The New Colonials: Part I

To all Chowkies:

Haiy tau yeh rasm-e-zamanah, lekan phir bhi
Ho mubarak tumhain yeh saal nya, meray rafiq

Happy New Year

Mohammad Gill

Too many children is disease and its terminal.
Rich countries should not help begging countries till they stop breeding like rats.
They say our country will have 350 million people in 25 years when you think of that I things may be tough now but prsent times will be rememberd as gone by goldendays. Any where in country well to do have less chidren but poor miserable people produce atleast 6 to 8 children as carbon copies as if world is ending tomorrow. We should follow our benefactor china and force people responsible and not breed. But we never pick up good things.

Good article. Let`s wait for the part II.

Thanks for this article. It should be a must-read article for the great left-wing intellectuals of Chowk. I have had similar experiences in the socialist heaven of calcutta.

harimou:

Thanks for the revisit but, if I may say so, something is missing in this piece which was there in the orginal write-ups. I suspect that you have kept something in reserve for the next instalment(s), for example did your suspicions about their missionary activities turn out to be misfounded? I was also wondering who Josehp R is and why did his presence confirm your suspicions.

Did you meet any of the people you encountered during your first visit to these places a year ago?

Very interesting and informative article. As the writer points out that he, himself, and the NGO workers had certain impressions about the sociological and economic realities of that region. I think that’s where the problem lies with many NGOs. Instead of going and helping the people in need, they spend more time studying them as if they have all the answers. That’s why I like Medecins Sans Frontieres because they go there, treat people, and get out of there without analyzing the crap out of the native populations. If the objective is to re-build the damaged physical infrastructure, then do just that. Don’t worry about he socio-economic infrastructure that has been in place for centuries, it is better fixed by those distressed by it the most.

This is a good article providing refreshing break from the normal rut.

Harimau,

Nice write-up but it has a ``bloody natives`` undertone that left me a little uncomfortable.

I think your discouragement at the villagers` response to your suggestions is understandable, but premature. A friend of mine who runs an NGO involved in educating slum girl children tells me that it takes him at least a year to gain the confidence and trust of the people he was trying to help. You cannot seriously expect anyone to blindly follow an outsider who comes in and dictates the way in which they should live their lives.

Also, I thought the point about the aid workers` missionary zeal was left hanging, whether accidentally or deliberately one can`t tell.

parthaab

Dunno what this article has to do with the issue of religious subversion, but `hidden,` `gradual,` subversion of unsuspecting, open societies has a very long and tragic history.

Nice article to read.

When only will these westeners realise they might as well pay for this kind of work, then actually work themselves? Services are paid much lower in developing countries then the west.

Strange are the ways of the missionaries.
New converts retain their Hindu names, wear Bindis and sarees and even the fact of conversion from their neighbours and relatives - a gradual rather than `sudden` change which might bring repercussions.