MY maiden visit to China
Prof. Gulam Mohyuddin Wani foundation for advance ment of science and technology,4 bismillay colony,srinagar,kashmir 190005
fastwani@yahoo.com
fastwani@in.com
PRESENTLY AT ,19E Noor Nagar Extension, Jamia Nagar, New Delhi-25
Islam has a famous “saying”, sonnet from our beloved prophet to travel to China for sake of knowledge. No religion stresses on education & knowledge as does the portraits of Quran, the book of God. My intension here is not to deliver a religious sermon or discusses theology but agriculture, ethnology and anthropology which were the purpose of my visit to people Republic of China. The great Chinese wall, culture, Chinese medicine & above all its success in agriculture and equiv. distribution of wealth, work culture & social facilities was my interest from last many decades. During my visit to Mongolia via USSAR in 1989 under Indo-Mongolian work plan ,I wished to travel via Hong Kong and to great China to Mongolian on the USSAR side, but to the difficulty of ticket changes & visa procedures it did not mature. Individuals on separate tickets could have changed their travel plans, but as our tickets were booked by Govt. of India under Indo-Mongolian work Plan, the change needed much bureaucratic procedural maneuvering for which we had but little time.
Anyway it was with the courtesy of one of the renowned scientists of extension education in India. DR C.P.S. Pradesh and another famous Anthropologist of Bangladesh, who subsequently assumed the vice-chancellorship of the Raishina University that my name was proposed as chairperson and a lead speaker with travel grants back in 2008. It was an honor and a first time laurel for an animal Technologist-reproductive biologist turned Agricultural extensionist and social and anthropological scholar. My paper on “Traditional indigenous technologies of Kashmir” was readily accepted & it fetched me the honors as stated above, purely on merit otherwise, I was no voice among the world society of Anthropologists, who after checking my bio data and paper invited me to the land which I wished to visit under the prophetic sunnet “go to learn and seek knowledge anywhere, even as for as China”. So it was an allurement for me too.
In this narration, I do not wish to discuss the science or the scientific talk I delivered in the 16th world congress of Anthropology and ecological resource management.” The chairman’s report and panel extracts and proceedings of the 16th congress under ICAES 2009 are available on web by pressing my name as Ghulam Mohyuddin Wani. My report as chairman can also be reed on www.articlebase.com . Here I shall be presenting a cultural & social view of development of a nation called China, who virtually settled down to reconstruct their country, plagued with war, disease, opium and other cultural transformation two years later than our independence in 1949. Our history of Republic of India is two years older than its younger sister born in 1949. One choose freedom of speech and liberalism, the other choose socialism, equality and equal resource distribution. I as a visitor wish to compare the two great countries in their quest to feed and raise the standards of their people which roughly makes half the world population in 2025.
System of 16th world congress management
From the invitation, arrangements of travel & the schedule of events including chair persons was known to us on web a few week before the due date of 27th of July, 2009, while we all were at home. The meticulous one-time room nos. where the sessions were hold is like having no parallels in world. I have seen even more advanced nations holding these conferences in hotels where well trained hotel managers are available but fail to arrange and the system often fails at the end. Here all information’s on sessions including time schedule was circulated on web. To my surprise each and every step was followed strictly under minute to minute ternary, giving a sense of belonging to a nation marching ahead with dedication, sincerity and discipline.
The visa section too was informed in advance and we had no difficulty in having Visa and travel to Kunming, where the event was held. We noticed a change in system from Bangkok airport itself. An excellent arrangement which includes “Muslim prayer room” in Bangkok airport reminds me of our airport at Srinagar, where people often pray in galilees or in open air ground blocking traffic. A simple room (Mosque) with Wash room (WAZOO KANNA) separate for women & men gives an impression of neat & clean mosque, which even one hardly finds in Delhi or Islamabad, the neighboring nations with world’s maximal Muslim population. On reaching Kunming, you felt a miss not because of any lack of courtesy or humility, but of language. Very few people speak English fluently. Even without conversation, the trip through emigration & customs was so smooth and speechless. The swine flu health check too was talkless unlike the near jolting frisking at our own airports, humiliating to the extent of becoming daily newspaper headline. Occasionally, the mam or the Herr (Mr.) sitting on the custom or immigration check bench may point some thingh towards passport he is checking, a translator is handy to get answers required from the passenger, the whole mechanism of security immigration.,and customs was a nice hospitable and humble which is not seen in our democracies big or small,precisely such systems are lacking in Jeddah,newyork,frunkfort and delhi airports.
