After posting this picture of ragpicker girl in my Children’s Day post, it was high time to write about ragpickers in Indian cities. This section constitutes of children and other marginalized poor of Indian society. The cause of ragpickers requires us to take issues like solid waste management seriously.
There will be several shocking facts to learn about this informal (because Indian government does not recognise it 😦 ) ragpicking industry that cleanses our environment and takes care of bulk of recycling.
Learn how insensitively the city, society, police, and municipality treats them.
Read the post here at It’s A Free World.
Visceral Observations 
the sad part is that, most of them are children……… and its again, two way cheating ……… child labor tooo
Poonam: Yes, two way cheating it is. Child labor it is too. 😦
Dear Poonam, it is so important what you try to do to modernise that half of your huge country which – as Ashish phrased it – seems stuck in Dark Ages (while the other half is boosting forward with speed faster than ours, at least here in my country).
I know these ragpickers are treated so badly, and some people in India – I lack words – are considered not pure and less than nothing. So do fight and try to help them and save themwith the strength and ideals of youth, a revolutionary force since forever and ever.
Only, maybe in USA they do recycling etc. better… but the West (also Europe) is sometimes so ….. void of ideals (only stomach is full) that people start getting so crazy and shoot and kill just for the hell of it or spend their life in perverted thoughts and or unhappiness.
I know there is poverty in India. But when I was there many many years ago, I never saw so many smiling faces on the street. You do not see them here, not anymore. In Italy, for example, people do not make kids any more ….
Poonam: Hi, I agree with most of what you said. However, it is a huge country with less awareness. After awareness sets in, execution is even more difficult with red-tapism. It is hard to deal with those MCD (municipality guys).
But India is not all about poverty any more. Poorest or poors live here and richest of riches are also here. Its a big difference between each category. 😦
Thanks for the comment! 🙂
>Thanks for the comment!
🙂 I’d love to comment more in your blog, but sometimes I do not understand your posts (my fault, not yours), secondly living alone in a new house makes my time shorter (differently from what I foresaw), at least during this first stage.
>Poorest or poors live here and richest of riches are also here
I know that the richest man in the world is an Indian now, together with the rest and the problems you have underlined. This doesn’t make India a less fascinating country. Quite the contrary.
Poonam: I understand what you mean. What I write about is about typical issues in India. t seem out of context to you.
Similarly, though I read your posts (you are in my reader), I am unable to make much use of wealth of information you provide. 😦 I just dont relate to the info. So I am unable to comment even though I read. 😦
>What I write about is about typical issues in India. It seem out of context to you…similarly, though I read your posts ..I just do not relate to the info
Yes, you are right. We are probably in the same position because our respective civilizations, both rich and ancient, are VERY different. Well, what’s dreadful about it lol…actually it is fascinating, plus this difference didn’t impede us to appreciate each other.
Yes, it is true, I am out of context in almost all u write but I get the main meaning and if I keep coming back it means there is something I like.
Maybe I like your style of blogging, I like the way you write things, your topics – sometimes on the creative side or on the socially courageous side.
Maybe I just like you, being an Indian woman, and me being a ex Latin lover ah ah, this certainly might help, I am blunt enough to say, being Roman. But this is not the point. I mean, you try to help people, which is moving, for an old man, to see a young doing that, since here young people are mostly selfish and try to make money quickly, no matter how. I also loved many posts and comments of yours….
Poonam: It is a pleasure to have you back. I hope I can make similar contribution to your blog. 🙂
What did you mean when you said “….and me being a ex Latin lover ah ah, this certainly might help, I am blunt enough to say, being Roman.” What was blunt? I did not understand. 😦
And I want to make money too. But I don’t want to do it through my social writings.
What we both probably lack is the historical cultural social political framework: politics, facts, actors, movies, manners, mind and cognitive patterns … For example, when you Indians say YES you shake your head a bit left-right or right-left. Well, for us, shaking head like that means NO, ah ah ah. It is funny, isn’t it. Well, I am trying to catch up, I have all I need to study India, my Indian bloggers plus 100 Indian books (I am a solitary book-worm, I believe in books) but my problem, as far as bloggers, is limited time (I wanted so much to meme u……), and as far as books, mine are in horrible messy piles here there on the floor. I can’t find anything, I have 3-4 posts I cannot write becaus of that. Now that I have a gas stove to survive from cold I’ll buy tons of shelves tomorrow to organize my things (or I’ll get crazy).
