India takes one giant leap backwards

What a confused world we live in.  That could be a general statement but today it is confusion over sexuality – in particular homosexuality.

On 27 November in the UK we had the Supreme Court judgment in the case of Bull v Hall[1].  This was the case of the Christian hotel owners who refused a double-bedded room to a same sex couple.  This case has been portrayed as one of gay rights against the couple’s right to manifest their religion – and in this case, gay rights won.  In fact the arguments were a little more nuanced than that (as you might expect from a Supreme Court ruling) and if interested, Alasdair Henderson, barrister at One Crown Office Row chambers has written an interesting commentary on this case in the UK Human Rights blog[2].

Then yesterday, it was reported in the UK that gay marriages can take place from 29 March 2014 – earlier than expected following the commencement of the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013 in July of this year.  This Act legalising gay marriage (as opposed to civil partnerships) had been strongly supported by David Cameron, leader of the same Conservative Party that had previously introduced the notorious Section 28 of the Local Government Act 1988, prohibiting local authorities from intentionally promoting homosexuality.  How times change. (One might also note this Act has been opposed by  the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales, the Muslim Council of Great Britain and the Network of Sikh Organisations.  So much for tolerance and goodwill to all men and women).

So far, so good for gay rights and human rights in general.   Then today, in a truly backward step, news from India that their Supreme Court had overturned a 2009 Delhi High Court ruling and recriminalized homosexual sex.

India inherited its penal code from their former colonisers, the British. Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code 1860 states:

'Whoever voluntarily has carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal, shall be punished with 1[imprisonment for life], or with imprisonment of either description for term which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine'.

This doesn’t explicitly include homosexual sex and immediately begs the question what exactly is ‘carnal intercourse against the order of nature’.  In 1884 the meaning of this was restricted to anal sex, by 1935 had broadened to include oral sex and later judgments have interpreted it further to include ‘thigh sex’[3].   The Court in the 1935 case of Khanu v Emperor seemed to limit legitimate intercourse to only those acts that could lead to conception – ie.vaginal penetrative sex between a man and a woman.  So, lesbian sex, oral sex (between any couples – including presumably married heterosexual couples) and anal sex (again between any combination of consenting couples) would be illegal. Commentators have argued that, although few prosecutions against gay people have actually taken place under section 377, the social effects of discrimination against any form of sexuality outside married heterosexual sex, together with moral disapproval, has permeated Indian society and legitimized prejudice and discrimination against minorities.

The 2009 Delhi High Court judgment in the case of Naz Foundation v Union of India (2009) was therefore a landmark judgment and victory for LGBT campaigners in India – de-criminalising consensual sex of whatever nature between adults in private.  In particular the Court ruled that Section 377 was against Article 15 of the Indian Constitution, which prohibits any discrimination on grounds of sex, religion, caste or place of birth.  The concluding paragraphs of that judgment are worth quoting[4]:

129. The notion of equality in the Indian Constitution flows from the 'Objective Resolution' moved by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru on December 13, 1946. Nehru, in his speech, moving this Resolution wished that the House should consider the Resolution not in a spirit of narrow legal wording, but rather look at the spirit behind that Resolution. He said, "Words are magic things often enough, but even the magic of words sometimes cannot convey the magic of the human spirit and of a Nation's passion…….. (The Resolution) seeks very feebly to tell the world of what we have thought or dreamt of so long, and what we now hope to achieve in the near future." [Constituent Assembly Debates: Lok Sabha Secretariat, New Delhi: 1999, Vol. I, pages 57-65].

130. If there is one constitutional tenet that can be said to be underlying theme of the Indian Constitution, it is that of 'inclusiveness'. This Court believes that Indian Constitution reflects this value deeply ingrained in Indian society, nurtured over several generations. The inclusiveness that Indian society traditionally displayed, literally in every aspect of life, is manifest in recognising a role in society for everyone. Those perceived by the majority as "deviants' or 'different' are not on that score excluded or ostracised.

