We anticipated the kind of reaction that you expressed. Please read:
"We know what you are thinking. It sounds too much for those rickshaw pullers? How about half the price? Or whatever you think is fair. Can you set this a goal for all politics and policy-making that government and political parties and the leaders would not stop the working hard until this basic goal is acheived.
Start from this basic declaration. Then go forward in stipulating few more items that makes the nation a progressively civilized one where more citizens start using their knowledge to earn a living instead of using labour for a living."
You also mentioned that you would agree for half the price/length. So, there is no problem. Lets work towards that goal, would we?
Let me finish the response with an aside, since you offered one. Have you ever tried to pull a rickshaw in the muddy roads in the village of Bangladesh? Or, to make it easier for you, lets assume the road is not muddy, but it is non-pacca. Would you go there and try it out for yourself and see whether that experience change your opinion?
Oh, we forgot. You are in Canada, taina? Rickhshaw try korte deshe jete tu onek taka lagbe, right? So, lets make it even easier. How about we let you go to one of the muddy trails and pull a chakka-wala stroller? Would you let others know how much would you agree to be paid for that kind of menial work?
And for those who are in Bangladesh, please go find a non-pacca road, or a vanga-chura pacca road. Arrange a rickshaw trip for about 1000m. Once a price is agreed upon, based on prevailing market rate - you should politely ask the rickshaw-wala if it would be OK if you tried to pull the rickshaw instead of him. Invite him to ride the rickshaw in place of you. Please be careful, you might hurt you, hurt the rickshaw-puller or most importantly, you might break the rickshaw. Make sure you have enough funding to compensate for the rickshaw- puller or his money-maker if something happens to them.
Once everything is agreed upon, try to pull the rickshaw. Yes, I mean it. All of you in Bangladesh reading this message, you should go out and try out this assignment this upcoming Friday - do it early in the morning so the roads are not busy and it is somewhat easier for you. Thats a request to each of you who are not yet 40 years old! Do this favour as a gratitue of being not born in the house of a rickshaw-puller, would you?
Once you are succefully pull the rickshaw for 1000m, let others know how much would be enough for that kind of menial work. Would you do this experiment, please?
Thanks for your time,
Innovation Line
PS: Mr. Subi, assuming it would be fine with you, we would copy your response in this group to other groups where we usually post.
--- In chottala@yahoogroups.com, Subi Subhan <subisubhan@...> wrote:
>
> Dear Innovation,
>
> I generally like your innovative ideas. But this time, I think you are asking for a little too much.
>
> Where I live in Canada, rice now costs 4 dollars per kg (it was about a dollar before the Great Decider's regime). And the minimum wage (in jobs equivalent to a day laborer/rickshaw puller's) is 8 dollars per hour. That is, he could buy a kg of rice for half an hour's wage. Given the roads of Canada, the smoothness of traffic and conditions of the road, a rickshaw puller could go a minimum of half km per minute. That makes it 15 km per half hour. (As an aside: it is the best educated immigrants from countries like Bangladesh with their highest degrees who perform most of these minimum-wage jobs in Canada).
>
> Therefore, according to the standards of a country with a very high standard of living, you could ask for a rickshaw fare for 15000m (15km) ride to the level of the price of 1000 grams (1kg) of rice, not "by pushing the rickshaw fare for 1000m (1km) ride to the
> level of the price of 1000 grams (1kg) of rice". (Given the harsh road conditions of BD, I think we could settle for half the length at best). Would you agree?
>
> Never mind! You don't have to agree. This was just a thought.
>
> Subi
--- In bd_nokia_club@yahoogroups.com, "Innovation Line" <innovation_line@...> wrote:
>
> A national charter for better living standard The price of labor and the
> governance: look at issues through the eyes of a day-laborer. Can you do
> us a favor by pushing the rickshaw fare for 1000m (1km) ride to the
> level of the price of 1000 grams (1kg) of rice?
>
>
> You must be very surprised at the headline and sub-headline of the
> article.
>
> What could be the relationship of governance system (something that
> pundits talk about in the round-tables in the press-club or the studios
> of TV channels or in their interviews to the press) with something as
> mundane as rickshaw fare? Are we kidding? No, rest assured, we are not.
> We actually mean it whole-heartedly.
>
> We are sending out this article with a very heavy heart. What is the
> reason for that heavy heart? The heart is heavy - because the leaders
> of the party of Bangabandhu and/or the leaders of the party of Zia do
> not understand what a national charter could contain. Many of these
> bagha bagha leaders and more importantly, the so-called intellectuals do
> not know what government should or should not include in the proposed
> national charter. They are afraid what government would pressure them to
> sign up for. Afsos! These are our politicians? These are our
> intellectuals? Khubi afsos er kotha. Are beta, tora na bolbi oder ke
> what a national charter should contain. Doesn't that make more sense?
