Namaste from Delhi

Hiya everyone!
It's been a fun, hectic and challenging week adjusting to life in the capital. My guesthouse is comfortable, clean and - unlike Bangalore's ISI - has hot running water at the press of a button! Best of all, it's only a 10 minute ride from the offices of the Dalit Foundation (DF).
Over the last week, I have learned some stark facts about the injustices facing India's Dalit communities. Consider for a moment the following:
- Every day, three Dalit women are raped;
- Around 90 per cent of all poor Indians are Dalits;
- More than 50 per cent of Dalit girls have never gone to school;
- About 100 manual scavengers (typically Dalits employed to clean public and private manholes) lose their lives every year as a result of their hazardous jobs.
As you can imagine, there is a lot to absorb but I have been reading as much as possible to understand the work of DF and its CBOs. Tomorrow marks the start of a five-day field trip to Lucknow and Kanpur in neighbouring Utter Pradesh. I am looking forward to the opportunity to live among Dalits and speak to individuals first hand (with the help of a translator, of course!).
As it happens, the state's chief minister Mayawati is a Dalit woman who has risen from the slums to a powerful political role. For many, she symbolises the struggle for Dalit liberation and attainment. However, she is embroiled in controversy as a result of her self-indulgent plans to build a gigantic park featuring statues of herself at a cost of Rs. 300 crore. This, while legions of Dalits in the state remain impoverished.....Yet still she has her admirers among the Dalit community. As ever, politics here remains inscrutable.

Good luck with your placements as you head into your second week!
Look forward to the next batch of blogs.
Tina x