131. Where society can display inclusiveness and understanding, such persons can be assured of a life of dignity and nondiscrimination. This was the 'spirit behind the Resolution' of which Nehru spoke so passionately. In our view, Indian Constitutional law does not permit the statutory criminal law to be held captive by the popular misconceptions of who the LGBTs are. It cannot be forgotten that discrimination is antithesis of equality and that it is the recognition of equality which will foster the dignity of every individual.

132. We declare that Section 377 IPC, insofar it criminalises consensual sexual acts of adults in private, is violative of Articles 21, 14 and 15 of the Constitution. The provisions of Section 377 IPC will continue to govern non-consensual penile non-vaginal sex and penile non-vaginal sex involving minors. By 'adult' we mean everyone who is 18 years of age and above. A person below 18 would be presumed not to be able to consent to a sexual act. This clarification will hold till, of course, Parliament chooses to amend the law to effectuate the recommendation of the Law Commission of India in its 172nd Report which we believe removes a great deal of confusion. Secondly, we clarify that our judgment will not result in the re-opening of criminal cases involving Section 377 IPC that have already attained finality.

We allow the writ petition in the above terms.
CHIEF JUSTICE
S.MURALIDHAR, J

JULY 2, 2009

Today’s Supreme Court judgment, in reversing this decision, has had very mixed reaction in India.  Mohammad Abdul Rahim Quraishi, spokesman of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board is quoted as saying,  ‘We are very happy with the judgment. There is no space for homosexuality in our social setup. It is a sin, it is a heinous crime’.  K. Radhakrishnan of Trust God Ministries, said ‘Homosexuality is a Western phenomenon. It has polluted the minds of young Indians. The court has recognized this. We are very grateful’[5]. Just pausing for a moment here: so K.Radhakrishnan is very grateful for a judgment upholding a section of the penal code introduced by the British Victorian colonial powers, because homosexuality is a Western phenomenon which has polluted the minds of young Indians.  Oh dear.

For Subramanian Swamy, however, of the Bharatiya Janata Party, homosexuality is a ‘malfunction of the human body and should be treated medically’. He goes on to say, ‘I welcome Supreme Court judgment holding homosexuality as illegal. It is no accident that men and women are born in equal proportion. Moreover survival of the human race requires one man one woman cohabitation. The government and corporates must fund research to find a cure for homosexuality at the earliest. It is a malady that should not be celebrated but cured with compassion’[6].

For all the LGBT activists, however, and many other supporters, this has been a retrograde step, and even shocking in the 21^st century when LGBT rights are being recognized and codified elsewhere.  The well-known novelist Vikram Seth, a long campaigner for LGBT rights said, ‘Today is a great day for prejudice and inhumanity. And a bad day for law and love. But law develops and love is resilient. And prejudice and inhumanity will be beaten back. And Law and love will prevail. The judgement is a disgrace[7]’.

Colin Gonsalves, Indian Supreme Court advocate and Founder Director of Human Rights Law Network said, ‘This is a day of mourning for all Indians. The 2009 High Court ruling was one of the finest judgments for minority rights and for inclusion. This is a wrong and retrograde approach to fundamental rights. That the legislature should take it up and not the court is an obsolete notion. The Supreme Court has said 500 times in different judgments that it is the duty of the court to intervene when there is a violation of fundamental rights’[8].  And let's not forget this is potentially criminalising oral sex between married heterosexual couples - punishable by up to life imprisonment.

I could not find the actual judgment of today’s Indian Supreme Court but once it is made available, it will be interesting to read the legal reasoning behind this retrograde judgment.  I find myself frustrated at the persistent discrimination against homosexuality in India (of course not universally held), especially in a country that prides itself on being the world’s largest democracy and seemingly with ambitions to become more of a global economic power in the world.

Homosexuality is not a ‘Western’ phenomenon that has been exported around the world.  It is a human phenomenon that is present in all societies, whether legitimized or not.  When the rest of the world is finally recognizing the human rights of all, regardless of sexuality, it is sad to see India take two steps backwards, away from non-discrimination, equality and inclusiveness.

