Follow up on the last post... maybe it was a one day flurry of activity, and its a coincidence, but Dolly's grotesque wax monument of mangled ants seems to have done the trick. Except for a small area of activity in the kitchen, the ants in our house are now few and far between.

Today we ate lunch with Jacob's agricultural assistant, Homprakash, who was going to be showing us how they do the direct seeding (weather permitting). Weather did not permit, but we learned that he had worked with Binayak Sen before coming to JSS to work with Jacob. Coincidentally, as we were waiting for the Jeeps to leave, we started speaking to a woman who was also waiting for a ride, and found out that she was writing a book and preparing on film a documentary about Dr. Sen.

For those who don't know, Dr. Binayak Sen was just recently released from jail after being held without bail or trial (or even proper charges) for just over two years. The offical pretense was that he was aiding Naxalite rebels, but the real reason is that he was speaking out against human rights violations comitted by government sponsored militias fighting the Naxalites. Both sides are engaged in guerilla warfare, mass killings and other atrocities. Dr. Sen served as an advisor to JSS (not sure the whole story), and I believe he was a classmate of some of the JSS doctors as well.

Totally unrelated, Dolly has suddenly transformed into an excellent cook. She has always been good, though generally reluctant, and her bhindi and eggplant on consecutive nights were both among the best dishes she has ever prepared. I don't know if the vegetables are tastier, the spices are fresher or better mixed, or if its just a matter of an Indian girl being possessed by the spirits of her native lands, but I am willing to surrender cooking duties and stick to washing the dishes.