Arrival at Kunming airport
On reaching Kunming, you felt a miss not because of any lack of courtesy or humility, but of language. Very few people speak English fluently. Even without conversation, the trip through emigration & customs was so smooth and speechless. The swine flu health check too was smooth and whole plane was checked without fuss or jolting, frisking as is seen at our own airports, humiliating to the extent of becoming daily newspaper headline. Occasionally, the maim or the Herr (Mr.) sitting on the custom or immigration check may point something toward passport he is checking, a translator is handy to get answers required from the passenger. The whole mechanism of security immigration & swine fever check was so smooth, well directed and monitored that none of the passenger were disturbed or even dislocated. Quarantine health officials visited every seat while we were in the plane itself and checked the formalities. The same procedures followed at Delhi airport after de boarding from the plane are boring and all fuss and frustration.
On arrival after completion of formalities at airport, I was worried how to confirm my hotel & transport. I was told volunteers will be on airport. I looked for them. They had located themselves at the only exit at airport & I could locate them easily. On enquiry, they phoned Saagul hotel, where I was to stay. I had just booked my arrival & not paid in advance. I was old yes your name is on hotel computer & a single room with a king-size bed is awaiting you. It was raining cats & dogs. We tried to negotiate for a cab to hotel. By this time another Mr. Adikari or someone from Maharashtra too joined me. He too was booked in Saagul Hotel, so we decided to share the taxi charges. In the meantime I changed 100 dollar & got 675 Yuan, Chinese money in exchange.
Volunteer a girl student of internationality Yunnan University advised me to wait. Arranged an umbrella & took us to a long queue for haring the taxi. The whole place was covered nicely. She left in at the queue and grew a small slip dotting name of hotel in Chinese. The driver we knew by now cannot understand us & we saw a cab just like an automat. It stopped, the driver came out & opened dickey, perhaps only for people like me with white hair. He urgently rested in his seat, which is well guarded & separated by a fence inside the cab like a pilot’s cabin.
It is right hand driving & small Suzuki ( Maruti 1000 type cabs) all with meter facing the passenger. Mr. Adikarie bag was put on the front seat & we set out for our sojourn to hotel. It took few rounds & we reached the hotel. All hotels where booking of guest to 16th congress were made was clearly visible with large red cloth banner (painted with white letters) Emblem of the 16th Anthropology congress. The meter showed 33 Yuan. My friend from Maharashtra said, his money is locked, please pay. I paid a 50 Yuan note. The driver exchanged the rest & left us in the hotel. It was the same problem of language in the hotel. We were asked to pay whole amount in advance. We gave dollar (US200) two hundred which made around 14000 Yuan., 1200 Yuan were room rent & breakfast @ Yuan 200 per day i.e. 6 days we paid 1200 plus an addition 100 for key. It took us few minutes or half an hour in an ordeal with the hotel management. We could not understand them & the translator was called to explain that 100 extra is need for caution money for the key. All locks are computerizes. A police gentleman came to help me and took my luggage. Perhaps due to my long name & height they confused me as European or my age stimulated him to respect the white haired gentleman, he took my luggage only leaving mahratrain gentleman to grumble and pick up his. I thought I am booked in ground floor, but no all ground floors are conference room & for management ,2nd floors are dining hall & care takers rooms. Our floor was 4th & my room was 406. The hotel has around 8-9 flours. We were comfortable, a good room, with hot water, TV & all necessary facilities, it faced an open hotel compound which bore an old dead tree. The hotel has two building, new & old. We were lodged in new building. Here too we in the hotel reception we were greeted by the ever smiling volunteers who had computers & well equipped information. They asked for my registration receipt. Once I handed it to them, they immediately handed over the bag, proceedings, an identity card, well computerized, meal coupons and all necessary accessories we needed. They advised us to have the identify card around our neck all the time and visible to avoid any identity problem. Later we knew it importance. It was more valued than our passport as it carried all information’s about us and we were free to use bus and local hospitability on appearance of the card till we were in China. One night I got up at night for prayer & heard a big tug. I was puzzled what it was ?soon I heard much noise & walking gaits of the police siren etc. Early morning, when we started for the congress venue we found the big, old tree has succumbed to the cyclone type heavy winds in the ensuring night & hard stuck to the old building at 4th floor, just opposite to my room. I thanked God, it could have titled on either side. God forbid had it crumbed on the otherwise, it would have struck our room too. On the opposite was the management room. The building is so strong & permanent that except few glass pieces no one was injured or damaged. Early in the night & next morning, whole areas were condemned by the police and red taps were plotted around the trees ,and all inmate asked to move accordingly. By the evening all the tree was cut and removed without any fuss. The whole eventuality took only few minutes for the police to tackle. Had it been in my country it would have consumed hours and perhaps days to clear the street.
