Saturday, December 29, 2007,2:00 AM
WILL I GET WORK ?
Worried look on his face
No this is not Rajasthan, this is Kerala
The man wearing a turban is a Rajasthani, a migrant worker, traveling hundreds of miles looking for work. They are born artists, stone cutters, sculptors. Rajasthanis are the only people who can work on marble.
Utter poverty dirves them out of Rajasthan, they are willing to work for 10 rupees a day (25 cents) You should see their magical hands moving on marble. They are experts in their field. Marble is their life.
They have to fight the local lazy workers and labour unions. The worst, the laziest labour force you will find anywhere in the world. They want to be paid for not working. The man sitting behind him looks like a Bihari, another poverty stricken state. They are very good in construction work. If you want to build a house in Kerala, which i would not advise, you have to employ Rajasthani and Bihari labour. If you give the job to the local lazy workers you will never see your house completed., budget would shoot and it will take twice the time.I don't know what the fish is doing there.
posted by rauf
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Similar situation in China.Saw a documentary on BBC.The economic disparity and the vast divide between the rich and the poor...just like in India.
People travel to cities in hope of finding jobs and sustaining their families back home.Both mother and father leave their children in the care of their grandparents (most ailing,requiring medical attention)and live nd work in the city, visiting their family rarely. There is virtually no bond between the parents and children. Like one lady put it-I want to come home more often so my daughter doesn't forget me.Another said - My daughter called me 'Mummy' the first day I came back and asked me to buy her a pair of sneakers and from the next day started treating me like a stranger.
I was watching this,feeling sorry for them and all that when I asked myself how different is the life that they are leading from the ones our well-to-do, 'I-have-the-money-to-buy-the-world' IT junta back home in India? And I realised it's just the same. Only difference being lack of money in one case and money to burn in the other. Here too, women leave their children at their parents' or in-laws' house, sometimes the children grow up away from their parents in a different city till they reach a school-going age. In an attempt to lessen the guilt of not spending enought time with their kids, parents buy them expensive clothes,toys and stuff;satisfying their smallest whim.Children grow up with no respect for the value of hard-earned money - the makings of rich,spoilt brats.
Green Bus Blue Fish. Liked it :)
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Dearest Raufie
The fish?
Why?
They look beautiful!
another great story you brought to life
MAY ALL YOUR DREAMS COME TRUE
MAY ALL YOUR DAYS BE FILLED WITH
PEACE, JOY, LOVE, ABUNDANCE AND LAUGHTER...
MAY YOU KEEP AND OPEN, GRATEFUL HEART...
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even in america its becoming less and less important how well you do your job..more important is how much you get for the least amount of effort
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rauf,
i agree with you,100%.i know well because i am from kerala.
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Very nice post with beautiful photo! I think it is very interesting that the "Rajasthanis are the only people who can work on marble." Why it's happens? I don't know much about India culture...
Love your blog! It's fantastic! I learn so much here. Thanks!
Similar situation in China.Saw a documentary on BBC.The economic disparity and the vast divide between the rich and the poor...just like in India.
People travel to cities in hope of finding jobs and sustaining their families back home.Both mother and father leave their children in the care of their grandparents (most ailing,requiring medical attention)and live nd work in the city, visiting their family rarely. There is virtually no bond between the parents and children. Like one lady put it-I want to come home more often so my daughter doesn't forget me.Another said - My daughter called me 'Mummy' the first day I came back and asked me to buy her a pair of sneakers and from the next day started treating me like a stranger.
I was watching this,feeling sorry for them and all that when I asked myself how different is the life that they are leading from the ones our well-to-do, 'I-have-the-money-to-buy-the-world' IT junta back home in India? And I realised it's just the same. Only difference being lack of money in one case and money to burn in the other. Here too, women leave their children at their parents' or in-laws' house, sometimes the children grow up away from their parents in a different city till they reach a school-going age. In an attempt to lessen the guilt of not spending enought time with their kids, parents buy them expensive clothes,toys and stuff;satisfying their smallest whim.Children grow up with no respect for the value of hard-earned money - the makings of rich,spoilt brats.
Green Bus Blue Fish. Liked it :)