Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Excerpt: Moving Parts - Hajiriya and Gajiriya
Some people work to live; some die of working. Others end up realizing their dream; others end up dead poorer as ever.
Let's count ourselves lucky. After a day's work, we don't cough blood due to hardships nor do we inhale the smell of pulverized sand nor our hands caloused from hard labor. Some people in other parts of the world -- including the Philippines -- have to literally cough up blood for a few peso.This Granta article is an ode to all of them.
Moving Parts: Hajiriya and Gajiriya | Online Only | Granta Magazine
Excerpt:
Gajiriya squats next to me, staring at the ground, saying nothing, nodding every now and then, to agree or disagree. When I ask him something, other people answer for him. It doesn’t feel as if he’s unable to talk; there seems to be no physical impediment. It’s as if life has robbed him of speech, as if a disbelief at his own condition has turned him mute. Following his gaze downwards, I notice something: there are small balloons at the end of each of Gajiriya’s fingers, the fingertips are swollen, turning each finger into a weird probe shape. Arching over its swelling, the thumb of his left hand still has a long, manicured vanity nail, typical of western Indian men.
As I’m photographing the boys, they start talking about the contractor who came to recruit them.
‘Does he still come?’ I ask.
‘He doesn’t come.’ Hajiriya shakes his head. ‘He knows we know. We all know what those factories do to you.’
‘So now they are recruiting from much further away,’ Magan adds, ‘from other states, all the way north in Rajasthan, from further south in Gujarat.’
‘We will kill that contractor if he comes here again.’ Suddenly there is a small pulse from Gajiriya. ‘The villagers will all gather and kill him.’
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how are dee hope u doing fine there. be safe!
This is sad. =,{
Talagang wide www reader kayo, Kuya Nebz.
Kumusta na?
so sad and this is reality! :(
Some people work to live, some people die to work for others to live...we all die one day, at least we work for those who will come after us, para di na sila magsuffer like us.
Meron ba ganun hehehe.
The horrific abuses suffered by workers continues to thrive in any society and it is ironic that in Christian country like Philippines flourish because of the 3 major elements, the state of hunger and poverty on the workers, the sins of greed and cruelty of the Capitalist and the Business Communities and the inaction and disregard of the Government to the cries of the workers and favoring the rich and the elite.
What makes it even sadder is the fact that parents would even sell their kids for few rupees to contractors to work in factories in the cities, because of extreme poverty. These kids end up being exploited and deprived of basic needs let alone a decent meal.
This perennial problem has been compounded by 'institutionalized' social injustices brought about by their Caste system. The members of the lower caste are the more likely susceptible to being victimized by this oppression.
@Jess and RJ: I'm fine na po. Naka-Buddha sit na nga ako e. Hehe. Thanks for your prayers.
@YB: True. It's sad. It's happening around us. And the sadder fact is, it will continue to happen until God knows when.
@Kenjie: And that's the reason why we are trying our best to make our family's lives better. Para ung susunod sa atin ay hindi na mahirapan. We are abroad so we can give our children good education and a decent shelter. They, in turn, will have better chances of their future. Sana nga ganun ang mangyari. The OFW's children should open their eyes about that.
@George: It really is a vicious cycle, and there seemed to be no solution to this problem of poverty and inequality. I guess it should be an individual effort. If someone among the poor will really exert an effort to rise above their poverty, then there is a great chance that the cycle will discontinue. It takes time, but I believe some people are able to do. We OFW's did, right?
@NFB: But this even happens in the Philippines where there is no caste system. Kapag wala ka nang makain, you will get the next job available -- no matter how horrifying the condition is. Us, OFW, for example. How many of us have suffered indignities para lang kumita ng pera?