For the faculty connection part of my pre-trip training, I had to speak with a Rice faculty member with connections to Delhi who would be able to provide me with advice and context for my upcoming internship. I spoke with Dr. Divya Chaudhry, who teaches Hindi at Rice. Dr. Chaudhry was born and raised in Delhi, India, and spent her entire life there until coming to the United States for graduate school. Most of her family still resides in Delhi, and she still regularly visits them.
The main point I got out of my discussion with Dr. Chaudhry was a reinforcement of the notion that drug addiction and rehabilitation are extremely taboo subjects in both Delhi and in the majority of India. Dr. Chaudhry noted how the very notion of people using recreational drugs is almost unheard of amongst the middle class and educated population, even though the issue is prevalent in a large number of urban areas. She repeated how the cultural stigma on this subject is simply massive. Even when the concept of drug addiction is accepted, it is primarily viewed as something that affects grown men, with women and children not expected to be associated with the problem at all. The stigma also means there is a general lack of empathy and support for individuals who find themselves addicted. If they openly seek help, their family name will be shamed. This stems from the Indian notion of ‘log kya kahenge’ (what will people say), or the huge weight placed on the opinions of others in society. Due to the stigma, it will be very difficult to speak to others about drug rehabilitation during the course of my internship. I will keep these facts in mind and be sure all efforts to speak about the problem of drug addiction are done so with utmost care and consideration when I conduct my work this summer.
Dr. Chaudhry also gave me very useful tips on traveling and general cultural awareness while in Delhi. She noted how a proper distance must always be maintained between men and women in public, as this is a very important part of traditional Indian culture. A particularly interesting point was that the first coach of most metros in Delhi is specifically reserved for women- men should not enter this area. For other travel tips, she told me how it would be a good idea to use a metro to get from the suburbs to the city, and a rickshaw (a common small Indian “taxi”) to get from there to the socioeconomically underprivileged areas where I would be working. She also stated how the poverty and desperation I will witness while working with the low income population is likely to be overwhelming. She told me to stay wary of pickpockets and scammers, and advised me to not show my cell-phone in the open and carry as little money with me as possible. Finally, she mentioned the tendency of those in India to look after themselves and mistrust outsiders, which means I will have to be vigilant and on alert throughout my time in the country. I will be sure to take note of these tips so I can travel safely, work with minimal stress, and adjust to the cultural norms as I begin my project this summer.