PS
I am sorry I said that about u being a woman. Silly of me, olus hope I was not rude. It is not serious to say that, but Italians are not serious lol when it comes to women. I like Indian women, I always did. I know maybe this is not right to say, but it is the truth. We live so far, many oceans in between lol. Plus I am not dangerous. I am an old man ah ah ah.
Poonam: Yes, we do lack knowledge about each other’s civilization and socio-cultural background.
I am a book lover too, though reading less due to blogging and work. Do not worry about the meme. And I did not mind anything you said so far. 🙂
Getting back to general stuff, I ask myself: are we really that different, Indians and Westerners? Our faces, bodies and features are very similar.
Chinese, for example, you see they belong to a different world. Even our gods and legends are related. Of course, this is because of our common root, probably these mythical Indo-European folks who departed from the Caucasian region of Asia and some of them went to Europe, some others went to India.
My good old school professor of Latin and Greek, was a great scholar and he wrote Greek and Latin grammars (best-sellers in school press houses) that were horribly difficult since each Latin or Greek word was connected to Sanskrit (language of Veda, hope I am right).
A nightmare for us, those grammars to study, he was very strict but he transmitted us his passion for our ancient heritage. I am digressing, as usual. What I want to say is that we are different, but not too different. And it is this difference that fascinates me …. ok, I keep repeating this…. I am getting boring…. but when I read your posts and those of your friends you young Indians seem to have the qualities our young people lack: you are honest, serious, dedicated, good-natured and highly creative. Plus I think it shows your huge country is made mostly of young people. Same thing happened at the time of the industrial revolution in Great Britain. Revolutions are always made by the young. This is why Italy stagnates: all are mummies like me lol. Go on sweet woman protecting impure abased people, protecting the weak. Helping others is the best thing one can do, at any age.
All the best
from the West
Poonam: Got your point.
We are different, but not so different. I would really like to know how our Gods are related, more about legends. Why not write a post about it? Hey, your posts will be more readable if you could organise your information more easily. (Suggestion only because I want to follow. Even with my will, I am not able to follow your complete posts. Though I am lover of long posts.)
Yes, Sanskrit is language of Vedas. Sadly, you would find less knowledge on Sanskrit these days in my country. If someone adds Sanskrit in the curriculum, political parties call it unsecular.
True, India has more young than any other country. It is gladdening (and flattering) to know that you find us young dedicated. Though I personally feel I have not accomplished anything worthwhile yet. I try though. 😦
And your last line was bang on, “Helping others is the best thing one can do, at any age.” 🙂
I will reply …. connection going away…..I have many things to tell u….U have accomplished a good blog, as far as i know….U write well and u think well…. good start…. life is long … do not be afraid Poonam ….i started IT when i was 45… now i am respected pro inthere….do have faith in yourself
Poonam: It is commendable you started a new thing at 45 and do such a great job of it. I am not afraid about blogging. Though I could do with a larger audience. I think I should work for it.
But I was lamenting the fact that I do not have enough time to do actual social work. I would like to do that more. I would like more time to blog as well. 🙂
What did you mean when you said “…me being a ex Latin lover ah ah, this certainly might help, I am blunt enough to say, being Roman.” What was blunt? I did not understand. 😦
Well, it means I have been after women for a long time, in a way I am not proud of. I took it from my uncles, from older friends. A latin lover is a silly man that chases women, a lady-killer lol. Italians are so stupid as to have fame for this moronic behaviour. Now I am wiser (hopefully) ah ah ah.
Blunt means abrupt in speech, direct, in ways that can startle people. Actually many Romans are blunt. I can also be. I hope I didn’t offend you. Romans though also like to kid a lot.
PS
I have dedicated my new post to dear philosopher and statesman Radhakrishnan and classic Sanskrit poet Kalidasa. I have also added two links to your blog in a final note.
Legends and connections between Gods… I am not such an expert ….
All the best my dear Indian woman
Poonam: That is nice cultural information. Something I might not have interpreted just by reading. 🙂 Like Romans, I am also a blunt India. Thanks for referring to me in such a nice manner in your blog. I will read your post (Radhakrishnan sounds interesting) and comment. 🙂