I completely agree. I only meant that my research focus is not (at the moment) on the activism, although undoubtedly i will need to address the political issues inherent in this movement. I am still determining where to base myself for the fieldwork year. I think it would make sense to stay in Cochin and thus be close enough to make regular trips to Muringoor/Potta, as well as to Kottayam, Thrissur and some of the smaller fishing villages along the coast. I am still grappling with how to determine the extent to which the Divine Retreat Centre should figure as a site for the research. And of course this will depend on what focus/shape/scope the study takes. Any and all suggestions and advice are welcome! Dr. Varkey mentioned that your work concerns NGO's... (there's a PhD student in my AIIS Malayalam class here who is also working on activism in Kerala. His name is John Mathias, and he's at Uof Michigan. You may have spoken with him already, but if not, let me know and I'll connect you if you'd like).
Best,
Julia