Tweeter Meena Kandasamy summed it up: ‘In India, pre-marital sex = marriage (see my blog about this case here), homosexuality = illegal, marital rape = sex’ (rape within marriage is still not criminalized in India).

We hope for change.

 

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[1] Bull and another v Hall v another [2013] UKSC 73

[2] http://ukhumanrightsblog.com/2013/12/11/gay-discrimination-and-christian-belief-analysis-of-bull-v-hall-in-the-supreme-court/#more-20707 Accessed 11/12/13

[3] From http://iheu.org/content/hated-section-377-indian-penal-code. Accessed 11/12/13

[4] Full text that judgment can be found here.

[5] Quoted in Outlook India at http://blogs.outlookindia.com/default.aspx?ddm=10&pid=3096&eid=31. Accessed 11/12/13

[6] Ibid

[7] Quoted at http://blogs.outlookindia.com/default.aspx?ddm=10&pid=3097&eid=5. Accessed 11/12/13

[8] Ibid

Our London rainbow nation

For the past few weeks I have been a regular visitor to West Croydon, where my elderly mother has been an inpatient at Mayday Hospital.  This past week in particular has been eventful.  My son turned 12 on Wednesday and that same day my mother had a major operation.  Nelson Mandela died the next day and in the midst of all this, we have all been sick with some kind of bug.  This also explains why I have been quite quiet on the blogging front, my time and attention having been diverted elsewhere

I have the journey to the hospital by public transport fine tuned now: train connections and platform changes at Clapham Junction honed to a fine art like a seasoned commuter.  The train takes me to West Croydon and from there I usually walk the 20 minutes or so up to the hospital for the exercise.  I’m afraid I still can’t quite call it by it’s grand new name of ‘Croydon University Hospital’ (which university?) and still think of it, and refer to it as Mayday.  I always think name changes and new management teams at institutions are slightly suspicious of things having not gone very well prior to that - coupled with ‘Mayday’ very easily turning into ‘Maydie’ (as it became commonly referred to).  I, of course, make absolutely no allegations about the hospital whatsoever, which I am sure is a very fine place.

The London Borough of Croydon is overall very ethnically diverse.  From the last census data (2011), 14.6% of the population of England are from Black or Ethnic Minority (BME) groups.  The average for London is 40.2% for BME groups and for Croydon it is even higher at 44.9% (up from 30% in 2001).  A minority of people in Croydon – 47.3% - described themselves as White British (1).

Beyond these averages though, Croydon has always been divided from North to South.  The leafy suburbs of South Croydon, where I grew up, are more affluent and solid Conservative-voting, Daily Mail-reading territory.  The 2001 census shows only 15% of the population in Sanderstead as being BME (the 2011 data didn’t seem to be available, but would be roughly similar).   Thornton Heath, however – in the North of the Borough and where Mayday Hospital is situated - has 56% of the population from BME groups (2001 figures) and has always been Labour (to the best of my knowledge).

Growing up in South Croydon, we would always be warned to ‘be careful’ if venturing north of the town centre, preferably not to go there at all – which of course just made it all the more interesting as a destination.  Memories of my teenage years include visiting my half English – half Pakistani friend in West Croydon where he lived with his mother and grandmother; going ice skating at the Streatham rink (a sports option in my all-girls sixth form); browsing in a large Indian supermarket that had opened in Thornton Heath, exploring unfamiliar ingredients and browsing the women’s Asian magazines.

I have not lived in Croydon for many years, so my regular walks from West Croydon station to Mayday Hospital and back have been a bit of a re-acquaintance, or really just getting to know the area properly for the first time.  It would be fair to say I don’t see many other white people around – perhaps one or two, the mix being Caribbean, Indian, Pakistani and possibly some East European now.  The shops reflect this local population, together with evangelical Christian churches, a mosque, an Ayurveda clinic and even a Jain temple – seemingly now inhabiting a former old church.  All in stark contrast to the whiteness of South Croydon.

Mandela faced legally enforced apartheid.  We do not have, nor have ever had apartheid in the UK.  But parts of London are still very segregated along both ethnic and class groupings despite its overall diversity making up our very own ‘rainbow nation’.

