In today's Voice of America, there is a very good (and heart-wrenching) story of Dalit families in India, the people that were doomed to the "untouchable" caste. I've seen some other sources that estimate that 90 percent of India's illiterate and 95 percent of India's poor are Dalit. Nasty problem. (If you really want to have a miserable time surfing the internet...look for stories about the Vannan..a subcaste of the Dalit considered so polluting they were not only considered to be untouchable but unseeable as well.)
http://voanews.com/english/2009-01-05-voa12.cfm
My sister and I have not always seen eye-to-eye and she has not always approved of the many ways that I appreciate Asian culture....including following a faith from India, Sikhism (which I've kinda fallen away from , but that's a whole 'nother story. My sister being an evangelical Protestant, has had the most difficult time with my religious path.
This Christmas though, she totally surprised me. My sis is a social worker, my brother-in-law is a farmer that occasionally gets some pickup work from his brother as a cabinet maker. They are not rich people...but they are very giving, and give extensively to people in need. Personally I think its awesome that they do that...and I do not like anyone in my family to spend much money on me anyway.
She gave me some small gifts that I appreciated. She then said "Well, you're not getting much for Christmas because your real gift is the water buffalo." The whaaaaaa?
My sister and her husband BOUGHT a water buffalo (through a Christian charity)
To a poor South Asian family, the water buffalo provides milk (and by extension, cheese and yogurt), and will also help plow the land and help haul provisions...and is largely treated like family.
They requested the water buffalo go to India.
They received confirmation that the water buffalo was going to a poor Dalit family in southern India
I was floored! That was the best Christmas gift I've had in a long time (if not ever!)
http://voanews.com/english/2009-01-05-voa12.cfm
My sister and I have not always seen eye-to-eye and she has not always approved of the many ways that I appreciate Asian culture....including following a faith from India, Sikhism (which I've kinda fallen away from , but that's a whole 'nother story. My sister being an evangelical Protestant, has had the most difficult time with my religious path.
This Christmas though, she totally surprised me. My sis is a social worker, my brother-in-law is a farmer that occasionally gets some pickup work from his brother as a cabinet maker. They are not rich people...but they are very giving, and give extensively to people in need. Personally I think its awesome that they do that...and I do not like anyone in my family to spend much money on me anyway.
She gave me some small gifts that I appreciated. She then said "Well, you're not getting much for Christmas because your real gift is the water buffalo." The whaaaaaa?
My sister and her husband BOUGHT a water buffalo (through a Christian charity)
To a poor South Asian family, the water buffalo provides milk (and by extension, cheese and yogurt), and will also help plow the land and help haul provisions...and is largely treated like family.They requested the water buffalo go to India.
They received confirmation that the water buffalo was going to a poor Dalit family in southern India
I was floored! That was the best Christmas gift I've had in a long time (if not ever!)
