India Program" (KIP). In short it's basically a three week long trip to certain states in India organised by the Indian Government and their respective Indian High Commissions in countries all over the world. The trip is open to all persons of East Indian descent between the ages of 18 to 26 who are either studying an undergraduate degree or already hold an undergraduate degree. The Indian Government pays for practically everything! All you have to do is pay for your return flight to India and after the program is completed they refund you 90% of your plane ticket. Of course you do have to participate in lectures, seminars and other "learning forums" wherever they take you but it is a wonderful and cheap way to see parts of India.

More information on the KIP can be found here: www.knowindiaprogram.com

After months of waiting not so patiently I finally received an email from the Indian High Commission in Trinidad this morning stating that my application was successful and that I should make arrangements to get to Delhi, India on the 5th January, 2011. My friend didn't make it though. He's pretty disappointed but the four persons chosen were all female so we're wondering right now if they only wanted to choose women this year or if he just wasn't "Indian enough" (<--jokes). 

In fact I think I'm probably not "Indian enough" for this whole thing. I draw reference to a friend of mine who participated in the program last September. She's completely engrossed in the culture of our East Indian Immigrant Ancestors. Not only is she a practicing Hindu but she also sings Indian Classical music (and beautifully as well!) and she's always taking part in whatever's going on out there to promote Indian Culture. From the way she spoke of the Program and the other people who went with her on the trip it seemed to me that everyone there either actively practiced the various aspects of their ethnicity or at least passively did so but still had immense knowledge about all things deemed "Indian".

This made me think that maybe this was the type of understanding you were expected to have of Indian Culture in order to qualify for this Program...but I'm practically the opposite! I was born into a Hindu family but as my siblings and I grew up we never practiced much of it save for some prayers once a year until eventually all of that stopped altogether. I don't even know much Indian type music even though it's played on a daily basis at full volume by some of my neighbours. I'm completely Trinidadian (Trini 2 d bone!) This makes me a bit worried that I may be at a loss for much of what might be taking place on the Program and whether I will "fit in" well with the other participants. I suppose I will cope with the apparent culture shock and hopefully learn a lot more about my ethnic culture and history. Maybe learning more about India will lend a better understanding of Trinidad culture, after all, half the population here is of East Indian descent. Well we'll see how it goes.

This January's trip begins in Delhi and I'm told will take us to Bihar and Andhra Pradesh. I'm also told that they make sure to take all participants to the major land marks so the Taj Mahal is definitely on the list. Also apparently Bihar is the state from which the Indians who Immigrated to Trinidad came from (the Beharry's?) so I'm definitely looking forward to learning more about that place. The complete Itinerary is in the process of being compiled but the trip is carded to be completed on the 26th January, 2011. 

I can't wait! 

(c) Kai 2010
I may not know much about Indian Culture but I am in love with Mehndi Art. I can't seem to control that cone thingie properly but a pen works wonders ;)

Kai