Professional Discrimination

“Everything is an art, the only thing different is the material used,” a famous Philosopher once wrote. Different occupations have the beauty and loveliness of its own. We work hard each day to make things better and improvise ourselves on what we do and who we are. How does it feel when somebody tries to make you feel inferior by comparing what you do to what others do or they do? This definitely is not good. It is offending, agonizing and annoying.

While the world is on a race for its triumph against racism, poverty or disease, No one seems to be concerned about the discrimination among professions and its affects on individual, society and a whole Nation.

One of my friends just passed cadet exam and became a Lieutenant in Nepal Army. The first thing I hear from him was, now I am superior to a police inspector. Who taught him that? For me both are good jobs of protecting the country and its citizen. How can anybody say that a lawyer is better than an engineer, or a doctor is better than a nurse, or a businessman is better than a housemaid? All of those professions have their individual way of dealing things and own elegance of work. Beside all, they are helping each other directly or indirectly. And forming a well balanced part of an ‘ecosystem’ where every profession is equally important.

Even though professional discrimination is a problem in every country round the world, it is severely affecting the developing country like Nepal. My cousin just returned from U.K. I was with him while meeting the relatives. One of the newly introduced relative asked him, “What is your profession?”  That question made him blush. He paused for a while and stammered business. Tell tale signs of a lie can be seen on his face. I’m sure he is not on business. This is not only his story but of many Nepalese citizen working in foreign land. Fear of discrimination has overwhelmed the truth.

“What do you do for living?” one of most frequently asked question has become one of the most uneasy questions to answer for many. If somebody is so ashamed of just saying what he does than how can anybody doing the same job in a society be happy. This might be the reason why people prefer to stay jobless than do certain types of job. Who will do that job in the country? How can a nation be developed if the entire citizen doesn’t want to do those types of job? Who is to blame, Society for creating different kind of ranking of different profession, or an individual, not being happy of what he or she  is doing, or a government, who is unable to set certain laws against the professional discrimination?

Although there are certain systems of ranking in same profession which might be necessary, that should be limited within that profession. Out in the public every person is same. They all are human beings with the tag of equality that is Nepalese Citizen. If somebody expects respect just because of his or her higher rank in their profession than that is wrong. If you have done something good to others regardless of rank or profession than you don’t need to ask, you will be cherished. Respect should be deserved not asked or fixed by profession or ranks.

Everything is an art, be a good artist on whatever you are doing. Respect all professions equally. A new constitution is being written in our country, let’s hope at least few of our leaders are concerned about professional discrimination and make some laws against it. So that all Nepalese citizens will start doing whatever job they get. And all the professionals are happy with what they are doing. Professional discrimination can be eliminated and the world can be a better place if we just try to see the world from others perspective.