Coolie-Mercenaries of Globalization
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| A porter at Judge Bazar Darjeeling |
Porter, Coolie, Dai! We call them by different names.
Without them, nothing will move...literally. Consumer goods from LPG (cooking gas cylinders), food items to construction materials; anything that needs loading, unloading and transporting-you name it! These Dai's or Coolies as we call them they are the ones who do the backbreaking work of lugging goods from one place to another with their Namlo. (Namlo is a sturdy string/harness used to carry things)
They are people who have migrated from Nepal and its common to see both men and women working as porters in Darjeeling. Most of them are poor, often falling below the poverty line and it is only some who have gone on to make a fortune. Most of them confess that they have vast agricultural lands back at home. Isn't it sad that they who have acres and acres of agricultural land should now live as BPL (Below the Poverty Line) people?
Many welfare and social organisations in Darjeeling serve these poor families in Nepal. Hayden Hall Darjeeling is one of the social organizations which still serves many of these poor families. Late Mr. Pemba Lama, a former employee, and a renowned social scientist used to state in his Social Analysis workshops that GDNS (Gorkha Dukkha Niwarak Sammelan) one of the oldest non-government organization of Darjeeling was formed for providing welfare services to the Nepal migrants. He used to state that GDNS used to provide community based services for cremating the body of migrants which had become a huge problem back then. (More coming on Social Analysis with Pemba Uncle)
Das Studio is a photo museum of its own which has richly documented the history of Darjeeling since the 1850s. I mention this here because again Nepali and Sikkimese porters have been widely documented in most of their old black & white photographs. (Click here to see Das Studio Archives) It is amazing that most of the women continue to dress in their traditional dress although the same cannot be said about the men as much.
During the recent Nepal Earthquake, most of them lost their families and homes due to which they had to go back to their homes. Their absence could be vividly felt as most of the construction work had halted and it was difficult to find a porter to carry consumer goods.
I am reminded about the song by Tupac Shakur “Did you hear about the rose that grew from a crack in the concrete?" whenever I am among these Dai's and Didis. I am sure their strength and stamina will bring loads of gold medals from the world olympics one day....
Without them, nothing will move...literally. Consumer goods from LPG (cooking gas cylinders), food items to construction materials; anything that needs loading, unloading and transporting-you name it! These Dai's or Coolies as we call them they are the ones who do the backbreaking work of lugging goods from one place to another with their Namlo. (Namlo is a sturdy string/harness used to carry things)
They are people who have migrated from Nepal and its common to see both men and women working as porters in Darjeeling. Most of them are poor, often falling below the poverty line and it is only some who have gone on to make a fortune. Most of them confess that they have vast agricultural lands back at home. Isn't it sad that they who have acres and acres of agricultural land should now live as BPL (Below the Poverty Line) people?
Many welfare and social organisations in Darjeeling serve these poor families in Nepal. Hayden Hall Darjeeling is one of the social organizations which still serves many of these poor families. Late Mr. Pemba Lama, a former employee, and a renowned social scientist used to state in his Social Analysis workshops that GDNS (Gorkha Dukkha Niwarak Sammelan) one of the oldest non-government organization of Darjeeling was formed for providing welfare services to the Nepal migrants. He used to state that GDNS used to provide community based services for cremating the body of migrants which had become a huge problem back then. (More coming on Social Analysis with Pemba Uncle)
Das Studio is a photo museum of its own which has richly documented the history of Darjeeling since the 1850s. I mention this here because again Nepali and Sikkimese porters have been widely documented in most of their old black & white photographs. (Click here to see Das Studio Archives) It is amazing that most of the women continue to dress in their traditional dress although the same cannot be said about the men as much.
During the recent Nepal Earthquake, most of them lost their families and homes due to which they had to go back to their homes. Their absence could be vividly felt as most of the construction work had halted and it was difficult to find a porter to carry consumer goods.
I am reminded about the song by Tupac Shakur “Did you hear about the rose that grew from a crack in the concrete?" whenever I am among these Dai's and Didis. I am sure their strength and stamina will bring loads of gold medals from the world olympics one day....
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