Contemporary parasitism

Though communal differences exist, middle class Sri Lankans unfailingly strike common ground in certain areas - one such being whatever they consider unfit for their consumption is deemed good to be consumed by those whom they call 'servants' and 'beggars' - both categories that come under a class structure.

Remember the Dhoby or washer woman that came to bathe a girl on 'age attainment'. She, I mean the woman was dumped with all 'throw aways'.

"Caste has now replaced class at least on the surface. Societal integration has come in and who knows who's who except the few that remain of Sri Lanka's upper caste elite of bygone times," said someone at a social gathering when talking about societal evolution, perhaps he himself a seasoned campaigner of casteism.

Back to my topic of giving remnants to 'servants' and 'beggars', aren't those upholding such false beliefs aware that such underprivileged are humans themselves and whatever is unfit for one's consumption should not be considered a sort of 'holy bread' for the deprived. Besides, as stated earlier, the marginalised state of beggars and servants are itself a direct outcome of an unjust class structure with its highly divisive tendencies.

One could even ask whether an affluent belly is more disease - prone when into substandard food, unlike a poverty-hit one. Then how come this unjust middle class attitude of substandard food being consigned to a poverty-hit belly.

If Karma is true, there's no better way to explain how all this comes back manifold to these very local elites, from their Western international counterparts. While local elites think of poor quality produce being fit for the deprived, international elite send their substandard produce to these very local elites who in turn are seen as fit to consume such dump.

Interestingly, this time the 'beggars' and 'servants' label and tag is on the local elite neatly imposed by their counterpart in the international sphere.

It is public knowledge of how international elites consume the best of everything making local elites look paupers fit to consume their dump. No wonder Third World countries have earned a name of becoming dumping ground for the West's discards. One look at supermarkets and grocery shelves would lead you into the large deposits of canned food, all prohibited for consumption in their own home country.

While many are ready to part with what they like least, don't forget that some Sri Lankans are equally ready to accept anything free coming their way. Both characteristics negate sharing and caring in their most meaningful sense and revolve around large scale greed and acquisitiveness.

Talking of being ready to part with what they like least, take for instance in the bus many offer to carry a standing passenger's bag or file but not part with his/her seat, - a sort of generosity over magnanimity.

But then in a political economy replete with individualism such refinement into sharing and caring itself sounds all too very Utopian. On the other hand, learning to share may have taken some others up the thorny path.

For instance, helping someone in times of pecuniary stress by way of loans may have given birth to an abject dependent. This again is partly consequential to individualism's intensity. This then is the coins other side which warrants philosophical pondering.

Be it at national or international level, beggary is beggary and differs only in terms of quantity operative at the two different levels of existence. But what's tragic-comic is when elitists that call others 'beggars' and 'servants' themselves become such in international realms.