So I should probably post about my recent trip to India.
I could give a ‘what we got up to’ report of the work our team did (some still over – some still yet to go) on the new Freeset T-shirts building. Â But we didn’t only go as labourers – we went to observe as well. Â Kerry took us on a couple of ‘walks’ to see the areas around Freeset, and also we saw other bits of Kolkata as well. Â I suppose I’m more inclined to reflect on what I observed and the thoughts it brought to mind – many of which will still tick over in my head for some time to come.
Kolkata is dirty (except for the clean bits) and smelly (except for the non-smelly bits). Â They’ve got the latest technology (laptops, cellphones, etc.) but also way more poverty/beggars than many places (certainly developed/western places!).
I used to argue that people were happier in the 2/3 world (as opposed to ‘third’ world – 2/3 better reflects the balance of population and land mass). Â To some extent, this may well be true. Â But this doesn’t mean that many people wouldn’t choose a “1/3 world” lifestyle if they could. Â I sometimes assumed they would just want to carry on as they are, but that’s not true.
Take drinking water, for example. Â The water most of them drink carries disease. Â They would drink clean water if they could (and thankfully, the community around Freeset will soon have access to safe drinking water – though the issue of how to ensure it doesn’t contribute to inequality – the powerful taking all the clean water, etc. – is an ongoing issue).
Or take the controversial (or not, or in different ways, depending on where you’re from, influences, cultural assumptions, etc.) example of prostitution. Â The women are nearly universally pressured/forced/bullied/threatened/coerced into the trade by pimps, boyfriends or even husbands or family. Â Their bodies are turned (by others) into a commodity to support needs of all kinds (and all levels of legitimacy). Â These women would do something else if they could. Â Matter of fact, show me any any 12 year old girl anywhere in the world who would choose (apart from manipulation or coercion) to sell her body to strangers. Â Apparently, you can spot the new girls to the trade by observing the ones who aren’t smiling.
It is true that we cannot simply cut/paste our cultural sense of what is appropriate or not onto another culture. Â But I’m convinced that there are real and true modes of existence for the world that are better or worse than others. Â Some things are indeed merely cultural differences. Â But other things we just ‘know’ are better or worse than others. Â A lot of morality may well be grey, but not all of it.
On one of our walks, we stopped to play a game with some children – like 3-4. Â In minutes, the whole street population (it seemed) had gathered to watch – including (I’d barely noticed) an older drunk man. Â As we eventually moved on, a young man commenced giving the older man a hearty beating – young, angry fists connecting with elderly, weak skin/bone. Â Kerry (who later told us that it would have been due to their seeing the drunk man as an ’embarrassment’ to the community – esp. with foreigners present – time to make an example of him) quickly broke it up and gently-yet-firmly – with fluent Bangla – rebuked the younger man.
Was Kerry imposing his Western values onto them? Â I think not. Â I think some things aren’t as complicated as others may be. Â I think they understood – and even respected – his actions.
The Hindu caste system was behind this and other inequalities we saw (and seeing the inequalities in India made me more aware of inequalities in so-called ‘egalitarian’ NZ…). Â Widows in India lose their entire identity and worth (in the past, a practice called ‘sati’ was common – but is now outlawed apparently – where widows would throw themselves onto the burning graves of their dead husbands). Â Again, I don’t oppose this simply because it’s not American or Kiwi, but because I genuinely don’t believe it is right that a widow need be stripped of honour and dignity. Â One truly amazing and inspiring woman, Mina, had just lost her husband, and even though she has turned to Christian faith, she is still struggling massively with feelings of un-worth and uselessness.
That’s probably as good a place to stop as any for this rambling, unstructured post. Â I may post again on other things, and I apologise (sort of) for the philosophical/ethical bent to this so-called ‘report’ on my trip to India, but it’s just what came out as I typed. Â Cheers.