Jawaharlal Nehru University
2015-2016
One Year in India and many more to come…
Anouch carracily-phillips
Contents
Introduction
I.
Sharing my experience as a JNU student
A. How to choose your courses
B. The Monsoon Semester
C. The Winter Semester
D. Being a correspondant for CrossWorlds
II.
The comparative dimension of my experience
A. Two different academic systems
B. Being white and being a woman in India
C. Working in a restaurant: a way to experience social disparities
III.
The contribution of this experience
A. Discovering myself through JNU politics
B. The reshuffle of my academic and career plans
Conclusion
Annex
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Preparing your departure and arriving
Administrative procedure
Living in Delhi and JNU
Taking care of your health
Awesome trips to do and how to do them safely
Front Picture: Rajasthani woman, Camel Fair of Pushkar, nov. 2015.
2
Introduction
I am part of the few lucky ones for whom the choice of the 3A was not a problem at all. When, at
the end of High School I applied for Sciences Po with Le Havre campus as a first choice, I
already wanted to learn Hindi and go to India for my 3A. Choosing the University was quite easy
too. I was learning Hindi so I wanted to go to Delhi, the “capital of Hindi”, and JNU is an
historical University which seduced me for its park, its political activism, its diversity. But
moreover, for the “Chai culture”, this milky tea spicy and very sweet in the same time, which is
the essential ingredient for any debate lasting until 3am or even after.
Since I wanted to be sure that India was a good choice, I spend three months there between my 1st
and 2nd year in Scpo. During two months I did my “stage de terrain” in Rajasthan then I travelled
for one month in the North. This experience was a very enriching one and it helped me to prepare
my 3A in two ways: I was sure that going to India was a good choice and I knew also that it
would be difficult, no matter how much I would prepare myself.
I knew that India is not a country for plans, which one of the reasons why I love it! Therefore, I
tried to keep my expectations modest. I had not specific goal for my 3A except learning as much
I could the Indian society. The only goal I had fixed myself was to become fluent orally in Hindi.
I did progress but not as much was I wanted. Most of my friends come from South of India or
Northeast so I was not
I could have lived in a Hostel on the campus, but instead I decided to live in Munirka, in my own
flat. I didn’t want to be in contact with foreigners at all, to really be immersed in the Indian
culture. I took a room on the top floor of a small building, but before moving in, I lived for one
month with the owner’s family, waiting for the tenant to vacate. It was a great experience! I got
to see from the inside a traditional Brahmin family, to adapt to their style of life… After one
month, I had made so much effort to adapt that the family was considering me as a member: it
took me even more efforts to regain my independence.
Living just above them, I maintained a very strong bonding with them, having the 6 years old
daughter jumping on my bed and asking for stories, the eldest daughter of 19 hiding on my
rooftop to call her boyfriend, the mother complaining about the father in law, the father in law
complaining about his son, the son sharing his pride of being a Hindu while complaining about
all the pressure imposed on him and the grandma, who never says anything and just smile. By
simply living around them I learnt so much! The first thing being that you can love people who
are so different from you, and respect them while disagreeing with them…
My 3A is also the story of amazing friendship! Friends who made me discover from within their
cultures (yes, with an “s”) with patience and kindness. To summarize, this year in India, I learnt a
lot from the streets, travels, people and the classroom was a useful tool in the process, but not an
aim.
3
Part I
Studying in JNU
A. Understanding the System and choosing your classes
JNU is divided in a series of Schools, in which are several Centers of studies. Here are the few
which might interest you:
• School of Social Sciences (SSS)
- Centre for Political Studies (CPS)
- Centre for the Study of Social Systems (SSSS)
- And more: History, Economics, Philosophy, Women Studies, Media,
Discrimination and Exclusion…
• School of International Studies (SIS) – It offers a large variety of classes. It’s the most
diverse School with a lot of students from Asia, Middle-East (a lot of Afghans) and Africa.
Most of the exchange students are affiliated to this School. The level of the classes is
considered to be quite low, with hardly any assignments and an easy grading. Many
students who have a part-time job or prepare national examination follow classes in this
School because of the little quantity of work.
• School of Languages (SL) – Centers unequally developed: some will offer a wide range
of courses (like the Arabic or English Centers) while some seem to hardly exist. The quality
of the courses is very diverse. Usually, the Centers offer classes of language from a
beginner level to a PhD one, literature and culture oriented courses. Check that the course is
given in English!
• School of Art and Aesthetics (SAE) – It offers courses in Visual Arts (mainly
architecture), Cinema and Theatre. All the courses are purely theoretical.
The Status of Casual Student:
Sciences Po students have a “Casual Student” status, which is usually not the case for other
exchange students. It gives us a very unclear and fragile status since for most teachers and
administrators, being a Casual Student is the equivalent of being a free auditor.
To validate you year:
4
-
You need to take a minimum of 8 courses in the year: every course is of 4 Credits (the
general Sciences Po of a minimum of 60 credits does not apply with JNU)
You have to take minimum one course in CPS
You can take the other courses from any Schools and Centers required that the teacher
accept you in his course. Be sure that it is clear to her/him that you want to join the class
an official student, not as a free auditor (which means getting grades).
Being a Casual Student in JNU means two things:
-
No one knows what you’re doing there
No one cares
Therefore, do not expect any help from the administration! You’ll have to be very assertive: yes,
you need to register (even if someone from the administration tells you it’s not necessary), yes
you need to pass exams!! (if someone from the administration says the contrary), yes you need an
official document…etc. Most teachers are willing to help but are just completely unaware on
how things are supposed to work.
How to choose your classes:
I strongly advise you to choose according to the teacher and not to the title of the course. Ask to
other students’ point of view! The level of classes is very dissimilar and unpredictable. From all
Centers I tried, CPS is the most reliable with a fairly good level. The best way to choose is to try
classes! For the Monsoon Semester, I got registered without trying the classes, only one out of 4
satisfied me. For the Winter Semester, I tried many courses and it took me two weeks to finalize
my schedule but it definitely worth it!
