I love seeing the stark contrast between urban and rural
India. Yesterday we took a three-hour bus ride north of Mumbai to trek through
the rural villages with the organization Impact India. Our journey was an example
of how India is a clash between two completely different worlds: modern Mumbai
vs. rough rural. It was really important for me to get out of the city and see
that there is this whole other side to India. Even being here only a week I think
it is easy to slip into the mindset that India is all pollution, noise,
Bollywood, shopping and becoming more Westernized by the minute. But, then you
travel just a few hours outside of the city and realize that India is still a
very much developing country where cows rule and stores are far and few between.
Going to the rural areas with Impact India made me feel more connected to the
country and its people.
I keep thinking about what the women from ATMA said, “Mumbai
is not the real India…well it is but it isn’t”. That makes so much sense to me.
Yes, Mumbai and city life is an important aspect to see but it doesn’t
represent the vast majority. The first time I was in India I spent about six
weeks living in various rural villages and it was there that I really got to
understand the culture and love its people. Seeing Mumbai the words beautiful
and lush do not come to mind and I was starting to question why in my journal
last time I kept using those two words. Then yesterday we traveled for hours
through the forest and I saw all the green and new life the monsoon season brought
and I felt justified in my pervious conviction: India is beautiful.
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