It takes long times of living in a place to soak
in the ethos, before one can even decide if one needs to intervene, and how. After
years in the village, one realises that to claim to 'help others' is
often presumptive. It is very gradually that the depths of their own rich knowledge comes
to the surface.
'First do no harm'. One may go as a doctor go and teach them basic allopathy, and undermine their own faith in their own vast medical knowledge. One may teach English, and lead them to undervalue their own languages. To sensitively and minimally intervene comes after many years. And even then one is sometimes unsure if one is doing good or ill.
Questions and answers and achings and confusions all arise and mingle. In the churning some questions get clearer, some questions transform. Some answers coalase.
'First do no harm'. One may go as a doctor go and teach them basic allopathy, and undermine their own faith in their own vast medical knowledge. One may teach English, and lead them to undervalue their own languages. To sensitively and minimally intervene comes after many years. And even then one is sometimes unsure if one is doing good or ill.
Questions and answers and achings and confusions all arise and mingle. In the churning some questions get clearer, some questions transform. Some answers coalase.
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