Marginalisation must go
A few days back, while walking along New Road, I could not help but notice an old lady that was lying on the floor of a crowded sidewalk amid the almost total indifference of passers-by. Like countless others across the city, she was asking for some pennies from anyone who would take pity on her.
Looking at her, I felt a strong feeling of uneasiness inside me as often happens when, while crisscrossing Kathmandu, my eyes are wounded by the common sufferance and vulnerability etched on the otherwise dignified faces full of elderly citizens, whose troubles and pains bring them asking for help. They beg for survival with a deep and inescapable resignation, often asking help and support to bring their loved ones back to their own native villages in order to have, a miserable, but at least dignified death at home.
On the particular occasion I’m talking about, I miserably did the simplest, if not the most practical thing I could: I handed a few rupees to the old lady, who was led down in such a way that she could not even see my face. A few moments later, I decided to look back at her, in order to better observe her conditions. I was struck by how quickly she had picked up the money I left, and moved to hide it inside a wallet concealed by her cover. Of course, this is just one of the many tricks inherent in
begging, and I suppose there is nothing so surprising or astonishing in it, as life on the street involves living according to certain
unwritten rules and imperceptible codes. What counts is survival, and it’s easy to see how a life of hardship would focus your mind to this end, resulting in these kinds of perhaps slightly cynical techniques. My story from New Road is just one example of extreme poverty in the urban areas of our country. There have been numerous cases in which old people wandering around lost in Kathmandu are brought to Bir Hospital by the police, and left there alone because there is no one ready to take care of them. The real shame should be felt by us, living in a society where these kinds of injustices are tolerated and ignored as they become an intrinsic part of your life.
Unfortunately these situations happen not only in the southern hemisphere, but also the north. Poverty is a global phenomenon.
Some years back, I was shocked to see hundreds of homeless people living in downtown San Francisco, and I’ve also witnessed mob rackets exploiting young Sri Lankans and Bangladeshis, not forgetting the old Romanians selling flowers along the major junctions of my own country, Italy.
What I am talking about are the extreme forms of marginalisation and vulnerability that assiduously attack our daily routine, as millions of ghosts souls are faced with an unappeasable life sentence that condemns them to the margins of society, forced to survive on the leftovers of the visible rest. Where is the ultimate sense of ideas like justice and equality? What are all the donors and aid agencies doing about this situation? What about the ideals and principles of a welfare society that all the donors and non-governmental agencies should try to build? What about the role of the government in eliminating these forms of human pain?
Indifference is free of cost, it is a disposable commodity that does not really create an environmental problem but significantly and exponentially reduces the ecological footprint of our collective conscience. I believe that all citizens should break down the fences of general apathy and start building a different society. Before even expecting the government to do something, we should ask ourselves what can be done to improve this pitiful scenario and reduce the number of invisible human miseries stalking our consciences.
Does a single citizen have the solution to such cases of marginalisation? Probably not, but everyone can try harder, asking ourselves if there is something that can be done. We are simply humans and not saints but we can and we should care. A simple gesture, a minimal dedication of our precious time could help enormously. Each of us has a role to play and it is not simply about handing out a few notes as I did in New Road.
Obviously the real solution is a strong and progressive social infrastructure that is equipped to become engaged and offer practical solutions to the high tide of the marginalisation. It is essential to advocate for the creation of a welfare state that the Government of Nepal should aim to build with support of donors, international agencies and civil society.
But can we simply keep on outsourcing our responsibilities? I suspect not.
Of course, we should be ambitious, and demand the replication in Nepal of the best experiences of human development and not simply get trapped by the spiral of pessimism that often characterises our discussions. We need a strong social security system with wide safety net that is able to intervene whenever it is deemed necessary. Nepal should pursue this path much more vigorously. A real national health system should be created, and the plans for the establishment of national health insurance are definitely a good way to reduce the trend of health-related vulnerability. The insurance, if will ever materialise, should be generous, and not just a symbolic initiative.
My answer to these problems lies in the willpower of those who decide to challenge the status quo, not only demanding more from the Government and donor agencies, but to also be ready to stand up and think seriously about their role in abolishing the black hole called marginalisation.
Galimberti is deputy country director of CCS Italy (Nepal), an INGO which works for the benefit of Nepali children
Posted on: 2011-06-09 08:11
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