Editor’s Letter: “Born with privilege? Pay it forward”

“Born with privilege? Pay it forward”

Why do we need a UN Day of Social Justice; isn’t it just another day? Because…

We pooh-pooh the slums that mar our highrise view; we ask for domestic help from the same area.

We haggle with the vegetable vendor; we pay full price at the supermarket.

We question a feminist’s intent; we laugh out loud at sexist jokes.

We say we don’t believe in caste; we put out matrimonial website posts detailing our caste/religion/DNA expectations.

We talk about including the disabled; we build ramps in our malls for shopping carts only.

We celebrate every new collection of our favourite fashion designer; we forget to check how much of our spend is passed on to their craftspeople.

We applaud the news of LGBTQ+ achievers; we titter in the dark of the movie halls at Bollywood stereotypes of the trans/gay communities.

We want our paid leaves at work to be extended; we cut the daily stipend of our domestic workers if they take an extra day off.

We love sharing animal videos on social media; we ask our security guards to shoo away all strays from the neighbourhood.

We believe in equality till it serves us. Hypocrisy much? Next, a few rhetorical questions coming up…

Shall we extend our access by birth to the marginalised and less privileged? Shall we look for a cause that we believe in? Shall we sign up? Shall we pay for the cause with our time? Better still, shall we pay for it with a cheque?

Social justice needs every voice to be heard; every ear to listen. If you’re born with privilege, pay it forward.