Beautiful India
India is a state of spirit, where chaos is peace. Where God exists and it’s everywhere and in everything. Where people live together and learn to love each other everyday.
For three weeks, I filled my soul and lungs with hot air, history and tradition. I held hands with the people of tomorrow, young, inquisitive and kind minds from all around the world that are now my friends.
I was gone for three weeks for a Summer Programme at Jindal Global Law School. There I met students from all across India and exchange students from Spain, Italy, USA, Australia with whom I spent most of my time with. The rest of the time I spent it in classes. The summer school meant me picking some modules that are running at University and attend some introductory sessions while I was there. I was advised to choose 2 or 3 modules as I needed time for learning experientially, on trips, namely 3 trips – one to Agra (Taj Mahal and Agra Fort) and two to Delhi (first, to Gandhi Museum, India Gate, National War Memorial, Museum of Contemporary Art and second, to a foundation that teaches young people skills to facilitate a better future for themselves). In terms of classes, I decided to take Socio-Economic Rights of India; Life of Gandhi – Ideas, Debates; The Mind and the Self.
The Gandhi class inspired me the most. There I was thought that we should look at the past with empathy, and that in fact all history is the history of mind, the study of thought behind thought. In class we studied Hind Swaraj, a fascinating testament of Gandhi’s views on civilisation. I personally reflected on reading, and, although it was written more than a hundred years ago, i think some thoughts expressed there are still relevant today and some of his views can be considered prophetic. Going to Gandhi Museum helped to clarify some parts of his autobiography and to help me get what shaped the mind of the man considered the Father of the Indian Nation because of his peace, nonviolence and conflict resolution discourse.
The friends I made while there are also key to my experience. The students from India thought me about their religion, their upbringing, their culture and food, and most important, about unconditional kindness and friendship. The students from all around the world did the same, so funny enough, besides learning about how to eat authentic chicken butter, now I know about authentic pasta carbonara.
I am leaving India inspired and grateful, with another few role models and new books in my backpack.