We wished to go to the conference venue. I was having my identity provided by the 16th world congress organizers, it was 4654. All our (delegate information) was contained in a small chip fixed in the holding of the card. We were advised to wear this card, where ever we go. I was wearing it, but my Maharastrian young man somehow forgot it in his room, so far his safety we had to abandon the visit to the conference venue at night. He was not allowed entry in the campus, in spite of his requests. Again the translation and language interlockers could not help as rule is rule. The policeman on duty cannot allow you without a card to enter the campus. This is where one wonders the mechanism was foul proof. On all streets on our way back to hotel we saw alert young police boys and girls drilling in the evening hours. Luckily our hotel Saagul and university Yunnan is about 1-1/ ½ kms apart. The whole road banks the green water lake of Yunnan province. It has Children Park cum boating facilities. Its water alone gave and impression of sever pollution. Even if we call dal lake is polluted but its waters are transparent and clear. The green lake waters are a concoction of water & its pollutants. Here the thick layer of green gives an impression of a muddy algae layer. I did not dare to touch the water. All around the green lake banks, you find tall & small plants well maintained with bus stops (one-way of course) and hotels, banks and shops.
Here may I add, before 1947, free trade route commonly called silk route was famous. It had travelers from china, magnolia, Afghanistan, USSAR & all south western Muslim countries. I had heard of Ksahgar, Iskardu, Gilgit, Saingchin, Tibet & many names of Chinese, business centers coming to Kashmir which is good olden days used to be written as “Cashmere” perhaps meaning a “money paradise” or an exalted business canter. It used to be a meeting ground for Russian, Afganistan, Chinese, Asian & European travelers. The price structure and maneuvering price is thus a common feature of all these cultures. The only difference I find is the well organization of the shop on European style unknown in Indian culture till date. All shops are energy saving, sell refrigerated & nicely maintained. The only difference is price auscultations.
Next morning at breakfast hall I was told these is vegetarian & non-vegetarian dishes. The breakfast consisted of boiled corm stuck, bread, milk, soup, Chinese’s sold & vanities of rice puddings and fruits. We have a heavy breakfast. My Maharaastrain friend used to hide himself now, lest I may ask the money he owes me back. He had a known acquaintance & asked him illegally to share his room. This guilt refrained him to hide from dissect conversation. I thought he is avoiding because he owes me some Youn. However, two days later I was able to recover my money debated to him less by 8%.
Because of drinking habits of most of our Indian colleagues, it was difficult to have dinners in company. 2nd day dinner too was on bread & milk, but on 3rd day on Iranian women scientist informed me that even dinners are arranged for us. First day is shared a vegetarian meal at conference, with some American friends. Later I met Dr. Zulfikar sb form Bangladesh, who informed me that arrangements of a Muslim meal are available. It was a Bengali Professor couple who guided me to the Muslim meal just one storey upstairs of the vegetarian meal. The Muslim meal was all cultured green.
