Taken from ‘Bungklang Bungkling’, ‘Tanah’, in Bali Post, Sunday, 8st February, 2009,
a column by I Wayan Juniartha
Translated by Putu Semiada
a column by I Wayan Juniartha
Translated by Putu Semiada
Land
Does selling your land is the right thing?
“It’s just all right, who says it’s not right?” asks I Wayan Basang Layah.
If you don’t have money at all to buy some food, or when you have no job, when you need funds to carry out a big ceremony, when you need money to support your children’ education, or pay your instalment for the new car you buy, or you need to buy a new mobile phone, or you need to buy ‘black magic’ thing, and I think it’s just fine to sell your land.
“So don’t care about what the environmental NGOs say. They just claim that they stand for the farmers. Who do they think they are? They even never work in the rice field. Look, even if we keep our rice field, we don’t know what to plant there as we don’t have enough water anymore. We are surrounded by buildings. If we don’t sell our land by the river bank, what are we going to plant there. It will be just an empty bare land for ground spirit place.
I Wayan Be med Lacur is an anti-poverty activist. He’s always wanted to sell lands and invited investors. Unfortunately, he has no land at all and no investors seemed interested in buying lands in Wayan’s village which is located in remote area. That’s why Wayan’s standard of living has not improved.
“Well, it’s not the point of my question. My question is that: do have a right to sell our land,”says I Made Cedil Ketil.
If you buy a piece of land from your own money or you can afford it from your hard working, well of course, you have the right to sell it. In other words, if you can make something by yourself, you can sell it if you want.
“But nobody can make land. The land has been there long time before the human exist. It is the land that ‘looks after’ the human being, not reversed. If so, do you still have the right to sell it?
Well, it’s really a difficult question. It makes everybody sleepy. Nobody is really able to answer that question. They don’t get used of discussing heavy issues. I Ketut Kiul Nguyuk sneaks out after paying for the palm today he drinks.
I Wayan is laughing loudly when hearing I Made’s question.
“This is such a philosophical question, a question that ask about something that does not exist, a silly question. Since when we can not sell our land?”
Only people who can’t get a ‘slice’ would protest. When his relative sells land and he can’t get something from it, then would protest. When one of the villagers sell his land and the village can not get any benefit, the other villagers would protest. They will suddenly talk about environmental preservation to express their protest. But when they get a ‘piece’ they will be quiet.
“It’s like the polemic about temple holy areas. They say that lakes, deltas are holy places. Don’t they think that other places are also holy as they are also created by the God. Even, pigsty and toilet are considered holy places too as they are blessed with ceremonies once they are complete (before it is used).
Everybody is getting more bored listening to Wayan.
“If so, why don’t we just let investors buy the lakes, conquer the forests and back fill the deltas so that Bali will be finished soon.”
“I thought you were all wrong. It’s not about can or can not sell the land, nor about holy places, nor about Bali being finished.”
Somebody buys something because someone sell it (supply and demand). When a Balinese sell his land that means that he doesn’t need the land anymore, but he needs cash, instead.
“If you don’t need the land anymore there is no way that you won’t sell it.”
The question is: Are the Balinese in the depth of despair that they really need the money?
Glossary:
- I Wayan Basang Layah: A greedy person, always want something to eat.
- I Wayan Be med Lacur: a person who want to be rich quickly.
- I Made Cedil Ketil: a small and tiny guy but smart.
- I Ketut Kiul Nguyuk: a low profile person.
