Ryan Booth back from India early due to COVID-19 crisis

It took a historic pandemic to cut short a La Conner High alum’s in-depth study of history in India.

Ryan Booth, now a doctoral student at Washington State University, saw his assignment as a Fulbright Scholar on the subcontinent cut short due to the COVID-19 crisis.

Fortunately, Booth had worked at a frenetic pace while researching comparisons and contrasts between the British Empire’s use of native Indians in its military and the U.S. Army’s enlistment of Native American scouts on the western frontier.

He worked ahead of schedule and had begun writing a chapter on his research project for a book to be published next year when the coronavirus threat struck.

“I’m very lucky since I was able to get all my research done in the seven months I was there,” Booth, who is scheduled to teach history at WSU-Vancouver in the fall, told the Weekly News last week. “I also took advantage of lots of travel to really see the country as much as possible.”

Booth said the prestigious Fulbright program is designed to promote both academic research and cultural interaction.

“I’m glad I had a chance to represent my country in both arenas,” he said.

The most memorable part of Booth’s experience in India was also the most haunting. It was his visit to the Cellular Jail at Port Blair in the Andaman Islands.

“Most folks go to the Andamans for the pristine beaches,” Booth said, “but I wanted to see the prison where the British kept the political prisoners. It was a place of nearly unspeakable terror. The inmates mostly died from either capital punishment – by hanging – being worked to death or suicide.

“Very few Indians,” he said. “made it out of that jail alive.”

Most prisoners were sent to the island jail for having promoted independence from the British Empire.

“They wanted freedom and liberty,” Booth said. “I will never view the British Empire the same way again.”

When the COVID-19 threat intensified, the Fulbright Commission in India “strongly encouraged” its scholars to leave the country.

“I consulted with my family,” said Booth, “and they all wanted me home even though Washington state was ground zero at the time.”

Leaving wasn’t easy, logistically or emotionally.

“The last week was very hard to get out of India,” he said. “Fulbright made the travel arrangements only to have the airlines cancel the flights. We went through three rounds of that before we finally got an itinerary that held.”

Booth was cleared to leave on March 18, thanks to Air India, the government-run airline.

“While all the private commercial airlines were canceling their flights, Air India remained one of the few keeping to schedules and flying around the world to pick up stranded Indian nationals,” said Booth. “They earned my eternal gratitude.”

Booth left behind many new friends and memories to last a lifetime.

“I will miss the fresh, inexpensive food,” Booth said. “I could get meals from one dollar. They were very delicious meals and always freshly made. India eats very little processed food, which is the American staple. I also became convinced that vegetarian and vegan food can taste delicious. We just don’t spice it up enough and make it palatable.”

COVID-19 may also affect Booth’s future in terms of his teaching post in Vancouver, just north of Portland.

“My main motivation was to have the chance to teach my own classes again,” he said. “Vancouver will offer me that chance and with smaller class sizes than Pullman. The introductory classes in Vancouver number between 30 and 40 students.

“Who knows, Booth speculated, “whether it will be face-to-face or on-line at this point, though. Let’s hope for the best.”

In a related note:

• La Conner High alum Nicole Henriksen, a WSU senior, told the Weekly News that her Peace Corps assignment to Malawi has been postponed until the coronavirus crisis has passed. She was to have begun her two-year mission in southeast Africa this summer. “If it (COVID-19) spreads through Malawi,” she said, “there can be chance it will be canceled.”