> Govt. e jara bose ase, ora tu rajniti'r kisu buje na. They do not
> presume to be learned on that. But they are trying to learn and respond
> to the feedback that they are getting. Now, so far, they progressed to
> the point that there needs to be some limit in what has been done in the
> name democratic politics. Also, what has been done in the name of free
> market policy making. So, the national charter will be helpful in
> making sure that all the politics and national policy making would
> actually benefit the people - the real owners of the country. Now,
> would you question how a national charter could help ensure the rights
> of people? We could go in detail - but its better if you find them out -
> after all, you are the politicians whom the government is inviting to
> discuss, isn't it? But let us give you a starting point? How about
> having a sentence that says the price of labour would be enough to
> sustain the basic need of a person? Do not talk about taka. We would
> prefer something like this "the rickshaw fare for 1000m (1km) ride to
> the level of the price of 1000 grams (1kg) of rice?" Can you set this as
> a mandate for the policy makers? We know what you are thinking. It
> sounds too much for those rickshaw pullers? How about half the price? Or
> whatever you think is fair. Can you set this a goal for all politics
> and policy-making that government and political parties and the leaders
> would not stop the working hard until this basic goal is acheived.
> Start from this basic declaration. Then go forward in stipulating few
> more items that makes the nation a progressively civilized one where
> more citizens start using their knowledge to earn a living instead of
> using labour for a living. Also, try to think one or two items that
> ensures that the youth can work to build a knowledge-based economy
> without interruption. Do this favour to the nation selling which you
> have fed your families so far, please. And that includes all those
> intellectuals who was reported to be saying as the national charter to
> be an "ADIM JUG ER CHINTA"! Bravo, mr. professors. Bravo, on your
> intellects. Without your understanding, how would the nation go forward.
> Bravo, mr. reporter. Bravo, on the might of your pen. You can now claim
> to rescue the nation from sliding into anarchy. Bravo, mr. editor.
> Bravo, on the freedom that you exercise. BTW, don't you think freedom is
> not serving your professon very well, because people often can see whats
> inside? We are really ashamed, this time.
>
> Please allow us this writing on a positive note. Whatever you do,
> whatever you decide, policy goal should be to achieve the national
> economic condition to such a height where an hourly worker would be able
> to sustain a small family with basic humane honor. Start from there, you
> will then know how to think modern. Keep faith - you can go there.
> Also, there is another valid question. When there is a constitution,
> what is the need for a national charter. To put it simply, the
> constitution is for you peoples, the politicians, the intellectuals,
> judges, journalist. And none of you ever think about that sacred
> document while do your professional jobs. The national charter is a
> simple point by point document (very short in length compared to the
> constituation) that the people will memorize and hold you accountable
> to. One could say its the summary document of the constitution. Whatever
> that is - we would know whether the document is good for us because that
> document will be written in simple language. If you thought some of
> the ideas are worth of your reading time, please forward it to others.
> If you have an ear to the columinsts in regular traditional media,
> please forward it to them. If you have an ear to the journalists and
> news editors of the electronic media, discuss it with them. Hope they
> would look at the suggestions and give due diligence.
>
> Thanks for your time,
> Innovation Line
>
> =======================================================
> Note: This is a freelance column, published mainly in different internet
> based forums. This column is open for contribution by the members of new
> generation, sometimes referred to as Gen 71. If you identify yourself as
> someone from that age-group and want to contribute to this column,
> please feel free to contact. Thanks to the group moderator for
> publishing the article.
>
> Dear readers, also, if you thought the article was important enough so
> it should come under attention of the head of the government please
> forward the message to them. Email address for the Chief Advisor:
> feeedback@... <mailto:feeedback@... _ or at
> http://www.cao.gov.bd/feedback/comments.php
> <http://www.cao.gov.bd/feedback/comments.php> . The more of you forward
> it to them, the less will be the need to go back to street agitation.
> Use ICT to practice democracy. It is already proven that this government
> responds to the feedback.
>
> Also send to your favourtie TV channel:
> Channel i: http://www.channel-i-tv.com/contact.html
> <http://www.channel-i-tv.com/contact.html>
> ATN Bangla: mtplive@... <mailto:mtplive@... _
> NTV: info@... <mailto:info@... _
> RTV: info@... <mailto:info@... _
> BTV: info@... <mailto:info@... _
> ====================================================
>
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