After studying two years in English in LH campus and being close friend with Indians, language
was not an issue: nevertheless, for many French students English and especially the strong accent
of some teachers was really a barrier. Take this into account when choosing your classes!
JNU offers only Master degree courses, M.Phil and PhD. Therefore, you can take courses from
Master and sometimes from M.Phil if the teacher agrees.
NB: Courses are counted in semesters; Master I, II, III and IV.
5
B. The Monsoon Semester
(August to December)
1. Feminism and Political Theory –Sheefali Jha, CPS.
4 sessions/week of 1h
1 presentation – 1 final paper – 1 final exam
It is one of the two classes that thrilled me the most in the year. Sheefali Jha speaks in a low and
monotonous voice, so it is sometimes difficult to follow, but she is a great mediator for debates. I
felt that through this class, she was more trying to make us reflects and speak out our own
opinion than to teach us something. The interventions of other students were very interesting!
The readings were though but a necessary starting point for any debate.
Sheefali Jha is a teacher for whom many students have a lot of affection, and it is well deserved.
She is very sweet and helpul. When the attacks of the 13th of November happened, she was of
great support while the rest of the JNU community simply seemed unaware of the events.
She also summoned me in her office towards the end of the year. She had heard about my
professional choices and was afraid I would be doing the wrong choices. I was puzzled at first to
see a teacher entering into what I considered to be my intimacy as I hadn’t had ask her anything.
But in the end, it was a very positive intercation: she helped me clarifying my project, gave me
some advices.
2. Sociological Theories – Avijit Pathak, SSSS.
3 days – 9h to 10h
1 diary – 1 final paper – 1 final examination
I had heard a lot about this teacher, firstly through some former reports (cf Zoé Lerouge and
Simon Chabas reports from 2013-2014) and from any JNU students. I was quite a
disappointment. We studied mainly Marx, Gramsci, Foucault, Adorno, Horkeimer, Marcuse…
but we never enter into the depth of their thoughts.
M. Pathak is in favor of an alternative pedagogy where there are more interaction with the
students and a link is created between the real and the theory. Therefore, we had to write a diary
in which we would link what was studied in class with events or thoughts of our daily life. I
founded the idea awesome, but after some time also frustrating since we never discussed those
diaries in groups. Also, the dialog he was trying to create in class was more like a summary of the
last session by some students at every beginning of class. He was repeating himself a lot and
seemed to not always have prepared his class.
The booklet of readings is an excellent tool of study!
6
He gave me an essay to do on: “The Frankfurt School Marxism and Living in Contemporary
India” (3000 words).
3. Asian Cinema – Ashish Rajadhyaksha, SAAE.
2 sessions in one single day: 2h – lunchbreak –3h
One presentation – 1 final exam – 1 final paper of 5000 words
It was a bad course and a very demanding one in the same time.
Ashish is a very nice teacher, with a soft and sweet voice, long white hair and a small earing. He
is very modest and admitted right from the beginning that this course was not from his field of
study (Indian Cinema, in which he is very well renowned) but that he was enjoying this exchange
year with JNU (he is from Bangalore University) to try something new. The outcome was no a
success and he recognized it himself.
The goal was to study the New Wave and underground cinema of the 1960s in Asia and try to
understand the impact of WWII on societies through the focus of memory. It was too ambitious;
we covered too many countries (China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Korea, Japan, Indonesia and the
Philippines) and too many movies (approximately 4 per week). We had a lot of readings to do,
analyzing very deeply the socio-political context of those countries, which was interesting but
often not very related to the movies.
As students, we got difficulty to get interested in the course but the efforts putted by the teacher
convinced us to continue to do the work seriously. We were 6 students in the class, which means
that often we end up doing class at 2 or 3.
I still enjoyed a lot working on my presentation and on my paper, and got very positive feedback,
which means that this course still had something to offer in the end.
In the end, I did not learn much about cinema but did use several readings for my Feminism and
Sociology classes.
4. Bahasa Indonesia – Gautam Jha, SL.
3 sessions/week: from 7:30am to 9am
3 tests
I wanted to continue Indonesian, a language I started learning in LH as an option. The class was a
big disappointment and somehow a joke. The main teacher, Gautam Jha, is absolutely
incompetent, arrives more than 40 minutes late, talks about his private life, speaks a very bad
English which forces him to teach in Hindi… Nonetheless, he is a very nice person and did
organized interesting cultural events, including a cooking session in his house. Fortunately, two
Indonesian teachers were sharing the classes with him so I did learn a bit. Since these two
teachers were going back to Indonesia for the 2nd Semester, I did not continue the course.
7
C. Winter Semester
(January to May)
This semester, after many travels, I wanted to really settle in Delhi. I took all my classes in CPS
to be sure to find quality courses and also because I wanted feel “part of a class”. I therefore took
my four courses in the same class; Master IV of CPS, where I had already took Feminism and
made some friends.
According to several CPS teachers, this semester was the most chaotic since many years. JNU is
known for its political agitation, but those past few months were unprecedented since the State of
Emergency under Indira Gandhi. We did not have class for almost two months, which meant that
for once, teachers and students were equally in panic regarding the deadlines. We did exams in
middle of an indefinite Hunger Strike in which several of our classmates and teachers were
participating.
