It's pretty much just as bad for many immagrants like the Thais who get 50
cents an hour and have to pay thousands to get here.
----- Original Message -----
From: Rick Archer
To: [email protected]
Sent: Monday, December 11, 2006 9:42 AM
Subject: [FairfieldLife] Inside Pundit Info
From a friend:
a.. There are 110 mother divine. In my opinion they are Not so divine or
they would volunteer to downsize or share their accommodations for the use of
themselves or others enough said. Many more could fit well into trailers by
bunching up.
b.. On the 8 Nov. '06 there were 106 Purusha in town & 456 pundits & cooks
etc. I did not get the ratio of cooks to pundits. 23 more arrived to that
number in the night of Friday the 8 Nov. or early Sat. morning. I saw 2 buses
so perhaps this figure is one bus short. 23 more were expected next day so the
figures may be off by 23 but to my figure you may well add 46.
c.. I was led to understand they may not increase the numbers till Jan. 07
but then far more will be in the pipeline to FF.
d.. Some of the pundits are rather unhappy for the trip here did NOT fit
their personal vision of life here as they had envisioned it for so many years
in various spots in India. They felt or dreamed that when they came here they
would be able to interact much more with people at the university. That dream
was shattered. It was never promised to them. Only a trip to the states was
promised. They trained many years for this.
e.. They are from all over India & are housed by language groups: Hindi,
Bengali etc. The different language groups cannot speak between themselves as
yet. For this they use several translators. Three inside the group but some
outside the fence/cage. (The pundits' living area is a cantonment surrounded by
a high chain link fence, covered with a tarp, so that they cannot get out or
even see out, except out the rear in the direction of some private stapathya
ved homes, nor can others get or see in.)
f.. My personal feeling it's not the best for them. University
administrators are not primarily motivated by love for the pundits, or concern
for their home sickness but by the feeling that their program would suffer and
thus we all would suffer if they were NOT single pointed. Only a few of the
pundits long for the freedom from the wall/fence - mostly the younger ones. The
more mature ones understand & willingly accept this, knowing that as conditions
& housing improve will enjoy more freedom out in Vedic City.
g.. Their commitment is to Save N. America from some terrible event or
series of events. Even eliminating the stress of earthquakes or mountain
violence as far as the Cascade Mts. or Yellowstone area etc. Thus they stay
with in the walls/fences. The cooks only come to the gate to receive food &
necessities. NO woman is allowed, as is the case in India as well.
h.. Some western staff men are allowed in daily to clean the things
reserved for "dalits" - untouchable - i.e., toilets etc. but they have to take
oaths that they will just do their jobs and avoid speaking much & make eye
contact only if necessary. They are monitored as any maid would be to see their
work is completed well & silently. The toilets used are not Western ones but
the squatting type used in India.