(1) Taken from http://www.croydonobservatory.org/population/2011census/56978

Carom at Meza

As we walked around Wardour Street near Carom we noticed many new restaurants and shops from Wahaca - somewhere we had previously frequented - to new cake shops, to gelato shops, to Imli, yet another Indian tapas-style restaurant. Wardour Street seems to have had a mini-revival and it’s somewhere we shall be visiting more often in future.

Carom hadn’t appeared on my radar until I read about it in The Sunday Times a couple of weeks ago.  It was suggested as being an up and coming relatively good value Indian restaurant in the middle of Soho.  Carom is housed in the former Mezzo restaurant owned by Sir Terence Conran’s group.

Carom is named after the Indian spice known as ajwain but is also an Indian game played at home or in cafes, and might best be described as the poor man’s snooker or billiards.  It consists of a small board with pockets on each corner and counters – like draughts pieces – are flicked using one’s fingers.  I’ve seen the game played in relatives’ homes in Calcutta but am still shaky about the rules.

I got a warm welcome from the reception staff but there was some inconsistency in statements from staff of kitchen opening hours. I was a little surprised that it wasn’t an all-day restaurant but closed after lunch until about 5pm. We sat on the comfortable sofas in the bar area with a drink until staff ushered us to a table for an early dinner. 


The decor is fairly simple with no real indication one is in an Indian restaurant apart from a few travel prints on the wall. The tables are mostly set up for two people – which perhaps suggests their target market – with some banquette tables against the wall. The lighting is very mellow with a number of candelabras.

As with many similar restaurants Carom has a set menu – Travellers at £10, and First Class at £15 – but we focused on the a la carte.  We were quite pleased to see numerous vegetarian dishes on the menu. Our starters were poppadoms and chilli squid – we have quite an addiction to these – with the addition of an Indian spice mix.  The mains were a Chennai Chicken Curry and a Keralan Prawn Curry.  The chicken curry was a little too spicy for Sue, but the prawn curry was mild.  With the rice, we had to order another portion, an Indian spiced salad, and a raita that was a complete and filling meal.

We thought the food to be of high quality and with a great deal of subtlety in the spicing.  The presentation had been well thought out and executed.  My only reservation was a relative lack of attentiveness in terms of service particularly as we had informed staff that we had a time constraint.  But that may be because we were the only diners for sometime.  In conclusion, we were highly impressed with the combination of the location, and the quality of the food when our bill was about £42 excluding drinks.  It comes close to fitting my description of the ideal Indian restaurant being a combination of Giftos (link here) in Southall, together with a Central London location, but without paying Tamarind or Benares prices.

www.caromsoho.com

100 Wardour Street

Soho

London W1F 0TN

020 7314 4002

Commonwealth Memorial Gates

We were unexpectedly in Central London on Remembrance Sunday so after lunch we thought we would take a walk to the Commonwealth Memorial Gates at the junction of Constitution Hill and Hyde Park Corner. The area is dedicated not only to Indian servicemen (to include Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka) but also servicemen and women from Africa and the Caribbean who served in both World Wars.

The Memorial is quite simple, 2 large columns on each side of Constitution Hill, a small cupola or pavilion – rather similar to the Chattri Memorial - and 2 stone slabs. The four columns are inscribed rather simply with the names of the major countries and a quotation from Ben Okri (of Nigerian descent):  'Our Future is Greater than our Past'. The stone slabs are inscribed with the major theatres of conflict Commonwealth troops were involved in.  Inside the cupola are listed the names of Indian servicemen who were awarded the George and Victoria Crosses.  We were both struck by the mix of Muslim, Hindu, Sikh and Christian names of all those who had fought for Britain and the Commonwealth.  All mortal and all fellow human beings at the end of the day.

On Remembrance Sunday the cupola was brightened by a number of wreaths. Looking closely we could see the names of the donors of the wreaths. They included the Indian High Commission, the Punjab Frontier Force, the South African Defence Force and others whose provenance we could not clearly identify.