For more detail, cf JNU and Students Politics
1. Methods of Social Sciences, Master IV, CPS.
Rajarshi Dasgupta & Harish Wankhede
1 Midterm, 1 Group Project with a presentation, 1 Final.
This class was a compulsory course for Master IV. We discussed Positivism and its theory of
social research. The course was aiming at preparing us for PhD research: how to conduct field
study? How to write a report? How to make surveys and statistics? Both teachers offered a fairly
good course. Rajarshi Dasgupta is charismatic and enters easily in dialog with students. Harish
Wankhede can seem boring at first view since he speaks in a monotonous tone, but his classes are
well structured and detailed. Unfortunately, due to the political unrest and strikes many classes
were cancelled as both teachers are strongly in support of the movement Stand With JNU and
were participating in the organizations of protests. Rajarshi is currently on hunger strike.
We were supposed to go for a week-end of field work, but after the police raid, it was cancelled
for security reason. We did our field work in JNU… I participated in the group project which
THE final work of the master program: the result of our research is presented in front of the
whole board of teachers. It was a great experience to work in group (we became very close) but
also to get an insight on what could be a work of PhD.
8
2. Indian Politics IV: Development and Public Policy, Master IV, CPS.
Dwaipayan Bhattacharya & Narendra Kumar
1 Midterm, 1 paper, 1 final.
This course was a continuity of the precedent semesters: we studied the economic reforms of
India in its post-independence era, the Green Revolution and the 5th Year plans until the
economic crisis of the 1990s and the liberalization of market.
Like any compulsory course, Indian Politics was divided between a main teacher and an assistant.
Dwaipayan is a nice and charismatic teacher who explains clearly his points, even though
sometimes it is difficult to take a grips on where he wants to lead us as there is not obvious
structure. Unfortunately, he gave only a few classes as the political unrest started during his time
of teaching. Narendra Kumar reads notes which are directly taken from one single book. That’s
it. He doesn’t teach, he simply reads. Not even a quarter of students were attending his class.
3. Democracy and Multiculturalism, Master IV, CPS, Gurpreet Mahajan.
2 sessions/week of 2h
1 presentation, 1 paper, 1 final exam.
The best class of this year! Professor Mahajan is a mythical character in CPS and a very very
respected teacher. We discussed the different thesis of multiculturalism, worked on countries like
Canada, UK, France, Germany and India. In a second part of the course, we were taking specific
issues (which language for education? How to deal with secularism?) in a specific context, and
would discuss the solutions possible according to the authors studied before and our own point of
view. The readings were accessible and very interesting.
4. Issues in Political philosophy in Modern India, Master IV, CPS, Rinku Lamba.
2 sessions/week of theoretically 2h, in practice 3h
1 Midterm exam, 1 presentation with a short paper, 1 final exam
This class was too tough for me. It addresses very specific and sometimes too theoretical
questions such as secularism, relation to the state and tolerance. But we were staying in the
purely abstract debate, never entering practical aspects of those theories. We studied the Ashok
Edicts, Iqbal, Gandhi, Nehru, Ambedkar…
Rinku Lamba is a good mediator of debate, a passionate teacher and a very nice person.
Sometimes the class was too long and too abstract for me, but I think that it still managed to give
some basis of Indian philosophy.
9
5. Indian cinema, Master II, SAA.
2 sessions/week – around 3 hours
1 paper – 1 final exam
Twice a week, a movie is projected in the big auditorium of the School of Art and Aesthetics.
You can come as a simple spectator if you do not wish to enroll in this course.
The goal of the class is to brush an overview of Indian cinema since the 1950s, the movies that
had a major impact on the society and/or which depicts the best the social and political issues of
the time. There are about 4 movies presented per decade (around 2 weeks per decade). The
selection is very good! You will get to discover the a variety of styles completely unowned from
Europe
However, the analysis part was of very low quality: the teacher and students’ commentary were
extremely poor with simple factual observations, the discussion usually lasted for only 10
minutes after the movie and the readings proposed did not seem to be of direct relevance with the
movie. Nonetheless, I strongly advise this “class”.
D. Being a correspondent for CrossWorlds
CrossWorlds is an online magazine created by a student from Sciences Po, Clara Wright. Every
year, 15 to 18 students spending their 3A in various countries write articles on trivial object of
daily life through the length of the local culture(s). If you want to check it out:
http://crossworlds.fr/le-projet/
Being a correspondent for CrossWorlds was a very enriching experience. I did not want to hold a
blog but I still wanted to share my experience abroad. CrossWorlds was a good opportunity to do
so in a more interesting manner than a simple retelling of my daily life. It pushed me to analyze
Indian society and in the same time, to take a step back in order to propose an understandable
account of it to mainstream readers. I was also an occasions to publish some pictures, get
knowledge on how to write an article, how to interview people sometimes on sensitive
topics...how to be a journalist!
Sometimes, it was tough to stick to the deadlines as I was often travelling without internet
connection and kept having a schedule completely offbeat with the rest of the team.
10
Part II
The comparative dimension of my
experience
A. Two different academic systems
I was quite unhappy with the Sciences Po academic system. I founded it too rigid, letting no space for
creation and debate. Studying in JNU enabled me to understand how much Sciences Po actually gave me.
I was studying with students who were supposed to be of a level of end of Master, but could still argue my
point better since the way of thinking in an articulated and structured way has become natural for me.
On the other hand, JNU made me realize that I did not wanted academic systems like the Sciences Po one
anymore, that 2 years in that system was benefic but spending longer time in such a framework would
limited me.
CPS system (it’s not the case in other JNU’s centers) relies on students’ participation. Sometimes, their
interventions are messy, it is difficult to follow their point as they do not present in a logical manner their
argument, but students have a passion that I could not find in Sciences Po. They really believe in what
they’re saying and they are truly, physically committed to their argument. In Scpo, students would be
make an argument on rhetorical basis, trying to be spiritual, funny and charismatic and often missing the
point. What was for us a game, politics, is in JNU a survival matter. And we can feel that in the way
politics are taught.
