yet again ... getting lost ... then enjoying self-discovery ...

Keeping the questions alive This piece appears in the August 2014 issue of Teacher Plus. Thanks are due to Shalini, Teacher Plus, Rishi Valley School, its students and teachers - especially Radha, Santharam, Kaustubh and Sonali.  A recent trip to Rishi Valley School ( Andhra Pradesh ) presented an opportunity to interact with students in different classes on divergent topics. During the trip I enjoyed being with the students and partially succeeded in soaking in their energies, enthusiasm and knowledge. But, it was their eagerness to know more that left me stunned and pleased at the same time and in no small measure. As Eugene Ionesco put it: " It is not the answer that enlightens, but the question. " My interactions with the sociology and ecology students I shared my experiences at Baghmara ( South Garo Hills, Meghalaya ) and Saiha ( Mizoram ) with the two sets of students. For my interactions with the sociology class I decided to focus on my experiences in...

Kaustubh's very encouraging email got me back to putting in place this post on discussions with students pursuing ecology ( at Rishi Valley ). We discussed what ( if anything! ), from my meager experiences in the region, I could bring in that would add value for the students. We, after a not so long conversation, narrowed down on jhum ( shifting or slash and burn cultivation ). Share some of the questions I faced below. Couple of these have been more pertinent and thought provoking than those I have heard in my meanderings in the region. Some of these are tricky and answers ( as placed here ) may appear a tad too simplified but I understand the session served its purpose and we had a nice time!   Is jhum rice different from wet rice? ( ~ sure it is .... ) Are their varieties of rice in jhum? ( ~ of course, I am not aware of these though!.... ) Does government decide where jhum will be done? How? ( ~ we discussed who decides and how this has been 'affe...