 

 




We walked 50 yards up to the Bomber Command Memorial which was a much more imposing stone monument opened in 2012.  We spent some time reading the personal stories, and the names of the wreath donors. There were many veterans and later some cadets arrived to pay their respects.  Close to Buckingham Palace in Green Park we passed the Canadian Memorial and realised we had only just missed a memorial ceremony as park staff were clearing away.

We were both sad that there were relatively few wreaths at the Memorial Gates.  Where were the flowers from other Indian regiments that had fought in both World Wars?  Many regiments can trace their origin to British Indian forces and were sent to fight on behalf of the Empire.  In addition, my understanding from the Indian High Commission is that there was no ceremony on Remembrance Sunday to commemorate their war dead.  I was quite surprised to learn this. I know that in India fallen servicemen are remembered on Republic Day but it would be appropriate to mark Remembrance Day in London like many other Commonwealth countries including Australia and New Zealand.  I wonder whether Indians are aware of the sacrifices their forefathers made in theatres from North Africa, to Monte Cassino to Burma amongst others.

On Remembrance Sunday and today, we remember all those who have died in wars, from whatever nationality and on all sides.  We remember those who died too young, the families and relatives of those who died, who remember them with a mixture of sadness, grief, anger and pride.

We shall never forget.

 

 

Buddhist revival and the Triratna Order in India - an interview with Dhammavijaya

Back in the summer I met up with Dhammavijaya, an old friend from my school days.  We had kept in touch sporadically throughout the years, but it had been many years since we had caught up properly face to face.  As we talked over coffee, then strolled around St James’s Park, I reminisced over my own ‘Buddhist days’ (as I think of them) in my idealistic youth.  Times were undoubtedly simpler then – before parenthood – and while others were out drinking and clubbing, I was meditating, developing friendships and connections within the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order (FWBO, as it was then), living in Buddhist communities, being vegetarian, watching very little television, studying Buddhist texts and drinking virtually no alcohol.   How times change! -  as the certainties of youth gave way to (in my case) responsibilities, compromises and grey complexities of middle age.  Maybe somewhere buried is still a radical being waiting to emerge once again in its own time.

[caption id="attachment_901" align="alignleft" width="620"] Sangha at the Croydon Buddhist Centre. Dhammavijaya middle of back row, with a white Order kesa around his neck[/caption]

Dhammavijaya (a Buddhist name, given on ordination) is a member of the Triratna Buddhist Order (as the FWBO subsequently renamed itself) and currently Chairman of the Croydon Buddhist Centre. The FWBO / Triratna was started in the UK in 1967 by Sangharakshita – an English born Buddhist monk who had spent the previous 20 years or so in India, practising and teaching Buddhism.  The movement has since grown into an international Order, with centres across Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand.  The largest number of followers, however, are in India where it is known as the Triratna Bauddha Mahāsangha (TBM) (formerly the Trailokya Bauddha Mahasangha Sahayaka Gana (TBMSG)).  Many of these Indian followers and Order members come from the Ambedkarite Dalit community who were among the many thousands who converted to Buddhism following Dr Ambedkar to escape the stigma and discrimination of caste in Hinduism.

Back in February / March of this year, the annual Triratna Order Convention was held at Bodh Gaya in India and I knew that Dhammavijaya had gone out to attend.  I have always been interested in the Triratna movement in India, and the work being done out there by Order members both from the West and India in the Buddhist revival.  I wanted to hear more from Dhammavijaya about his experiences in India earlier this year and he kindly agreed to be interviewed about his visit.

Can you say something about your background and current role at the Croydon Buddhist Centre?

I lived in Croydon from the age of 10, where I went to a school specialising in success at university entrance.  Once my university days were over, however, I faced the question of the direction the rest of my life was to take. I sensed that meditation would help me in finding that direction, though wasn't expecting the impact that the Buddha's teaching would  have on me when I encountered it at the Croydon Buddhist Centre. I was soon living in a residential spiritual community and working with other Buddhists in a 'right livelihood' vegetarian restaurant. Before long I had committed myself to the Buddhist path as a member of the Triratna Buddhist Order, and have been engaged with its work since then. I am currently Chairman of the Croydon Buddhist Centre and have a key role in determining the vision and activities of the centre and community of Buddhists associated with it.