Those who greeted us at doors & those who served inside all were clewed in scoffs just like any Muslim country. I wonder why people in Europe or so called democracies forbid use of scruff or veil. It is a custom or cultural practice more than a religion dress. I remember having my BVSC & AH in Bikaner, Rajasthan, and a Hindu populated state. Never in our social work under mobile clinics could we see the face of nay women who brought their animals for treatment they were clayed in “Chuddy” a sari wrapped up on the head. If a properly sari clad women of Rajasthan is compared with a veil covered Muslim wo0men in salvar-Kamez. (Women Punjabi or Indian suite for women), the one with full dressed sari is more veiled than the other.
I was pleased to see that a cultural touch was effectuated in China. We were delegates of 16th world congress on Anthropology ethnic conflicts & ecological resource management. Therefore, the conservation of every culture, system of dressing & ecosystem becomes necessary. I salute the judgment of the organizers for this type of positive and global attitude. Western world & culture was respected because they honored your culture, ethnicity and tradition. They posed to be human rather than ration alit. The recent bans on Turban or chasing of turban clad in USA or ban on burqua in some western countries speak of their cultural, ethical and moral erosion. We preach of global village economic & marketing system. We talk of global peace and human respect. How can we thrust a mono-culture, which has now shaped itself a cover-less-naked exhibition of human bodies? Even today’s headliners (I am writing this epilogue on 2nd of Aug, 09) in Hindustan times carried a half naked first American lady, as was described. Among 30,000 webs opinion givers most of them did not like it. If we in the global world cannot beat to see a half paint gladded American 1st lady, how do we object tousle of burqua or turban by other global cultural traditions? I do not wish to enter into this conservation or discussion her, but wish to remind my readers, the way cultural ethnicity & food culture was projected in Chinese conference, suited well to their transformation. Is it a step forward to number one global leader in becoming whatever, the change in cultural temperament and religious tolerance is just befitting human dignity and liberty? A scornful scream of German in their Bhanhoffs (Railway stations) on seeing a foreigner especially from Asia of Africa reminds me of mind set of the westerners. Even if we surpass them in knowledge and awareness your ethnicity is mocked at although in private or in gestures. Such type of hyper superiority is not see n in a nation of billions, who has strived all alone, with dedication & sincerity to be the future global poser. They attained & adopted a system of their own, free and humble. I shall give elaborate accounts of their agricultural management, rainwater conservation & preservation of ethnic minority in Yunnan province. In our future narration we shall discuss:
- Visit to Negus- Muslim village
- A walk through green hours
- A walk or enrooted to a mosque in Yuan.
Next morning we went to the Yunnan university venue of the 16th world congress. All walls and streets had the red labeled banners. Even though we needed to ask for the venue specified for our sessions. An area of 1-2 kms radius encompassed sessions, the details of which were in the main building designated for the congress. We were together at Room No. 306. I was to present the paper lead paper as 4th speaker on F/N of 28th of July AM, as the sessions were to start at 8 AM. All arrangements were in Vogue, but none was there at 7.45. All rushed to Room No 306 exactly around 8 AM. This showed a dedication & discipline of highest order.
The laptop of Lenovo type & a fixed LCD on roof was switched on. I handed over my pen drive to the volunteer. She got it on the computer & rehearsed the slides, as I was worried, whether the systems shall operate smoothly. It did never before, have I seen such an accurate and timely managed symposium. Every session had a penal chairman and a session chairman panel chairman was responsible for introducing the chairpersons in each session. Every session had a co-coordinator assisting the panel chairman and every session chairman was assisted by a co-chairman and secretary. All the secretaries were Chinese. They were meticulous in checking down all discussions calmly.
The method of presentations discussions were meticulously monitored and timely presentation discussions & refreshments were the unique feature of this congress. One wonders at the arrangements made of tours, travels grants & even certificate distribution. All arrangements were made through student volunteers who learn English.
