I had no idea what a tabla drum was until last night, when I went to see the touring trio Bela Fleck, Edgar Meyer, and Zakir Hussain at the Cal Poly Performing Arts Center. I had enjoyed listening to Bela’s bluegrass banjo and Edgar’s classical cello in the past, so the addition of the Zakir’s worldly tabla was an interesting, but pleasant surprise. So after listening to this Indian native entertain a crowd for two hours with his drumming skills, I had to find out more about that instrument. Before you read on, take a moment to listen and see Zakir’s mastery on the table drums here.

As you probably noticed from the video, tablas are hand drums that require extensive use of the fingers and palms in different configurations to make for a wide variety of upbeat sounds (I must say that the speed at which Zakir is able to coordinate his fingers and palms to make rhythmic percussion is quite impressive!) There are two drums in a set of tablas. The smaller one is called a dayan and has a high pitch tone. The larger one is called a bayan and has a much deeper bass tone. The combination of the two drums makes for a great mix of melodies and a fascinating performance.

Although there has been some debate over the actual origin of the instrument, it holds deep north Indian roots dating back to as early as the 13^th century. The drums are still commonly played today, so may be we all will have a chance to tap our hands to the beats of Indian performers during our trip!

-Emily Schaapveld

As an oddball MBA going into dental school next year, I was curious about dentistry abroad and decided to do what any inquisitive, Generation Y person would do: Google it! Subsequently, I found the technologically savvy side of India’s professional dental community. Here are some links if you would like to see what I mean:

http://www.cosmeticdentistindia.com/meet-our-doctors-staffs.htm

http://www.dentzzdental.com/?gclid=CLrw_NSp5qECFQdZbAodXVi5Iw

http://vdc.dentistindia.com/

From these sites, it appears as if Indian dental care rivals that of the United States, complete with general dentists (dental surgeons as they are sometimes called), orthodontists, prosthodontists (specialize in artificial replacements of teeth), maxillofacial surgeons (called oral and maxillofacial surgeons in the United States), implantologists (specialize in dental implants), and periodontists (specialize in dentistry of the gums). One of the above websites even advertises one of each specialty in the same office, something that would be very difficult to find in the United States.

In my search for dentistry in India, I also stumbled upon the website for the Dental Council of India, equivalent to our ADA (American Dental Association). The Dental Council of India seeks to -

• uphold uniform undergraduate and postgraduate dental education training standards
• prescribe dental training curricula
• prescribe standard examinations for members of the dental profession

At first glance, I was amazed at how advanced dental medicine is in India. However, it seems that like many things in India, there are two sides to the story.

While the above evidence shows an Indian dental community that might rival the quality of care (and probably price too) in the United States, the following pictures paint a different picture of the dental surgery that goes on for members of a less privileged group of Indians.

Here we see pictures of Indian dental care being performed on the street, outside of a cushy dental practice. It is likely these patients only seek dental care when necessary circumstances or emergencies warrant some procedure needing to be performed on the spot and at a reduced price (compared to standard dental clinics).

For better picture at street dentistry in India, check out this YouTube.com video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdLtWuf5yEg. In the video, an Indian lady has her tooth extracted, the most likely remedy a street dentist could offer for a toothache. The lack of sterile technique and her screaming will probably make you appreciate the cleanliness and comfort you receive the next time you visit a dentist in the US. If you look closely, I think the purple liquid is some sterilizing solution for reusing his anesthetic needle.

Here is another video of an Indian street dentist: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOlpqZ9gW5E&feature=related. This guy is trying to make a bridge for his patient. In the video, if you look closely, you can see the “dentist” initially trying to use upper teeth as substitutes where lower teeth really belong. The size of the artificial teeth is a giveaway.

I hope this has given you a different perspective on the sometimes crude profession of dentistry, and that we get to see (not get operated on by) one of these practitioners when we get to India!

Jay Ponto

In 1993, the Indian constitution was amended to reserve at least one-third of the seats for women in India’s 265,000 village governing bodies called panchayats. Since then more than a million women have been elected into these seats. However, fewer than 11 percent of members of parliament are women even with the high profile female Indian leaders. In an effort to bring more women into parliament, The Women’s Reservation bill would reserve one third of the seats for women in the national, state and local governments. The bill has been repeatedly knocked down since it was first introduced 14 years ago and finally won passage by parliament on March 9, 2010 by majority vote.

