The Culture of Bargaining - Paalaguttapalle Bags

  lThere is no free lunch.

If we fel proud of getting a 'bargain', somewhere someone has lost his living.

Dals, sarees, cloth bags, auto rides ...

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Sharing this story. Which reflects us all. I remember myself in this role in younger years. Bargaining where it was absolutely improper to.

A few college youngsters came to the PaalaGuttaPalleBags stall yesterday. They liked the strurdy spacious Vegetable Compartment Bag, and the young girl asked me, "Can you give it to me cheaper ? I'm.a student." I told her I was just an assistant here, and the stall and product was Rani's and Roopas. She repeated her question to them. 'Please give me a discount.'.

We didn't argue. We asked her what price she wanted. She named a price and took it and left happily.

Then the women saw her buy a 1100/- chain at the next shop.

And they were wondering at the 75/- reduction that was asked for here from them.

This is a blind spot that we have. As the privileged class. Wanting and celebrating a small bargain from those far poorer than us. And yet, not really cutting down our spending and excesses. Our indulgences. Our lifestyles.

It helps to be aware ...

• • Suchitra Balachandran

    That's too bad. Wish you had taken the opportunity in a small setting of having a one on one chat with a young woman. You may have succeeded in giving her a different perspective which could have changed her outlook for life.

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    Aparna Krishnan

    Yes, could have. But it was a long day and we were tired.

    Also sometimes one holds forth, and sometimes one is just too tired. Emotionally exhausted.

    Also these engagement s need time and space and context. To go beyond the moralizing. I feel.

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  • Lily Sengupta

    This is social illiteracy which millennials are facing largely! Above all lack of empathy!! Need awareness ....

    

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  • Sanjay Maharishi

    I've seen real happiness and satisfaction at winning a bargain and a great sense of loss while losing it. In that we forget who we are bargaining with and usually it is for 20 50 rs.

    

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      Aparna Krishnan

      We privileged live the most petty lives. I have seen it in myself. Vis a vis the 'poor'.

      

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      Aparna Krishnan

      Its not just we forget whom we bargain with. They dont exist for is. The are not on our radar screen. The worlds of the rich and poor are getting farther and farther apart.

      

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    Aparna Krishnan

    I have had many hard lessons since I moved to the village. Twenty years ago. I was a throughbred urban then. One of the first lessons was at the weekly santa, market. Where all the producers from neighbouring villages would bring their vegetables, fruits, pots ...

    After a few times I realized that I was the only character there who would bargain. Not a soul would.

    They were all at the brink of survival. They knew the hard work that goes into growing crops. They respect the producer and the product.

    A disconnected urban, myself, could not.

    There are many many such stories. Of my looking into the mirror. And it was never a pretty picture.

    A village taught me of my privilege, and the associated pettiness that goes with it. Like nothing else could have.

    

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  • Subramani Reddy

    Learning and questioning/challenging what we think is right gets you the absolute truth! Nothing else will. If you stick to your belief and don't question it, you would not be able to realise the truth. You have been flexibe and humble enough to challenge your own beliefs and accepting them as wrong once the realisation happened. 

  
  

When I get a simple handloom saree inexpensive there is an immediate sense of happiness.

For the mind to remember the faraway weaver and that he would be making less than a living wage is a more complex mental step.

There has to be policy level support and safeguards, much as we also try to 'educate'.

Each item we buy, food, handloom sarees, bags, batteries

From the farmer, the weaver, the women at Paalaguttapalle, from the factory floor worker.

Each service we take, the maidservent, the driver, the delivery boy, the man grinding flour at the mill.

Are these people living a well nourished life.

Are their children well nourished.

That will directly tell us if we are leading lives of exploiters.

Or not.