October 25
By U Than Zaw - D.C.C.A (Day care centre for the aged)
OUR forefathers say:
“Earn money like Chinese.
Save money like Indians.
Don’t waste money like Burmese.”
It becomes an unforgettable “saying” nowadays in Myanmar.
“Earn money like Chinese”. It is meant to say the actual meaning is: Do own or private business like Chinese.
They never earn their living as a salaried worker. Anyhow, their sons and daughters might be sent for schooling until to become graduates, but no one will be allowed to work as a salaried worker forever. Their children might be sent to their comrade traders, merchants, companies, hotels and hospitals etc. Just to go as under training for temporary purpose till they are qualified and, then only their parents provide them necessary investments. Therefore, their educated children establish the above-mentioned private or own jobs or businesses by themselves or managed by themselves.
“Save Money Like Indian”
Most immigrants from India to Myanmar came here without any investment in their hands, only empty. They started their way of living using labourers as labourers such as jerdu-walars, Sweepers, watchmen or durwans, fire-burner in steamers (ships), railway (trains), coolies in the bazaars and jetties etc., and launcher-Pullers, shoes and umbrella menders and they save a lot of money every day to have investment. They spend thriftily or carefully just before success; their daily meal is just rice and broth cooked with pigeon-pea and eat biting a chilli, after their stomach-full, drink a cup full of water satisfactorily. It is their daily meal they have in the late afternoon at about 2 or 3 o’ clock. They have a light meal at night with a slice of cha-pa-ti and a cup of tea or coffee, if it is good in income or otherwise they drink water only. They love money; they spend as little as possible miserly. Sometimes it is necessary while working in other countries. However, it might be; we, Myanmar, the host people should take lessons from those guest immigrants who are from over populate neighbouring countries in which there are insufficient food and threatened by the disaster of famine and extreme weather condition sometimes in their countries.
So, they started their own works with the lowest standards; after they have saved money quite a lot for investment, and started a stall selling “betel-shop in every nook and corner of every block in towns and cities in Myanmar. In prewar days, Indians owned the department-stores, hard-ware-stores, gold shops on Mongol Street, and Biriani shops, and they owned paddy fields in the Delta Region, we peasants have to mortgage their own daughters to chitty (Bourgeois) to be their keeping wives of Indian old men. We Burmese nationals should feel so sorry for these eye-witnesses of irrelevant happenings in pre-war days, under British colony.
The last phrase of the sentence is, “Don’t waste money like Burmese”
Only minority people of Burmese are traditionally working in their own businesses by selling goods in the bazaars and the markets. The majority are farmers and peasants about 80 per cent nowadays. Most Myanmar youngsters and oldies are still wasting carelessly easily. It is spent thrift; please note.
“Spent thrift” in accordance with the Oxford dictionary, is a person who spends money extravagantly. All the emigrants earn money well and save money well for their prospective future. Anyhow, Myanmar people will surely live in poverty sooner or later, and will become “baggers”. Better amend that bad character or behaviour in no time, or as soon as possible.