The main purpose of the bill is to increase the participation of women in politics and society. Additionally, it is an effort to create equal opportunity for women in India as a means to breaking social norms that favor men. Many argue that increased political representation is critical to overcoming discrimination against women. It is also expected that the bill will help give equal status to women and improve the sex ratio. The current sex ratio is approximately 933 adult women per 1,000 men, which is the result of a deeply ingrained cultural preference for sons. In addition there are many inequalities between men and women in education and compensation. Inequality is particularly evident in political life. The idea is that by reducing political inequalities it will help to reduce inequalities between men and women through out Indian society, in particular in education and wages.

Most importantly, women are said to bring many benefits to the political arena. They tend to be in favor of much needed public services, such as wells and roads. Evidence also shows that women are more likely to invest in safe drinking water while men are more likely to invest in irrigation and vocational training programs. It seems to me that more participation by women will bring a much needed balance of interests. Lastly, women are said to be more resistant to corruption. Corruption remains a big problem in India.

In spite of the many benefits there are still some concerns. One of the biggest concerns is that the bill could lead to women acting as proxies for their husbands interests. Additionally it is also said to favor upper caste women at the expense of lower caste.

In my opinion, the bill seems to be a step in the right direction, however I feel like it is a band-aid to a much deeper issue. More women in power is likely to bring many benefits but I don’t think that it will be a major turning point in solving discrimination issues. I just do not see how the bill will be effective unless extensive efforts are made to address the root causes of discrimination in India. It’s also important to remember that in spite of the quota, money and power still play a big role in a candidate’s election. Some women have many more advantages than others thus this still might not serve to eliminate inequalities. It seems to have worked on the local level hopefully the same results will arise on the national level. In the US there was no quota system set up to empower women in politics and discrimination against women was a long hard battle. But today with out quotas women are playing a huge role in politics. So will the bill bring about the desired results? Will this bill actually empower women or is it just a means of appearing politically correct? What does this bill say about the democratic process? Shouldn’t women fight just as hard as men for their political positions?

Resources:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/28/world/asia/28iht-quotas.html?emc=tnt&tntemail1=y

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women’s_Reservation_Bill_India

-Jordan Wente

It would make sense that a solution to world hunger could have occurred in a country that has such a high poverty rate, and believe it or not, it is actually much less complex than you would think…….

Just don’t eat.

Prahlad Jani Mataji, who resides from a rural northern village in Gujarat, India, has supposedly survived without food and water for over seventy years! He claims a goddess, who nourishes him enough to survive all these years, has blessed him. Prahlad is a holy man that left his family at the age of seven to find his religious calling. Whether or not he actually has not eaten or drank water in seventy years is uncertain, but he has gone through two different medical studies of 10 and 14 days to test if it possible. The results were astonishing. He never passed a stool or urinated in either study and didn’t show any signs of muscle loss, fatigue, or dehydration. Also, tests on his brain showed that it is functioning at a level for a 25 year old rather than a man of 82 years of age.

Prahlad’s normal day is mostly filled with yoga and meditation, and it is thought that he receives his nourishment from energy sources other than food and water. Considered a “breatharian,” some doctors believe he takes energy from the environment because of his spiritual awareness. Even though it is unsure how Mr. Mataji is able to survive, hopefully these medical tests will give us some answers. I am truly shocked that a holy man with very few personal possessions is possibly holding the key to survival without food and water. Maybe it can’t stop world hunger, but it could definitely give a person a better chance to survive in harsh conditions for an extended period of time.

It seems as though Prahlad’s abilities stem from his rigorous routine of yoga and meditation, but what is so special about his practices compared to other yogi’s? Holy men have lived similar lives for centuries without being able to survive without basic necessities. Since other yogi’s are not capable of what Prahlad Mataji is doing, do you think that an average person could become a “breatharian?” Is it possible that this man has defied everything we understand of western medicine or do you think he is a fraud? Personally, I am leaning towards believing this holy man but I am not completely sold, and neither are the Indian military doctors, who are conducting ongoing research to try to understand this anomaly (Click here for the article).

-Frederick Peemoeller