Saturday, January 12, 2013

Salumbar

After two and half years of being in Gogunda, it is time to move to a new place, have a new experience, meet new people. I've moved 70 kms. south of Udaipur to a place called Salumbar. Like Gogunda, it is yet another "source" area - where men migrate in large numbers to Gujarat, Maharashtra and other affluent states in search of work. Unlike Gogunda however, Salumbar has relatively higher literacy levels and people are far more vocal about their rights here than in Gogunda.

It will be an interesting experience no doubt, but I do miss Gogunda. I miss the warmth, the familiarity and the memory of my time spent there. In the 'largeness' of Salumbar, I feel a bit lost. I remember my first day in Gogunda. I was excited, nervous, eager to please everyone I met and more talkative than I usually am. My first day in Salumbar, I feel a bit different. Sure there is excitement, but of a different kind - it has more to do with the work that I will be doing in Salumbar rather than simply the experience of living here. I know it will never be the same as Gogunda and it probably isn't fair to compare the two. I just hope that I can begin my life here in Salumbar with an open mind and who knows what might be in store next!