[chottala.com] Re:A national charter for better living standard

Dear Innovation,

 

First and foremost,

 

NO, IT IS NOT OKAY WITH ME FOR MY RESPONSE TO BE POSTED ELSEWHERE BESIDES WHERE I MEANT IT TO BE POSTED. Thank you very much for asking and  for respecting my rights.

 

Second, I see what you said. I apologise for not noticing it first. It could be because of time crunch, I happen to browse through longer postings.

 

But I also think the root of the problem is written in your 'anticlimax'. It is, indeed, as you said, "whatever you think is fair". And everybody thinks, the current situation is fair. When I lived in Bangladesh, I noticed that everytime rickshaw fares went up, people felt the increase was unfair. This phenomenon is present in every facet of Bangladesh when it comes to the workers of the lowest strata. I don't think lack of resources is a reason for this. I think it is a general midset that is devoid of  the sense of social justice. To change the minset and to instill the sense of social justice in the psyche of a people, you need to change their value system through liberal and quality education (I think this is what our fellow Dina Khan always refers to).

 

I will not go into further discussion. But I simply think it is impossible to create such a utopia, because in today's world sich educational reform needs money. And those who control the money, find themselves more advantaged in an unjust society, and that's how they (we?) like it.

 

Thanks for listening, Subi

 

Posted by: "innovation_line" no_reply@yahoogroups.com   innovation_line

Sat May 24, 2008 7:31 pm (PDT)

We anticipated the kind of reaction that you expressed. Please read:
"We know what you are thinking. It sounds too much for those rickshaw
pullers? How about half the price? Or whatever you think is fair. Can
you set this a goal for all politics and policy-making that government
and political parties and the leaders would not stop the working hard
until this basic goal is acheived.

Start from this basic declaration. Then go forward in stipulating few
more items that makes the nation a progressively civilized one where
more citizens start using their knowledge to earn a living instead of
using labour for a living."

You also mentioned that you would agree for half the price/length. So,
there is no problem. Lets work towards that goal, would we?

Let me finish the response with an aside, since you offered one. Have
you ever tried to pull a rickshaw in the muddy roads in the village of
Bangladesh? Or, to make it easier for you, lets assume the road is not
muddy, but it is non-pacca. Would you go there and try it out for
yourself and see whether that experience change your opinion?

Oh, we forgot. You are in Canada, taina? Rickhshaw try korte deshe jete
tu onek taka lagbe, right? So, lets make it even easier. How about we
let you go to one of the muddy trails and pull a chakka-wala stroller?
Would you let others know how much would you agree to be paid for that
kind of menial work?

And for those who are in Bangladesh, please go find a non-pacca road, or
a vanga-chura pacca road. Arrange a rickshaw trip for about 1000m. Once
a price is agreed upon, based on prevailing market rate - you should
politely ask the rickshaw-wala if it would be OK if you tried to pull
the rickshaw instead of him. Invite him to ride the rickshaw in place of
you. Please be careful, you might hurt you, hurt the rickshaw-puller or
most importantly, you might break the rickshaw. Make sure you have
enough funding to compensate for the rickshaw- puller or his money-maker
if something happens to them.

Once everything is agreed upon, try to pull the rickshaw. Yes, I mean
it. All of you in Bangladesh reading this message, you should go out and
try out this assignment this upcoming Friday - do it early in the
morning so the roads are not busy and it is somewhat easier for you.
Thats a request to each of you who are not yet 40 years old! Do this
favour as a gratitue of being not born in the house of a
rickshaw-puller, would you?

Once you are succefully pull the rickshaw for 1000m, let others know how
much would be enough for that kind of menial work. Would you do this
experiment, please?

Thanks for your time,
Innovation Line

PS: Mr. Subi, assuming it would be fine with you, we would copy your
response in this group to other groups where we usually post.

--- In chottala@yahoogroup s.com <mailto:chottala@yahoogroup s.com> , Subi
Subhan <subisubhan@ ...> wrote:
>
> Dear Innovation,
>
> I generally like your innovative ideas. But this time, I think you
are asking for a little too much.
>
> Where I live in Canada, rice now costs 4 dollars per kg (it was
about a dollar before the Great Decider's regime). And the minimum wage
(in jobs equivalent to a day laborer/rickshaw puller's) is 8 dollars per
hour. That is, he could buy a kg of rice for half an hour's wage. Given
the roads of Canada, the smoothness of traffic and conditions of the
road, a rickshaw puller could go a minimum of half km per minute. That
makes it 15 km per half hour. (As an aside: it is the best educated
immigrants from countries like Bangladesh with their highest degrees who
perform most of these minimum-wage jobs in Canada).
>
> Therefore, according to the standards of a country with a very high
standard of living, you could ask for a rickshaw fare for 15000m (15km)
ride to the level of the price of 1000 grams (1kg) of rice, not "by
pushing the rickshaw fare for 1000m (1km) ride to the
> level of the price of 1000 grams (1kg) of rice". (Given the harsh road
conditions of BD, I think we could settle for half the length at best).
Would you agree?
>
> Never mind! You don't have to agree. This was just a thought.
>
> Subi

