Injustice, we often relate the subject to higher levels like government policies, government officials and government schemes. Or we consider the subject of justice to be spoken where extremists and mafia world is disrupting the smooth functioning of our society. The social activists and NGOs will talk of justice where bigger issues like human trafficking, hundreds and thousands of homeless in our streets and communal violence and division etc. exist. I see injustice in my everyday life. Injustice exists right in our homes. Our maids, the garbage man, the paper wala: how do we treat them? We make them sit on the floor and sip from a chipped china cup. We try our best to get the maid work in lowest possible salary. We twist our nose at the person who clears our garbage everyday. (He should be the one twisting his nose looking at our sense of cleanliness – average Indian family has no idea of throwing rubbish – we throw our baby’s diapers, broken glasses and the waste food all in the same bin. We have no qualms about spending 600 rupees for a pepperoni pizza but it hurts us to give 10 rupees extra to the humble rikshawala who has pulled our bulging weight for half an hour. That’s injustice – grave injustice.
It has always fascinated me to see how my friends bargain and bargain with rikshawalas till their voices crack. The thin man with grim- looking eyes and lips parched is only trying to earn enough to pay for his rentals of the riksha (it usually belongs to someone else) and save some for his family. The same friends I have seen travel in high-class taxi service in the city without any problem or complain. The rikshawala is contributing to the saving of carbon credit of the nation – he actually deserves to be paid extra.
I have seen well to do families saving imported snacks and canned food for special guests and occasions. More than serving the guests it’s usually about making a statement about their own taste and style. Such affluent people always have so much that they forget all that they have stored in greed. It rots away in their cupboards but the one person who works in that house as a maid for mere survival no greater ambition in life than to eat better food each day and provide better food for her children doesn’t get to even smell it. I have seen all that canned and imported stuff go right into garbage bin. I feel that’s injustice.
Injustice is present in our attitude towards people who are vulnerable, weaker and unfortunate in life. In a society we are supposed to bring a balance by helping the poor and weaker to cross over. But each day I have come across such a mentality in us that we are willing to lavish over who doesn’t even need (for whatever reasons we do that) but we refuse the one who desperately needs our help. For instance – the worst negotiators of the salary are people who are in desperate positions – if not this job they have got nothing else. And they end up getting underpaid. The office attendant, the cleaner, the chaiwala, the field assistants, sometimes even drivers are poor in negotiating – they are literally at the mercy of their employers. Just because they have given their employers the right to determine their value – the employers put them up on a jumble sale price.
On the other hand people who come dressed well, with a long list of achievements, (they have many options – if not here they can go else where) with their sense of security and confidence make the best in negotiating payments. The employers feel shy to quote anything less that may offend or question the value of the person sitting. They are careful and usually give in and hire people on high salary – sometimes beyond what the candidate truly deserves. It’s injustice.
It’s more painful to see this sort of injustice plaguing Christian churches and organizations. I see it with my own eyes. We change the concepts and strategies of our programs to reach out people with the gospel of Jesus Christ but we forge to change our own mindsets. We work to promote Bible but do not function ourselves based on the biblical principles. Instead we function based on the value that works in this world.
If we are taking advantage of poor and weaker people, if we are considering them nothing but mere walking talking tools, if we treat them inferior than ourselves then we are carrying the worst kind of injustice within us.
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