Religious Identity of the Researcher 

Another challenge I faced was my identity. People residing in rural Rajasthan usually spoke in Marwari language. Being an outsider, my understanding of the Marwari language was limited negatively impacting my ability to interact with elderly people. I took the help of students who were accompanying me (in some cases) while conducting household survey. While I was in the field, I was questioned by the interviewee regarding my religion, caste, and personal life. When I used to say my name, people were again confused about whether I belonged to Haryana or Punjab. Many considered me a ‘jaat’ because of my surname, i.e., Malik. People would ask me about my ‘Gotra’, lineage, and other related stuff regarding caste and religion. I always prefer not to tell people that I belong to a Muslim community and have no ‘Gotra’ because when I introduced myself as a Muslim, many of the houses were not welcoming. When it came to talking to the researcher, their approach to me suddenly shifted. They used to occasionally ask me how as a Muslim girl my parents permitted me to come alone to rural places. As a result, it was tough to manage, and my mind was constantly pondering how I might escape from this place because of the fear that surrounded me. Traditional gender roles and stereotypes prevalent in rural communities limit women’s mobility and participation in public spaces, but Muslim women encounter judgment due to cultural and religious norms that emphasize modesty and seclusion for women. There were instances when I was interviewing administrative officers, they frequently asked me about my journey of education, how my parents allowed me to go alone in extreme habitation, and related questions. I always preferred not to indulge in these matters consciously and tried to divert these questions by just asking about their culture and level of education which in many instances helped me to get out of such situations. Language became one of the identification markers for me in many of the houses when I used to interview parents. As mentioned earlier, I always give my name and information about what I’m doing in my PhD, where I’m from, why I came here, and so on. But during the interview, many parents asked me, Are you Muslim? and you look like a Muslim. I questioned them why they asked me this question, and they stated that Muslims frequently utilize unique identification marks, such as the colour of the henna on my nails, and many of them identified me as a Muslim because they believe that Muslims are the only community that uses henna instead of nail paint.