Many students did other studies before entering CPS, often engineering, and even worked for one or two
years. Studying Social Sciences can be the result of a struggle with their family and many sacrifices. It
changed completely the approach to the issues discussed. Feminism was an extraordinary example:
feminism and more generally gender studies are often viewed as something ridiculous in Europe. When I
took a gender study class in Scpo, we were a very tiny group composed of already convinced feminists or
homosexuals. In JNU, the Feminism class was full with a roughly equal number of male and female.
Students were fierce during the debate, because they do not only discuss abstract notions, they’re talking
about their future.
B. Being white and being a woman in India
Talking about “comparative experience with the difference” in the Indian context is more a thesis
topic than a modest report one. Indeed, difference is everywhere, in every aspect of the society,
and not only between the young Scpo exchange student and Indian society, but between the
11
incalculable numbers of communities, clans, tribes, families which works as subdivisions in the
society, often mutually exclusive.
Nonetheless, one difference that strokes me the most is that for the first time I internalized the
fact that I’m white, and that it’s not a neutral factor. In India, a white person is more beautiful, is
more intelligent, is richer: a white person is superior. I knew this fascination for white skin and
blond hairs since I had already been to India, but I could not accept the idea that I would have to
bear constant insistent looks for one full year. It made me angry at anyone who would like at me
more than a few seconds. In the same way, people proposing me to double them in the queue
exasperated me: why would I get a special treatment? I never asked for it! Well, patience, that
something that one’s need to learn in India. Somehow with patience and self-reflection I admitted
that those people could not be blame for the heritage of centuries of colonialism and an eternity
of cast system. I simply got used to be observed and took the habit of refusing any special
treatment in the most polite way possible. Also, it is important to differentiate the tradition of
welcoming the foreigner which is rooted in Indian culture, with the habit of considering the
westerner as a superior…
The second difference I was confronted with and refused to adapt to is to be treated as a
consumable item by males. JNU is a very safe campus, nonetheless, many males were bothering
me to the point of following me, knowing my schedule by heart, and sending several dozens of
messages. Before coming to India I was quite a polite girl who had difficulty getting rid of bulky
men in Paris’ metro. I had to learn very quickly in India! Firstly because the concept of “no” is
very difficult to communicate: most men interpret positively a “no”, it means that the girl is pure,
she is not easy to get. So they insist. None of them was ever aggressive; they were just a bit
oppressive. After a few months, once I got to understand how girls were behaving and was able
to adjust my own conduct: not becoming the submissive type of girl but still trying to fit better
into the social codes.
C. Working in a restaurant: a way to understand social disparities
Since we had no classes for more than a month and a half, I decided that I should get an
occupation, something else than protesting and writing posters. Therefore, I work since April in
Maison des Desserts, a little bistro – patisserie in Hauz Khas Village. I work as a Senior
Manager, a very pompous title which means that I supervise and check on the rest of the staff. I
also promote the restaurant on social media and update the website. Communication is a daily
challenge: most of the staff can’t speak a word of English, so for the first time I’m progressing in
my speaking ability (and in mimes).
The way this restaurant functions is very representative of the Indian working system: they are
three cooks and two waiters. For an effective staff of 5 members we are three supervisors: a
12
manager, me as a senior manager and the owner who, in addition of checking through a webcams
system what’s happening in the restaurant, comes twice a day.
Every member of the staff knows perfectly how to do its job and they could run the place without
any supervision, but if they are not permanently under pressure, they will simply stop working.
So my role is purely to push them which is not a very agreeable thing to do and quite challenging
for me as I tend to be “too nice”. It is a good exercise though: I have to impose myself as a boss
while being young, unmarried and moreover a girl, three big disadvantages in a patriarchal
society.
I’m learning a lot by interacting with the team. In JNU, some students are from low social
background but their education smoothen the difference. On the contrary, the staff of the
restaurant comes from a very low background. The official timings are 10 hours of work per day,
knowing that most of them do approximately 2 hours of transport: I find it difficult to scold
someone you arrived late in such conditions. But the most interesting is that the owner of the
restaurant considers that she is treating the staff in a very generous way (which is quite right
comparatively to overall labor system). A real breach is visible between the staff and her, the
employees are aware of it but she is completely blind to it.
Being the boss means being responsible for the welfare of employees. So I’m starting to have
serious ethical problems. For example, the manager has a two years old son. His wife works as
well in a nearby shop. So it is an 11 years old girl, who comes from their village, who takes care
of the child during the whole day. Naturally, she is illiterate and hasn’t seen her family for several
years.
Being new to this culture, I cannot go and lecture everyone on how child labor is a terrible thing,
as well as I should not ignore the difficulty to pay for a proper nurse or get a seat in
kindergarten… But somehow, the fact of knowing this and doing nothing seems terribly wrong.
13
Part III
The contribution of this experience
A. Discovering myself through JNU politics
This year, JNU was shaken by political unrest. It is difficult to explain in short what happened,
my advice is to check those words on Wikipedia and you’ll get a fair account of the events: Rohit
Vemula, Stand With JNU, JNU breakdown, Kanhaiya Kumar, Umar Khalid…
You can also take a look at an article I wrote at the beginning of the JNU crisis for CrossWorlds:
http://crossworlds.fr/7-etapes-pour-comprendre-la-crise-de-jnu-qui-secoue-linde/
Students Politics are a very important part of JNU’s life and I strongly advise you to take interest
in it as you might learn a lot on Indian society through it.
Many foreigners tend to take an “ethno-centric” position regarding the politics – and I clearly did
that at the beginning – mocking the way politics are conducted in JNU: the very theatrical
demonstrations and speeches, the exaggerated Marxist rhetoric with pompous pamphlets…
After months following my friends in meetings, listening to them, I learned many things about
Indian society, politics and about myself.
The first important thing I learned was that politics are not conducted in the same way in every
society: they are codes, a language of politics, which one cannot understand if he/she doesn’t
understand the context around it. For example, at first, I tend to consider hunger strikes as a
childish act, something inefficient since they are doing it so often and somehow ridiculous.
