| Sports |
by PETER S.
KINJAP
Bigman, a grassroots burden
IN Papua New Guinea today, there is
an urgent need to re-order our value system.
On the eve of general election, we must resolve to judge people
not by what they have in terms of monetary value, but what they
can offer in terms of the nation’s collective welfare.
Wealth, simple wealth should no longer be a measure of a person’s
worth.
The Government must wake up to its sworn duties.
It is encouraging that there are several mechanisms in place to
promote well-being and minimise ill-being.
The bigman culture thrives on ill-being. Hence, once ill-being is
minimised, “bigmanism” as a philosophy of suppression, will
suffocate.
The bigman has become the government. He lords it over others for
the simple reason that he can afford a balanced diet where
millions go cap in hand begging for food.
The bigman triumphs because he can afford mansions in a country
like this, where countless people are homeless, sick and naked.
And there is no form of social security to cater for unemployment,
old age or ill health.
A caring government can do so much by creating an enabling
environment to help the majority of our people and to soften the
gap between the uncaring rich and the blind poor.
The rule of law is a potent cure for the excesses of the rich. If
we strengthen the legal and judicial systems and solve the problem
of judicial corruption, we will be doing a lot of good for PNG’s
development.
But we need to demonstrate on a consistent basis, that one’s
wealth or poverty means is treated in a neutral fashion by the
law.
In PNG, many people are in real doubt whether mother justice is
not faking “blindness”. The liberated rich display confidence that
the law can be silenced. If they suspect that the courts will be
difficult to get at, they work on the police.
A commitment to reform of the justice system, if sustained, will
be a good answer to the evils of “bigmanism”.
Knowledge is power. Everybody needs to pursue knowledge with
energy. It liberates and tears down the cover of irrational and
repressive “bigmanism”.
Papua New Guineans should know their rights and how to engage the
legal process.
We also need to take a second look at taxation. Those who have
access to wealth must be made to contribute to collective growth
through an effective and corrupt-free taxation system.
While people are free, for instance, to buy as many prestigious
cars as they want, society needs to ensure that those who have
such wealth should pay some form of tax that can be ploughed into
the development effort.
It is crucial we look at other countries, especially in the West,
which are regarded as developed and study how they were able to
close the gap between the rich and poor.
Each time we hear about the Western world, I am amazed by the way
governments’ function; the way people respect the law and the way
human dignity is treasured.
When I enter a bus or walk in the streets, I always look out for
the bigman as we know him here in PNG, but I see none.
A bigman should be known by his commitment, sacrifices for the
collective good, his handiwork and work ethic and by his
integrity, selflessness and demonstrated love for his country.
In absence of these values, his “bigmanism” means nothing
constructive.
“Bigmanism” and political power are in hot romance. Curiously, the
bigman does not believe in the institutions of government. Neither
does he believe in the effectiveness of the law. For him the
wealthy individual is a government unto himself. He builds empires
and compels the poor to owe a commitment to him as they would have
the government.
I believe the PNG bigman is prone to human rights abuses,
employing people that he pays “peanuts” and not giving due respect
to, especially to women.
The bigman culture promotes crimes, especially violent crimes
because of the wall erected between the rich and the poor.
The culture encourages corruption and is the main cause of
corruption in PNG.
For the rich, politics has become a do-or-die affair and the main
reason for violence and election malpractices.
Another evil effect of this culture is that it eats away the
greatness in all of us. We undervalue people, just because they
look poor or because they are poor.
By doing this we deplete the development energy in our country and
raise serious questions about our understanding of citizenship.
This uncalled for divide between the liberated and the blinded has
led some people to believe that we do not have an equal stake in
the country. This is a dangerous notion.
The critical question, to ask is; do we have the cure to this
problem? Do we have the will to confront this indefensible ‘big
man’ culture that is impeding development?
My answer is yes.
I think it was Socrates who said that “an unexamined life is not
worth living”. This is true for both the individual and the
society.
We must agree to give meaning and content to the notion of
citizenship. We must treasure the rights and duties of every
citizen.
“All human beings are born equal and installed by our Creator with
absolute rights”. Our Constitution and the international human
rights laws reaffirm this equality.
We should be seen to be acting this out. Let us resolve to break
the shell of ego and join hands to realise the better PNG
dream/vision. This can be done by no other way than by a fear of
God.
*Peter Kinjap is a Port Moresby-based
freelance writer. He can be contacted via email at: yeepai@yahoo.com
 
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