[caption id="attachment_907" align="alignleft" width="960"] Members of the Order at Bodh Gaya[/caption]

Why did you go out to India earlier on this year?

In February/March this year I went to India to participate in the International Convention of the Triratna Buddhist Order, which was held on land the Order owns at Bodh Gaya. There were around 700 Order Members attending, from all around the world, although the majority were Indian.

I think it was your first time in India - what were your impressions?

It was my first time in India. It is hard to sum up my impressions, since there were so many of them, coming so thick and so fast. Arriving in Kolkata at 4.00 am is etched in my memory, not least for the taxi driver on the way to Sudder Street handing me a mobile phone on which I heard the voice of Manidhamma, a brother in the Triratna Order welcoming me to India. I was so touched that he would take the time to do this at that hour, as travelling through the dust and roadside bonfires of Kolkata at dawn felt like being on another planet. I later calculated that every minute on the streets in India something would appear that was remarkable in some way or other, whether it was a horse and rider galloping between shops, a funeral procession jogging as they carried the bier to the cremation ground, or a hand-operated miniature ferris wheel to entertain the children.

[caption id="attachment_904" align="alignleft" width="300"] Dhammavijaya (2nd from right) with Order members, Bodh Gaya (Mahabodhi temple in the background)[/caption]

Can you say what the structure was when you were there and where you stayed or visited?

My visit had two main phases, and a third, which arose spontaneously and turned out to be the highlight. The first phase was at Gaya, taking part in the Order Convention.  I had a room in a hotel not far from the Convention land. Each morning would begin with a procession of Triratna Order members dressed in their distinctive blue shirts and saris making their way in silence to the Mahabodhi Temple, where, in time allotted to us beneath the Bodhi Tree we would meditate, in particular doing the 'going for refuge and prostration practice' with its recitation of verses of commitment accompanied by full-length prostrations.

Much of the rest of each day would take place in marquees on our own land, where we would meditate, listen to talks, and have 'getting to know you' sessions, in which members of the Order from diverse cultures and backgrounds would discover the common commitment they shared to the Three Jewels, Buddhism's highest values. There would be further visits to the Maha Bodhi throughout the day, sometimes dwelling on the significance of the seven places at which the Buddha spent a week in the period surrounding his Enlightenment, and concluding with further meditation late at night.  Food was provided by wedding caterers within the Triratna movement, who do such work as a right-livelihood business. The food was of a very high standard.

From Gaya I travelled by car to Patna, and then over two nights by train to Pune, then train and auto-rickshaw to the Saddham Pradeep retreat centre near the village of Bhaja with its ancient Buddhist caves hewn into the rocky hillside. Here I took part in a retreat led by Subhuti, a senior member of the Triratna Order, in which we progressed through the sequence of meditations favoured in the Triratna Order and heard Subhuti's expositions of the Sutta Nipata, teaching from the earliest stratum of Buddhist texts,

[caption id="attachment_902" align="alignleft" width="225"] Boy's hostel, Ulhasnagar[/caption]

My spontaneous couple of days at the end of my visit were hatched on the retreat at Bhaja. Here I was invited to stay as a guest at a boy’s hostel in Ulhasnagar, a suburb of Mumbai.  There I was to give inspirational talks to the hostel's young residents and to give a talk at a programme run by Buddhist community in Ulhasnagar. Here I spoke on comparisons and contrasts between the British class and Indian caste system. Of my time in India, this felt the most rewarding, since I felt that what I was doing was useful to a local community. I also felt as though I was living closer to how life is actually lived in our communities in India, especially as in Ulhasnagar I was the only Westerner visiting. I could also experience first hand the devotion felt by elderly Indian Order members for our movement's founder, Sangharakshita, who is so loved in India for his part in the mass conversions of Dalits in the 1950s, and especially for the guidance he gave to the new Buddhists after the death of their leader, Dr.Ambedkar.