Because I considered hunger strike to be an act of desperation, when one has his whole life
threatened or someone he/she loves. Not a political tool to obtain more hostels seats.
After a while sharing time and talking with students undergoing hunger strike, teachers also, I
realized that to understand and then, maybe later, legitimately criticize this form of activism, I
should take into consideration the Indian context: firstly, the history behind Hunger strikes with
major characters such as Mahatma Gandhi or Irom Chanu Sharmila; and secondly the importance
of the demands for the students. While Students’ Parties in Europe fight over details improving
14
the arrangement of student life, the decrease of tuition fees or library hours, in India, students are
fighting for a right to education.
The second thing I learned is that sometimes it’s better to act, even in an inefficient way, than to
hide behind an intellectual reasoning. Before being in JNU, I used to follow very closely politics
but to never have a clear opinion. I was following the principle that, if you’re not sure, then better
to shut up. I was also considering myself to inexperienced to have an opinion of my own, I was
afraid to be influenced without noticing it.
After the death of Rohit Vemula, I participated in a peaceful march in his memoire. We got lathicharged by the police, beaten up and taken for a day of custody. Even though it seemed right
show support for the death of a student, I couldn’t take off from the back of my head that
somehow, as a foreigner, I was meddling with things that were none of my busyness, which is
pretty much what the policemen told me.
It was difficult to position myself. Most of the time, I did not agree with the slogans raised by the
JNU students that I founded simplistic and aggressive. Also, I was not at ease with the recurring
Marxist and revolutionary rhetoric. But is it really a reason to not take side?
After the raid of the police on the campus, I had to hide one of my friends in my room. Suddenly,
the violence of the situation burst into my face: one student was dead, several others in the
hospital, some in jails without trials… In the same time in France Nuit Debout was starting.
At that time, I decided that being an “intellectual” who always weight the pro and cons very
cautiously on any topic before taking side should not be a justification for cowardice. I cannot
hide myself eternally behind the excuse of trying to be as accurate as possible: taking initiative,
being politically active means making mistakes, saying stupidities, contradicting oneself, and
changing opinion, but that’s were real courage lies.
B. The reshuffle of my academic and career plans
Before going in 3A, I did not know what I wanted to do in my life. I still do not know what I
want to do, but I know better how I want to do it. Before, I used to consider only myself in my
professional career. I was easily imagining a job alone, disconnected from the world, a free
electron travelling, floating above my century. Now this vision of career does not suit me
anymore. Firstly, I know that I need creation. Secondly, I realized that I need to do something
useful, in contact with others. Thirdly, I’m now convinced that activism, as a citizen, as the
member of a political society is not something negative but something which should be
encouraged and which I consider to be more and more vital. Therefore, I want to be commited in
my society.
15
Conclusion
The only conclusion to draw out of this 3A experience is not it’s not over; it’s just the beginning
of a long travel. I did not succeed in my main objective, being fluent in Hindi, but I don’t see it as
a failure since I learnt so much all through the year. I simply did things in a more sensible way:
learn the social language first, and then get to the oral one. Not speaking a good Hindi enabled
me to use my ears and eyes as I have never done before: I spend a year observing, analyzing and
learning. I will stay one more year in India, learn Hindi, and next year I’ll get a mouth to go with
my ears and eyes, and will start participating and exchanging.
I was a great year, and I hope that all the students after me we’ll get as much as a great
experience!
Little monks, Ladakh.
16
Annex
Content
6. Preparing your departure and arriving
7. Administrative procedure
8. Living in Delhi and JNU
9. Taking care of your health
10. Awesome trips to do and how to do them safely
17
1. Vaccins
I did the maximum which could be done, but it’s not a necessity! So, I did: anti-rabies, Hepatitis A
and B, Japanese Encephalitis,
The anti-rabies vaccine doesn’t protect you from anything! In theory, it simply gives you a bit
more time and less injections if you get bitten. I got bitten by a dog which was showing all the
symptoms of rabies on JNU campus. I got treated partly in the Health Center and in governmental
hospitals (cf Health).
2. Making your suitcase
- Take summer clothes as well as winter clothes! Winter is cold in Delhi!! And it’s difficult to
find winter clothes of quality and of acceptable taste.
- Takes everything you need which concerns medicines and cosmetics. India doesn’t have the
same norms as Europe so you end up with a lot of chemicals.
- Do not overload yourself with books, they are very cheap here and the Library is huge.
- If you’re using an ink pen, erasable ink and eraser pen are not sold in India.
3. Finding a point of arrival
Usually the first week(s) in India are the worst. You’ll arrive in the middle of the Monsoon in a
terrible heat and with many things to settle. The best is to find a location not too far from the
campus. Usually during the summer, they are a few students from Sciences PO doing internship in
Delhi, get in touch with them! Or contact ISA-JNU (International Students’ Associations). They
might help you if you’re lost or book you a room in Araveli Guest House, a guest house within the
campus in principle open only to guest speakers, but there is a scope for negotiation.
4. Getting into the mood
Best Guide: North India, Lonely Planet
To learn Hindi: Teach Yourself Hindi, by Rupert Snell with Simon Weightman.
Novels: Malgoodies School days by R.K.Narayan, by Rabindranath Tagore and The God of Small
Things by Arundhati Roy.
The movies: Bajirao Mastani, Zindagi nahi milenga dobara, Jodha Akhbar, 3 idiots, Gangs of
Wasepur, Mother India, Lunch box, Devdas, Dev.D., Kuch kuch hota hai, Om shanti Om, The Apu
trilogy, Queen…
18
1. Getting the VISA
Start the procedure as early as you can. Do not take your plane tickets too early since JNU send the official
letter late June. I had a lot of issues with the Consulate: they were asking for a letter from my bank certifying
that I will be able to provide for myself throughout the year. My bank refused to formulate in the terms asked
by the Consulate. Apparently, it’s a recurrent problem since the terms asked by the Consulate are not legal
(how can a bank certify that I 6 months I will still be able to provide for myself??). Just be patient and always
polite…
Do not hesitate to ask questions to Sciences Po administration, they are quite helpful.
