Life; The Pipe Village

I recently read a good book called “God knows your name” by Catherine Campbell, a Northern Irish Christian writer.  This book compromised of biblical stories and real stories from the loveless Hagar to the abused Donna of Dublin.  These stories are of people being rejected, feeling worthless and loveless to finally being accepted and realising they are fully loved by God, and the fact their identity is in Him and not on their surroundings.

One of the stories in the book talks about the people of the Pipe Village in India.  It really struck me.  The pipe village can be found north of Hyderabad where the Dalit people live.

Who are the Dalits?  They are considered the ‘untouchables’ of India, and they are the lowest rank of Indian Society.  They face discrimination at almost every level from access to education and medical facilities, to restrictions on where they can live and what jobs they are able to have.

What is the Pipe Village?  It’s an encampment of discarded pipes beside the factory that produces the pipes.  The people who work in these factories, are the Dalit people.  Most of them are enticed from rural villages to the ‘pipe village’ by the prospects of a job, accommodation and a loan to help them with the move.  However, instead of a good house and comfort, they are given a pipe to live in, a 12 hour a day job and a long term debt which they will never be able to pay off, which means they will never be able to leave.

When I read about the Dalits living in the ‘pipe village’ it really affected me. It is so hard to imagine people would let other human beings live like this, in that kind of poverty and humiliation.  But it does happen. 

The Dalits are exploited and oppressed because they are at the bottom of the cruel caste system in India.  The women are worse off than the men – they are used and abused and cannot do anything about it as they have no say, and the police turn a blind eye because to them the Dalit women are not of any importance. 

How would you feel if you were living in a pipe and not your comfortable home with four walls and lovely carpeted or wooden floors? Or how would you feel if you were being treated as the lowest of the low?

Sometimes we feel that we are really badly off and feel sorry for ourselves, but after reading about the Dalits, I wonder if I have a right to feel like this when these people have nothing, not even hope.

However, they can have hope, anyone can have hope, and this hope comes from the fact that they are loved by God and despite being the ‘untouchables’ God loves them for who they are, His children and what for what they are.  In God’s eyes there is no caste system, there are no untouchables, in His eyes we are all His children and we are equal.

Unfortunately most of these women do not know about God and His love for them because they cannot read or write and have no access to churches. 

I felt I wanted to do something about the Dalits, but all I can do is pray for them and share they story on my blog.  Praying is one of the most important things we can do, basically an intercession for others.