Week 9: An Unexpected Journey
This week was relatively uneventful (or, depending on how you look at it, wildly eventful) because both Kate and I succumbed to a nasty case of the stomach flu and were bedridden for a few days. On Saturday, Kate was hit, and we spent Monday navigating Himachal Pradesh’s nearest hospital, a Tibetan-run institution. Despite Kate’s unfortunate condition, we were both amazed by the ease and economy of the emergency room experience here in India. The entry fee to see a doctor was a mere ₹50 ($0.60 USD). Despite getting shots, nausea medication, and her blood work done, the whole endeavor—including going back to the hospital several times over two more days!—cost less than $30.
Although the hospital was cheap, the stomach flu was taxing (pun intended), and when I fell ill on Wednesday, I had to stay in our guest house with Kate. Fortunately, the sickness didn’t last too long, and I alleviated my boredom by working from home on Friday. Most of my work this week, in-person and from home, focused on India’s new criminal laws. I finished comparing the new Code of Criminal Procedure with the old, focusing mainly on changes in investigation, bail procedure, arrest, custody, and modes of compelling appearance. I also briefly researched changes in animal protection laws (there weren’t many) at the request of my boss. While Kate and I were sick, we managed to land a few interviews with stakeholders in the Tibetan community who were very tight on time and do not live in Himachal Pradesh, so we conducted a few (very helpful) phone interviews about the legal status of Tibetans in India and around the world.
Being sick also allowed me to reflect on my time at the Tibetan Legal Association (TLA) so far. I have learned so much about the cause of Tibet, about how to research international legal issues, about what (and what not) to eat in India, and about my own passion for public interest work. My time in India has flown by—I cannot believe that next week is our last!—and has confirmed what I already strongly suspected about myself: that I want to use the law to help people, and that for me, the best way to do that is through public interest lawyering. I sincerely believe in the mission of the TLA and feel deeply honored to have taken part in their work, even if only for a summer. I am certain that I will find ways to continue to contribute to the cause of Tibet, and feel that I will find myself back in Mcleod Ganj again. The other day, our boss told us that he hopes that within our lifetime, we will see a free Tibet. I am grateful to have done work that would make witnessing such an event uniquely meaningful.
When I was sick, I spent all my time in bed, eating the blandest crackers I could find and watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the best sick show ever to grace a TV screen.
I will publish my 10th blog post on Wednesday of next week, so that I can include the last two days of my internship in my final post.