2. Foreign Regional Registration Office (FRRO)
What is it?
Basically, it’s your registration as an immigrant. It can be useful if you want to extend your visa, obtain more
entries or it can simply be asked when you enter or go out of the territory. It’s annoying to obtain as it takes
minimum three visits to the FRRO, so get all the documents prepared in advance! Enjoy this moment to
observe the crazy way Indian administration works and how it feels to be treated as an immigrant, how
different is the treatment between white people and Afghanis or Africans…
Where to go?
FRRO - R.K Puram, Sector 1. From JNU = 70 rupees in Rickshaw max.
In JNU, to get the documents, go to the Office for Foreigners in Admin Block, first one on the right. The man
in charge is the best! He’s the only support you’ll get in JNU administration, he will explain you everything
you need to know and is very nice.
Three steps:
1/ Get the documents;
-
The Bona Fide certificate from CPS (you might have to fight for it)
The justification of domicile (from you landlord if you’re renting, from Hostel otherwise)
Photocopies of passport and visa (many, many, many)
A Registration number in Admin Block
2/ Online registration – 3 options;
19
- You try to do it yourself. I heard that some people succeeded but I never had the chance to meet them.
Personally, I tried for a long time and never succeeded. Here is the link: https://indianfrro.gov.in/frro/
- You go to the office and do it there (they might be a very long queue)
- You go to the juice shop outside of the office and make it done for 150 rs. It is much quicker.
In any case, check carefully for potential mistakes!!
3/ Submission of the file
1st Visit: There are two queues in the main hall: the right one is for Afghanis and the left one for all the others.
You will present your file to a man behind a desk who will tell you to come back probably the next day at a
specific time. If you have classes at that time, you can try to negotiate for a different slot.
2nd Visit: On time for your appointment, you’ll come to see the same guy behind the left desk. He will give
you a piece of paper with the date and a number, and will send you inside the office. Every time, keep all those
little papers: they’ll be the only proof that you actually came to the FRRO!!
Once inside, you’ll give your documents to a grumpy guy who‘ll you a receipt and will tell you to come back
some 15 days later.
4/ Confirmation email
During those 15 days, FRRO is supposed to send an email to your University (the office in Admin Block)
which has to reply to FRRO confirming that you are studying there.
Tip: before going back to FRRO, ask in Admin Block for a hard copy of the email with the answer, you’ll
need it as a proof, otherwise FRRO staff might tell you that they didn’t received any answer without even
checking.
5/ Signing Authorities
3rd Visit: If JNU send back the email and FRRO received it, you can get you documents signed. Go to the
signing authorities, make a few photocopies in the hall, come back and give them one copy, and you’re done!
NB: if you are late, you’ll pay a fine which is around 25€. Careful, do not joke with Indian administration! I
did it way too late, which putted me in a very difficult situation, having an inspector coming to my place and
being accused to use my studies as an undercover for some illicit traffics (no, I’m not kidding).
3. JNU Registration
Step 1 – Registration in JNU: Go to Admin Block (ask anyone on the campus), some students will guide
you. You will have to fill a few documents, make many photocopies, wait in a very long queue, sweat
a lot…
Step 2 – Registration in CPS: Once you’re done with the general registration, go to CPS Office and get
inscribe in classes.
with your papers signed, go to CPS, SSS1 (ask again). The office for CPS is on the 1st floor.
Step 3 – Getting your ID card:
20
Step 4 – Get your documents for FRRO:
Step 5 - Add and Drop: usually the deadline is one and a half month after the registration (no negotiation is
possible!)
- Get a form from the Office of CPS (1st floor of SSS2)
- File the classes you want to drop/add and give the form back to the same office
- The next day, after the Chairperson stamped it, you can get the form back. Make 3 copies, keep one
for you and give the others to the CPS Office.
4. Getting a room or a flat
a) Private flat
If you want/have to live out of the campus, I strongly advise you to live nearby. It might look close on the
map, but distance in Delhi are huge and transportation not well developped. Munirka DDA Flats and Munirka
Village are two neighborhoods just in front of JNU North gate. Munirka will be a bit more crowded and noisy:
Visant Vihar is greener, calm and spacious but also much more expensive.
To look for a flat, you can go on Facebook, Flat & Flatmates (South Delhi Chapter). You can also contact
ISA-JNU (International Students Association) and try to look for roommates on their Facebook page.
NEGOTIATE!! As a foreigner, the prices can easily double or triple. Brokers might also think that you want a
flat with a living room, a huge TV, a tub or even a swimming-pool… Be very specific on your budget and
your expectations!! Brokers usually take one month of wage as commission. I can advise you my own broker,
Vikram Sharma (+919810125922), he is nice and honest.
b) Hostel in JNU
It is not sure that you will obtain a room. It can take up to two weeks to get an answer and move in. What is
certain is that JNU gathers students by nationality; therefore you might me in the same room as a French or a
German. This year, all the exchange students were in the same hostels, which were far from the center of JNU.
Nonetheless, if you explain to the administration that you wish to mingle with Indians, they might give you a
room in a different hostel.
5. Get a phone, internet…
You might have to buy a new cellphone because Indian pin card do not fit. Main companies are Airtel and
Vodaphone, they’re pretty much the same. You can find all the shops you need to buy cheap cellphones and
get open an account in Munirka Village (just in front of JNU).
Internet is proving by privat companies which are different from one neighborhood to the other. If you have a
private flat which is not equipped, ask to the local market (seller of cigarettes, biscuits… “épicerie” style), they
usually know. If you live in JNU and your hostel is not equipped, ask to the guy doing phone recharge in
Ganga Dharba (from 6pm to 2am), he knows the good deals and is very nice.
