Significance of ‘ Wanghar’

As stated before, in addition to its function as a ‘bank of labor,’ Wanghar exerts a cost- minimizing effect on the household’s economy. Although the cost-saving effect does not represent a saving arrangement in itself, it is important to discuss it here, since it shows the significance of the arrangement. Apparently, 'Wanghar' seems to be more a social concern than an economic one. It looks more like a 'prestige act' than a saving one. There is no doubt that the organizer sometimes really spends more on lavish food and drinks than on wage labor, but this is not always the case. One cannot deny two significant functions of Wanghar: 1) it is an act to oblige others and to be obliged simultaneously, so that the scale of relation never comes to a balance and 2) it is an occasional check of mutual ties between the organizer and the other households. Contrary to Herbon’s results for a similar arrangement (Maun) in rural Bangladesh:

„A household, which has recourse to this type of group assistance, binds itself to provide the summoned, and sometimes even the nonsummoned, helpers with qualitative, above-average food (milk, meat, sugar, etc.).

Payment is not effected. The organizer of this type of work festival has to reckon with high costs, which, when calculated in monetary units, amount to approximately 15 to 20 takas per man/day. This system is indeed not economically profitable and thus not economically motivated“ (HERBON 1985:77),

The present study analyzes it as a cost minimizing system.

Farmers seem to be quite logical in practicing 'Wanghar' for some events till today. Even after the intervention of technological implements, they analyze how the cost of a specific activity can be reduced to a minimum. There are hardly any current examples showing that the activity was arranged just for ostentation and resulted ultimately into dissaving. The social and economic aspect of this activity may easily be misunderstood, if the complete impact is not analyzed, e.g., the advantages it has brought and the comparison of costs.

To take a simple example of wheat threshing: if someone has no access to a thresher, either because it is costly, the farm is of a small size or a thresher is not available, he has to harvest by himself. If he does not arrange 'Wanghar' and tries to complete the activity with his immediate family, the following losses may occur if harvesting time is prolonged:

– crop dries up and the grains fall;

– birds may spoil it;

– wind, storm, rain or any other natural disaster may destroy it;

– actual marketing period may be missed;

– long duration of harvesting process may postpone sowing of next crop;

– longer duration may affect other household activities as well which may also result in some losses;

– maize crop loses weight by drying up;

– delayed sugar-cane crop loses market chances, as sugar mills only buy it up within a certain period.

Agricultural machines have made the process faster but uncertain. For example, crops are threshed one after the other. The threshing period of one farm may be prolonged because of any unforeseeable reason. If the thresher is driven on unpaved roads, it may get stuck anywhere. A 3-4 hours threshing may therefore take a full day. An activity planned in the morning may be delayed till evening. The hired wage laborer has to be remunerated for that day. Wanghar participants in such a case may be the neighboring farmers who may help for a few hours when the thresher comes. A normal offer of lunch or drinks is not comparable with the total cost which would be incurred.

Another considerable factor in this regard is the concentration of work within a very short span of time because of mechanization. The duration of the activity is reduced to 3-4 hours instead of a whole day. In the case of threshing, for example, one requires five laborers for three hours. That means, if three laborers are hired, they work just for three hours on a full day's wage.

Table 23 shows a comparative analysis of the cost of some concrete examples of three different types of activities performed with the help of 'Wanghar', with their total cost otherwise.

Table 23: Some examples of Wanghar from twelve case study households

All activities exemplified above are usually organized under time stress. In the first case, farmers have to organize the delivery of sugar-cane to the mill within one or two days, because the permit was received a short time before. Most of the participants belong to the poor strata and require the green leaves of sugar-cane as fodder. A very small number of neighboring farmers help in the afternoon. Since needy participants are compensated with sugar-cane leaves, there is no need to offer a proper lunch. They work quite casually, and may visit home for lunch. Since harvesting is done in winter, the organizer offers only tea during two big breaks. In Table 32, the number of participants is reduced in the case of hired labor, because Wanghar participants work quite casually as compared to wage laborers. One sees the considerable difference in costs between Wanghar and hired labor, which proves it to be a cost-minimizing arrangement.

The example of case study 8 presents a typical example of a formal Wanghar, organized under time stress when the contractor had suddenly defaulted. Citrus has to be managed very carefully as the fruit starts to fall after ripening. Apart from costs, a major drawback is to find the required number of wage laborers to complete the activity within a certain time period. In this case 'Wanghar' saved not only considerable costs, but the fruit was packed and ready to be loaded within one and half day’s work. The cost comparison in this regard can be seen in Table 23.

Examples 3 and 4 are short-span activities. The reason of organizing Wanghar in such cases is visible in the cost comparison. Example 4 shows roof covering with clay. The activity is usually organized when an extra male sitting room is built outside the house.

As the need for Wanghar has decreased at present, the activity is reduced to:

− occasionally picking and packing of citrus,

− threshing of wheat,

− sowing of sugar-cane and rice,

− harvesting of wheat and sugar cane, and

− some small household tasks.