> A national charter for better living standard Posted by:
"innovation_ line" no_reply@yahoogroup s.com innovation_line Tue May 20,
2008 11:48 am (PDT) A national charter for better living standard The
price of labor and the
> governance: look at issues through the eyes of a day-laborer. Can you
do
> us a favor by pushing the rickshaw fare for 1000m (1km) ride to the
> level of the price of 1000 grams (1kg) of rice?
>
> You must be very surprised at the headline and sub-headline of the
> article.
>
> What could be the relationship of governance system (something that
> pundits talk about in the round-tables in the press-club or the
studios
> of TV channels or in their interviews to the press) with something as
> mundane as rickshaw fare? Are we kidding? No, rest assured, we are
not.
> We actually mean it whole-heartedly.
>
> We are sending out this article with a very heavy heart. What is the
> reason for that heavy heart? The heart is heavy - because the leaders
> of the party of Bangabandhu and/or the leaders of the party of Zia do
> not understand what a national charter could contain. Many of these
> bagha bagha leaders and more importantly, the so-called intellectuals
do
> not know what government should or should not include in the proposed
> national charter. They are afraid what government would pressure them
to
> sign up for. Afsos! These are our politicians? These are our
> intellectuals? Khubi afsos er kotha. Are beta, tora na bolbi oder ke
> what a national charter should contain. Doesn't that make more sense?
> Govt. e jara bose ase, ora tu rajniti'r kisu buje na. They do not
> presume to be learned on that. But they are trying to learn and
respond
> to the feedback that they are getting. Now, so far, they progressed to
> the point that there needs to be some limit in what has been done in
the
> name democratic politics. Also, what has been done in the name of free
> market policy making. So, the national charter will be helpful in
> making sure that all the politics and national policy making would
> actually benefit the people - the real owners of the country. Now,
> would you question how a national charter could help ensure the rights
> of people? We could go in detail - but its better if you find them out
-
> after all, you are the politicians whom the government is inviting to
> discuss, isn't it? But let us give you a starting point? How about
> having a sentence that says the price of labour would be enough to
> sustain the basic need of a person? Do not talk about taka. We would
> prefer something like this "the rickshaw fare for 1000m (1km) ride to
> the level of the price of 1000 grams (1kg) of rice?" Can you set this
as
> a mandate for the policy makers? We know what you are thinking. It
> sounds too much for those rickshaw pullers? How about half the price?
Or
> whatever you think is fair. Can you set this a goal for all politics
> and policy-making that government and political parties and the
leaders
> would not stop the working hard until this basic goal is acheived.
> Start from this basic declaration. Then go forward in stipulating few
> more items that makes the nation a progressively civilized one where
> more citizens start using their knowledge to earn a living instead of
> using labour for a living. Also, try to think one or two items that
> ensures that the youth can work to build a knowledge-based economy
> without interruption. Do this favour to the nation selling which you
> have fed your families so far, please. And that includes all those
> intellectuals who was reported to be saying as the national charter to
> be an "ADIM JUG ER CHINTA"! Bravo, mr. professors. Bravo, on your
> intellects. Without your understanding, how would the nation go
forward.
> Bravo, mr. reporter. Bravo, on the might of your pen. You can now
claim
> to rescue the nation from sliding into anarchy. Bravo, mr. editor.
> Bravo, on the freedom that you exercise. BTW, don't you think freedom
is
> not serving your professon very well, because people often can see
whats
> inside? We are really ashamed, this time.
>
> Please allow us this writing on a positive note. Whatever you do,
> whatever you decide, policy goal should be to achieve the national
> economic condition to such a height where an hourly worker would be
able
> to sustain a small family with basic humane honor. Start from there,
you
> will then know how to think modern. Keep faith - you can go there.
> Also, there is another valid question. When there is a constitution,
> what is the need for a national charter. To put it simply, the
> constitution is for you peoples, the politicians, the intellectuals,
> judges, journalist. And none of you ever think about that sacred
> document while do your professional jobs. The national charter is a
> simple point by point document (very short in length compared to the
> constituation) that the people will memorize and hold you accountable
> to. One could say its the summary document of the constitution.
Whatever
> that is - we would know whether the document is good for us because
that
> document will be written in simple language. If you thought some of
> the ideas are worth of your reading time, please forward it to others.
> If you have an ear to the columinsts in regular traditional media,
> please forward it to them. If you have an ear to the journalists and
> news editors of the electronic media, discuss it with them. Hope they
> would look at the suggestions and give due diligence.
>
> Thanks for your time,
> Innovation Line

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