My presentation made me many friends from India, USA, Taiwan, Philippines, and Honkong & China. Most of the delegates appreciated my lecture & I felt short of my visiting cards. I distributed same typed computer graphics. Since my presentation, wherever I went I was respected & honored. The coupon asked at door was just another good thing of the congress. Your tag no identity card was enough for you to go through all the halls, meals etc after I conducted the session 4 on 28th of July, 09, many students & friends become handy & helped. The next day evening was scheduled for tour. My Indian friends told me that there is visit arranged for a Muslim village called “NAGU’. This was an allurement for me, as we had heard many tales, about China. I could not get a ticket as all the seats were booked. I felt a bit sorry why I have not booked the tour in advance. In the evening, when we were at dinner table, a professor from Mysore has been to the NAGU village. He was all praise for it, and allured me to visit the village too. When I told him about the non-availability of the ticket, he got one form me, as same Indian had booked or attained more than one ticked. This had perhaps resulted in the death of seats. Al arrangements were free but prearranged. I got the tickets at night. Early in the morning I contacted the volunteers and asked then for a change. Every ticket bore a tag & IDNU, as my id No was different than Prof Assad form whom I had the ticket. I got it changed. It took some 5-10 minutes for the organizers to make the change & boarded the bus meant for NAGU village. Each bus carried passengers adequately. All were seated comfortably. At the onset the volunteer was continuously insisting to use toilets, as 90 km run, the bus wait stop. Repeatedly all went to ease themselves and the bus travel to Negus begins with an excellent Chinese speech by a volunteer which was translated by one Muslim Ayub-too a Chinese Student. He spoke excellent English & has a beautiful art of narration as a guide. When he introduced himself as a student of international of Hunan University, which trains & teaches in English, I was amazed. He was inhabitant of the area. There were 4-5 bus bound to NAGU village & each bus has 30-40 passengers. All passengers in the bus were grouped in 10-20’s and assigned to each volunteer, who was to show as around & take as to a family.
At the start we were given an excellent book containing details of NAGU village. I am enclosing its extracts as annexure I to my episode, so that I do not miss any details. When we left Yunnan university campus, we averse accompanied by a police car and all traffic lights were as so that an traffic neither got disturbed, not we had to wait for traffic clearance within the city, I have noted down the villages & stops which fell on our way. (Annexure II)
All the farms were excellent & free from muzzle buzzle on the highways as we see in India. It reminded me of a European travel l through country side from Stuttgart to Hannover in 1994. Just like Germany all in well managed & arranged.
Unfortunately, in the middle of our Journey, the driver stopped, he had developed some snag in the bus. Police accompanying the cannon immediately come into action & all buses enrooted to NAGU surrounded us on the open road. We were shifted to the other buses without any fuss or lots of time. Later the bus after repairs joined us at “NAGU”. During the entire Journey the student guided us through villages little townships all neat & clean. We noticed following few things which differ from our.
He says where the huge population of the world’s most populous country is. No jumbling on roads or no animal human traffic on the road. One wonders even in Delhi, we come across various farms of transport. I recommended to sari, my guide & teacher.
Coming to NAGU village was a festive occasion. All villages, its chief elected representative, town hall officials & civilian were waiting to greet us school boy & girls were greed up as volunteers to guide us & had arranged the show. Amusingly, all girls of the village wore scurf on their head. Believe me or not the dress was more Islamic than the schools & colleges of Pakistan, India or any other Muslim country. It gave an impresion as if we were in Makka- Medina, the green wrappers arranging the show. The town hall function started with an ethnological thesis abstract by a scholar, followed by narration & description of Nagus village, its population, income, industry. We were allowed to questions & got convincing answers. My Bengal adashy fellow’s Muslim professor, was all along suspicious & believed whole village was a created story, till we visited the mosque. A separate well decorated mosque flanking the main mosque of Nagus was for women. I dare to say no such arrangement I have seen in any place except in Makka where all pray together (Men & Women) & in Madina where separate bounders for men & women in the same mosque are there. I quote Nagus mosque experience is the best in the world. We went to the individual Muslim families. We were forbidden from smoking or drinking alcohol in the family house. We were told none of the Muslim families of NAGU smoke as smoking & drinking is prohibited in Islam. I have seen people smoking in Makka- madina. Here is a true preserved Muslim culture in NAGU. Amusingly, the only vice I found in rest to the Chinese, whether in streets or garden is smoking. It seems, every one smokes, but I could not find a single incidence of smoking in NAGU village.
To be continued