Thumbs down to dignity of labour

For too long has there been no probing into why Sri Lankans lack dignity of labour. Interestingly evergreen is the argument put forward all the while is if in the West it is very much present why not over here. However, Sri Lankans are not an exception in this for its grip on the whole of Asiatic societies is most conspicuous.

Caste driven Asian societies have remained that way for centuries where intense social stratification was always part of those communities the difference being with no hope whatsoever in evolving to higher strata.

For politics of commitment to emerge, there must be strong identities according to the book on 'Civil Society' published by India's Sage publications. However, in an open system of class, strong identities are discouraged. Movement from one strata to another is disallowed in such closed socio economic systems. In a closed system the different strata also mutually repel one another according to this book's varied presentation.

That said, one could arrive at how occupation met with what is termed 'low' and 'high' to the extent to which the spill over effect was seen even in social life as well. Caste was that great determinant deciding social acceptance and rejection.

The lower castes were not permitted to high chairs - the exclusive preserve of the upper social layer - the cream of society. The lowly placed weren't ever invited to functions of those in the upper social rungs and menial tasks assigned to them found silent acceptance.

The explosion of such a closed social order with ascribed status into an open class based one of achieved status, green signalled those in the low gradations the achievement of a status they'd never ever let alone seen, even dreamt of indeed a great celebration as it were.

Nailing the social coffin and burying the social corpse, welcoming the new and vibrant order where merit based social placement was ushered in was more than a treat to them who never knew what it was to be in the upper societal echelons.

However, more than half a century's passing away since these Asian countries achieved relative freedom has not seen these societies into fully realizing much of the expected happiness. Whatever exaltation that accompanies a high seat, should the beholder be of a displaced caste, he invites a somewhat discreet antagonism from the upper caste membership.

Against such backdrop it is thought provoking - I mean the replacement of caste with class. The hangovers of that birthbased layered social scene continues deftly even today and quite widespread indeed that getting people to work on jobs looked at as menial is asking for too much for they view such as the caste based occupations of their forebears which recollection is not unfair going by their names and those of their ancestry.

Thus a name change of person and family is seen as a needed compulsion from a lowly placed one to that of social recognition. Yet the stigma continues which is why the attainment of labour dignity in these societies is more than remote.

Not surprising then that some contemporary women pretend they know not anything of even cooking and household chores while some men and women both refuse to even sweep their compound relegating it to servants' work.

The grouse here though is taken to be gender has a far more deep roofed cause coming on in the form of caste-present day servants being assigned the menial tasks of the lowly placed in caste surroundings. Coming off this ironic situation is today's whoever highly placed may have had forebears in pre-colonial times at low social placement and vice-versa.

Given its historical facts, all in all caste driven Asiatic Societies will encounter difficulty into dignity of labour which aforesaid finding results also in the failure of vocational training in schools.

Though introduced amid much pomp and celebration it died a natural death due to the historic cause of caste. Such occupation oriented training reminded trainees of their forebears in their respective trades.

No wonder pottery was found distasteful and even touching clay was seen as most demeaning for pottery was the occupation of the Kumbal caste. Even jewellery - making - the stronghold of the Aachari caste - attracts very few students even today and scoring on this is the Tamil Community into the jewellery business - a look at Colombo's Sea Street would say it all.

The reasons for dwindling numbers of dancers and drummers in the Kandyan Perahera is also caste related - this being the Kumbal and Berawa and other low castes' forte.

In a far away village in the wilds of the Wanni bordering the Deduru, this writer is personally aware of the 'ceasing to be' of a dancing and drumming class in a home close to this columnist's retreat. Come twilight time every day the once heard incessant thud of drums has slipped into history as the open system has found house inmates into higher social placement in Colombo and the family refuses to be seen engaged in an occupation of a lower caste to which they themselves belong.

Then there is also the story of the village washerwomen whose recently qualified doctor daughter reprimanded the mother for continuing her caste based job. The only washing house in the village has ceased to be.

These are just only a few cases - an attempt to deny a historic past.

This bit of writing is not to see the merits and demerits of a "difficult to die" socio/econ set-up but to inquire as to why dignity of labour is not found in Asia.

To the contrary, Western societies where caste was never present have adapted so well in recognizing labour dignity.