At the Gates

Yesterday we talked about Eid and the curbani (sacrifice) that took place in the morning. In the afternoon though, we got to see another part of Eid. Interestingly, the afternoon’s activity left us a bit more ethically and socially unsettled than the morning’s bloodshed had.

So as the animals are cut up, we explained before that 1/3 goes to the family that bought the bull or goat, 1/3 goes to friends and extended family, and 1/3 goes to the poor. We had figured that the 1/3 for the poor was distributed through the mosques or something, since that is the main point of aid for the poor here. We had assumed wrong. At about 1:00 or so, as many of the animals were done being butchered up for distribution, large crowds of poor people started to appear on the streets. They all had bags and they were going from house to house. We heard a ruckus a few doors down and looked to see a large and loud crowd gathered outside the building’s gates. There was pushing, yelling, and people were trying to get into the gate from the side. They were shaking the gate and it was somewhat intense. Then there was more yelling and people seemed to disperse. Here is a photo:

People were leaving with smiles though, and we could see in the clear bags that this was how meat was being passed out.

As the crowds walked along, a fascinating combination of competition and cooperation was visible. Kids in particular seemed excited to point out a house that was handing it out and everyone would run down the street toward the house. People shared the information about which house was handing meat out, but then pushed each other around to get to the front once each immediate situation was taking place. It was also very interesting to watch how many rich Bangladeshis were (in fairness, like us) out on their balconies watching it all.

In front of our apartment building when the time came, Major Mustafa (our landlord, and ex-military guy) made the people waiting all line up. Here they are waiting in front of our apartment for the meat to come out.

Then he had his two security guys (striped shirt and white shirt in the picture below. Mustafa has the teal Punjabi on) bring out a bucket of meat to be distributed. The meat was placed one by one in a bag, and even though there was a little tussle, it was mostly orderly. Then everyone went on their way.

All of this has put the day into a real class framing for us. First, the morning activity was all about class- it was about boroloks (rich people) being able to show off that they could afford a bull (or 2 bulls, or 2 bulls and a bunch of goats…). The rich borolok men came out in their nice clean expensive clothes and stood to the side while poor men in lungis and too-big button up shirts did the dirty work. The boroloks all felt great having put on their show and they never got their hands dirty at all.

Later, the boroloks are confronted acutely with their privilege as hoards of poor people fill the streets awaiting their fair share- the Koran demands they get 1/3. The boroloks give, as if out of charity, but there must be some sense of nervousness in the back of at least some of their heads that at some point these crowds could amass on a day they don’t expect it, and the crowds could actually start to demand what they REALLY deserve, which is far more than 1/3 of a cow on Eid.

The poor people, on the other hand, are not demeaned by the process of going from house to house waiting for a handout. Indeed, it is the system- they are not being given charity; they are being given what they are due. The boroloks aren’t doing anything nice- they are obligated to do it. In addition, this is one of the only times these people are gong to get beef- they usually have to work hard and survive on a little fat and starch, so it is a really happy occasion for them and certainly worth the effort of going around.

Still, as the young men, mostly construction workers and rickshaw pullers were walking briskly through the streets looking for the next house that would hand out a few ounces of meat to each man, it was unsettling, to say the least. These are not broken men- they aren’t crazy, or maimed, or incapable of work. Most of them do work, incredibly hard, but they are still so poor that they have to beg on Eid for a piece of meat. The boroloks handing out the meat don’t work a third as hard as these guys do, but that’s just it: it has nothing to do with the individual’s ability or desire to work- it is just privilege, and it is so incredibly unfair.

So the poor people go about this twisted trick or treat, visiting each house and reminding the rich that they exist, and the rich throw them a bone and feel great about themselves for doing it. Really, the boroloks ought to find this humiliating. They (we) ought to see themselves (ourselves) as the monsters they (we) are- hoarding resources and living in luxury so that others go hungry. They (we) ought to see who really has blood on their hands. But they (we) won’t. Next year it will be the same, and the next, and the next, until one day people on both sides of the gate start to change it.