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Displacing the Fishing Villages
The community landscape of Chennai is complex and multifaceted. I imagine one would have to live here for many months to even begin to discern the tides and passions underlying the civil landscape. One thing is clear to me, after just a few days here. As in any large city, there are many competing interests,…
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Forest People
Sunday. This afternoon I spoke with an ethnographic researcher who has conducted field work with Tribal people high in the Southern mountains, and is seeking ways to aid them as they seek to maintain their traditional way of life. These people live from and with the forest, and integrate contemporary technology and global culture into…
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Under the Flyover
We are sitting under a concrete overpass, or “flyover”, used by trains. I am with a North American folklorist and eight Indian men, some tribal, of various ages. They greet me warmly and we all laugh easily. Three of the men are fluent in English and I wonder whether they are college educated. Near us, crows…
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The Language of Travel
Friday night, while waiting for the flight from Dubai to Chennai, I watched what appeared to be soap operas on Arabic television. Given I know nothing of Arabic languages, I had to interpret what I saw at face value. The plots were rich and diverse, the depicted social environment, complex. One character was particularly engaging.…
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