6. Bank account
I had an HSBC bank account in France, so I kept the same. By withdrawing directly in an HSBC ATM (in
Priya Market, just near JNU), I did not pay any commission. I know that some students opened an account in
India, others change their deal with their bank. It’s up to you and depends on the offers made by your bank.
21
IMPORTANT: your French bank might block your card!
I went to HSBC to meet my advisor before leaving. I explained clearly that I was moving to India for one year
and wrote an official letter: as soon as I arrived on Indian Territory they blocked my card. They did it twice
again when I went to the Himalayas, and once more when I visited Kashmir. The lesson to get out of this:
ALWAYS HAVE SUFFISANT AMOUNT OF CASH ON YOU….always (I had a very bad experience in
Kashmir).
Celebrating Holi on JNU campus
22
1. Touristic stuffs
To give you an idea on how to start discovering your adoptive city, here is a list of my favorite touristic
spots or activities in Delhi:
- Humayun Tomb and its park – beautiful, green, relaxing… it’s a bit the Taj Mahal but witout the
crowd
- Q’tub Minar – fascinating ruins, take the audio-guide!
- The hop on hop off bus – if you’re alone and want to discover the city safely and easily
- Majnu-ka-tilla – Tibetan atmosphere, handicrafts and little restaurants, but very far away!
- Jama Masjid – one of the biggest mosque, just beautiful!!
- Nizamuddin – for its session of Qawwali (Sufi songs) in the evening, usually on Thursdays and
Fridays, and for its bazar, its night market and its illegal beef kebab
- The Deer park – for a bit of greenness outside of JNU
- Haus Khas village – when you really miss the consumption society
2. Grocery & Shopping
Technically, most things you need in you daily life are available in JNU, in KC market. You’ll find there a
pharmacy, a dairy shop, vegetable and fruits-vala, several food stores and a tiny supermarket, a
photography shop, a tailor, two small restaurants, stationer’s shop, laundry service… For western goods or
higher quality product, there is Priya market, a shopping complex 10 min away from JNU. Modern Bazar
is a kind of supermarket for expats (very variable prices). If you need to equipped you room, Big Bazar is
the equivalent of a French Leclerc or Monoprix: you’ll find kitchen tools, clothes, food…
3. Campus’ life hot times
I was used to LH campus life which is a very lively one. I had almost one club or sport training every
evening, parties every week-end, events during lunch breaks…and all of that in a familial atmosphere.
JNU was rather a disappointment after that! There are no clubs, no artistic associations, and moreover no
sports! Yuk! Running, oh my God!!
-
-
The Election period in September is a thrilling moment. Go to the debate night, it is a real show
with “battle of slogans” and theatrical speeches (even if most of them are in Hindi, it’s worth
being seen).
During the month of Septemver, every Center has a Freshers’ nights
Diwali is the light festival usually around October. JNU hosts some dance and musical shows
The Food festival in January is the event of foreign students. An occasion to taste at very cheap
prices worldwide food.
The Cultural Nights and Hostels’ Nights: every Hostel offer one evening of show and one of
party. Usually in March-April
23
-
Holi – the best moment of the year! Just don’t miss it, it’s awesome, just waou waou!!!
JNU provides an indefinite number of Conferences, screening of movies, talks… Some are of
very mediocre quality and some are very interesting, so keep yourself inform with the posters
boards.
4. Going out in Delhi….
…SUCKS. Honestly. Or you have to be very drunk and take it as a joke; alcohol is extremely expensive in
bars and clubs (not too much in liquor shops), most places close before 1am, music is extremely loud and
bad... Indians have a way to party which is pretty scary, girls especially get deadly drunk. People behave
awkward, like if they were playing a role, imitating or exaggerating attitudes. The only good point is the
Lady’s Night: free drinks only for women the whole night (but the cocktails are not always good, you
can’t give your glass to a boy, there are guards checking). If despite all of that, you really want to go out,
here is a list of places: Striker in Ambiance Mall, if you’re really desperate, any bar in Hauz Khas Village.
Most of JNU students never go out to party anyway, as they don’t have the money and the typically “JNU
syndrome” that gives you the impression that crossing the main gate is impossible.
The best option, is still to buy alcohol in liquor shop in Priya for example (closing around 9h30! Girls,
avoid going alone if possible) and do you party wherever you want in JNU, with a nice fire camp.
1. In JNU – this is a Health Center which offers basic treatments. You can take appointments
with dentists, eyes specialists, gynecologists… Nonetheless, do not expect any serious
treatment, most of them will simply send you to a hospital.
2. Hospitals – if need be, AIMS hospital and Safdarjung Enclave are good and close to JNU. Do
not hesitate to ask any student to come with you since most of the hospital staff doesn’t speak
a single word of English. You will find a good solidarity among JNU students!
3. Dentists – They charge usually around 500 rs for a simple appointment and around 1500 to
2000 rs for a cleaning. You will notice that your teeth’s might become a bit yellow throughout
the year; it happens to almost all westerners. It is due to the huge quantity of turmeric used in
the food and to the poor quality of water. Do not worry! There is nothing much to do about it,
except being more serious than ever about brushing your teeth…
4. Living with Delhi’s pollution
24
You shouldn’t suffer from pollution within the campus as it is very green. But as soon as you
go out in Delhi, I advise you to:
• Wear a masque: Better get a masque from France, here I’m sure you can find some good
quality ones, but you’ll have to look for it. In most regular pharmacie, masques are not
available or of a very low quality.
• Prioritize taking the metro over rickshaws (you’re just at the level of cars’ tailpipes).