How did you find the Order Members and movement there, compared to how it is here and in the West?

The main contrast between Indian and Western members of the Triratna Order is that the Indian members seem to experience life predominantly via their

[caption id="attachment_903" align="alignleft" width="300"] Some of the residents in the hostel, Ulhasnagar[/caption]

collective and social situations, whereas Westerners seem to experience life more in terms of their own individual experience. The extremities of these poles are that Indians can find it hard to conceive of their identity as apart from their social group, while the Westerners err to the extreme of individualism and social disconnectedness. Related to this, it is very unusual to find Indian Order members who are not married with children while many Western members are single.

How big is Triratna out there?  Are there other Buddhist groups working alongside or in conjunction?

By Indian standards, Triratna is a small movement in India. There are perhaps 1000 Order members, although tens, even hundreds of thousands more ‘dhamma mitras’(friends) and others who have benefitted from Triratna programmes, teachings and retreats. I understand that the largest other group to be working among the new Buddhists is the Vipassana movement founded by Goenka. Triratna doesn't work directly with Vipassana, which seems to offer just retreats with the teaching of the Vipassana technique, rather than a range of teachings, ideas, and institutions that the whole of life can be integrated into, such as Triratna offers. I understand that many Ambedkarite Buddhists outside of Triratna are prone to see their Buddhism in purely politicised terms, not appreciating how deeply Ambedkar had in fact reflected on Buddhism itself.

What are the social conditions like?

I don't have enough experience based on my visit, to say too much about this. I understand that many of the new Buddhists are very poor, and that there is a problem of alcoholism.  Living within traditional families makes things like going on retreat more difficult to arrange, but the Triratna movement in India is characterised by tremendous faith  and it is quite usual for Order members in India to work much more strenuously for the Dhamma than do their Western counterparts, in spite of the greater leisure and opportunity that Westerners have.

You mentioned that a highlight was staying at the boy's hostel at the end of your trip - can you say a bit more about that?

It was great to see the happy atmosphere in the social project of a boy’s educational hostel that I stayed in. The boys are very poor and many are orphans, yet there they had the opportunity to live in a friendly and educational environment with others and to have a chance to make something of life.

What is the main need for the new Buddhists there?  Spiritual or material?

I would say that the main need for the new Buddhist was spiritual, in the sense that it is breaking free from the mind-forged manacles of caste that is the key to their growth, even materially. Of the many thousands who converted to Buddhism, those who have a practical grasp of what their new faith entails remain relatively few.

Can you share 3 memories of your time there you have brought back here with you?

1. Meditating at night in the Bhaja Buddhist caves by candlelight, and entering a 'time warp' in which the distance between our Order and the caves' original monastic residents appeared very short.

2. The hostel boys taking turns to practise their English with explanations of what their fathers did for a living, culminating in one explaining the tragic circumstances in which his mother had died, and that his father was in prison in Mumbai.

3. An elderly Order member in Ulhasnagar shedding tears of happiness on meeting me, simply because the meeting evoked a connection for him with Sangharakshita, who had brought such happiness and meaning to him and his people.

Are there ways in which we can help or contribute here?

Contributions to help with social projects among Dalits can be made via the Karuna Trust and for direct Buddhist work via the India Dhamma Trust.

Any plans to return in the future?

I would like to return, possibly on an annual basis. I would like to build on my connections in Ulhasnagar, possibly offering English lessons to the hostel boys. In addition, I have been put in touch with organisers of a project called the National Network of Buddhist Youth, based in Nagpur, and with a project, based in Ulhasnagar, that offers training in Buddhism to doctors and health workers.  I am pursuing these connections for a follow-up visit next Spring.

Links

The Karuna Trust - http://www.karuna.org/

India Dhamma Trust - http://indiadhammatrust.org/

Triratna - http://thebuddhistcentre.com/

Croydon Buddhist Centre - http://www.buddhistcentrecroydon.org/