If you are asthmatic, discuss it with your doctor before deciding to come to Delhi!! I’m usually
not sensible to pollution but throughout the year I suffered several times from strong headaches,
nausea and nose bleeding after long trips in rickshaws.
5. Delhi’s Belly
Just get to know your own body, all of us have different limits and you should know them. I
personally always ate street-foods, support spices easily and even drunk from the tub (don’t
do that!!) without never getting really sick of the whole year…until the month of April where
I got the worse tourista of my life. I don’t know why. It’s just India.
6. Girls’ stuff
You’ll find anything you need in terms of sanitary pads and tampons in JNU (KC market) or
in any pharmacy. Nonetheless, it seems that the quality of the material used is very different
than in Europe. Doubled with the heat, skin reactions are possible. If you are sensible and
have space in your suitcase, better come with a big stock.
1. Travelling
I came to India for my “stage de terrain” in the summer 2014. I was living in Jodhpur, the blue city. I
visited mostly Rajasthan and Punjab. I also spend one week in Delhi at a friend from LH. In Rajasthan, I
visited Pushkar, Ajmer, Jaisalmer (go when it’s not a touristic time, it definitely worth it), Udaipur (one of
my favorite city for its lakes, gardens and palaces)… What I would retain from this trip is that Rajasthan is
fascinating but way too hot in the summer. Visit it after August or before June, but knowing that it gets
very touristic during the Winter holidays.
This year, I went to:
-
Ladakh in July. I took a bus from Delhi, did a stop in Manali, and arrived in Leh 2 days later.
From there I wanted to do some trek but the rains I did one trek from Lamayuru,
On the way back to Delhi, I took a share cab until Srinagar in Kashmir. I stayed there a few
days, partly because I had no cash and my bank had blocked my card so I couldn’t pay my way
back.
25
-
-
-
-
-
In October, I did a long trip in the Himalayas. I took a bus from Delhi until Haridwar, where I
got another bus to Rishikesh. I stayed there a few days before taking a bus to Joshimat, then a car
to Govindghat. From there I left for a 6 days trek, including the He pilgrimage and the Valley of
Flowers (where there was no flowers anymore). I was the only tourist there, and only 8 inhabitants
were left in the village since the first snows were about to arrive. It was magical!
In November, I went to Jaipur with my aunt and uncle. The fort is beautiful, but I founded the
city too noisy and touristic. Then, we went to Pushkar for the Camel fair, a crazy event!
During the Winter Break, I went to Varanasi with a friend: a magical city! Go to the ghat early in
the morning, and look at the show of buffalos and men bathing in the Ganga, clothes being
washed and sadhus doing their prayers…
During the rest of the Winter Break, I went to North-east India with a friend from Tamil Nadu.
We travelled there for almost three weeks. It took us three days in train to reach Dimapur in
Nagaland, where we joined one of our classmates. He took us to his parents’ villages far in the
hills and make us discover the tribal culture (he is from the Zeliang Naga tribe). Then we went to
Meghalaya, to see root bridges in Cherrapunji and spend some days in Shillong. Finally, we
visited Assam, spend some days in the Kaziranga National Park and left from Guwahati.
In February, my parents came to visit me. I first took them to Haridwar to see the puja by the
ghat in the evening. Then we spend a few days in Rishikesh to relax and do some yoga. We later
went to Amritsar and visited the Golden Temple, then Daramshala and Mc Leod Ganj before
going back to Delhi.
A few days later, a friend from LH came to visit me to we went to Agra and Fatepur Sikri, and I
finally saw the Taj Mahal after three visits in India.
I definitely fell in love with the Himalayas. It’s the best destination to take some fresh air from Delhi’s
pollution and do some treks in a beautiful nature.
The trip in North-east was quite an adventure! It was incredible because I got really dipped into the local
culture since two of my friends were from there. Without them, it would have been a very different
experience: they are no touristic spots as such, no guides and no information available. If you want to visit
those remote places, you better go with a local person.
2. Organizing your trip
A good trip in India should never be organized. Anyway, if you try, your plan will not ork in the
end so don’t bother. The only thing that needs to be anticipated is train tickets, but if you did not
they are three solutions:
- Take a bus, they are always seats available
- Contact a travel agency, some cheap ones are in Munirka, they’ll book you a takkal ticket
- Do a Takkal application in JNU by yourself. “Takkal” means “until tomorrow”, it’s
basically a last minute ticket. The application procedure is very complexed and follows
many steps (including coming at midnight for a call-up). Ask some students to guide you.
3. Travelling alone, but safely
26
I did most of my travels alone and never had any problems. On the contrary, it is an awesome
occasion to meet many people, learn a lot on the culture and practice some Hindi. I even joined a
family for a two days trip in Rishikesh. Stealing is quite rare, simply do not expose expensive
items and keep simple clothes.
Travelling as a lonely woman is common and safe, required some small habits to take:
- Avoid Europeans clothes, skirts and leave-less shirts. A typical Kurta-pajama is both
practical and neutral clothing.
- Avoid taking closed car if the car doesn’t not belong to any official agency, prefer an autorickshaw
- If you have to travel by night, cover you head in a headscarf, it will attract less attention.
- If asked by a man whether you have a boyfriend, say that you are married. You can even
invent yourself a kid, it will create some distance.
- Often, buses are the place where you can get easily bothered. It happened to me several
times to have young men sitting next to me being very insistent, asking me in marriage and
insisting, insisting… Do not hesitate to change sit or to stay fully quiet, they usually get the
message in the end.
- If you feel observed or are bothered by some men trying to make conversation, put
sunglasses, earphones and/or take a book.
- CAREFUL: politeness can be perceived as flirting in India. If you are travelling alone in
remote places, avoid smiling at men, especially if they are of your age. Avoid also saying
too “much thank you”.
I hope this report was useful, if you have any question you can contact me on Facebook (Anouch
Carracilly) or by email ([email protected]). Good luck!
anouch
27