Ant Tribe II stirs old issue
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Ant Tribe II: Whose Time, by Lian Si, 342pp, China CITIC Press, 32 yuan ($4.83) [Global Times] |
Ants were dubbed the fourth most disadvantaged group after farmers, migrant workers and laid-off workers.
However, many suspect the "ant tribe" to be a pseudo-problem and one created by media hype. Others criticized Lian's statistical method as flawed and feared that it may have a bad influence with ants getting too much sympathy.
An ant from Tangjialing wrote an open letter to Lian and the media, asking them not to look down on the ants and leave them alone, because "we are either poor or weak, and we are only going through a particular period of life."
They expressed their anger as many houses and buildings in Tangjialing faced demolition after it turned into a hot issue during this year's National People's Congress and Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference sessions.
"Lian has this assumption that college graduates are ones who ought to have a decent life, and that people belong to disadvantaged groups if they can't afford an apartment in big cities," said Ke Luo, a critic from Beijing Daily.
Hyping up the concept, feeling deprived and overstating their hardships would trigger negative emotions and stir anger and conflicts, Ke said.
Lian fears that ants pose a potential threat to society, especially if they become victims of social injustice. "Therefore, we should study them, listen to them and help them to become a part of society and live with respect," he writes.
Deng Kun, who once famously said "he was not a loser as an ant, just yet to succeed" escaped Beijing and moved to Kunming in Yunnan Province.
Recalling his life in the capital, he admitted that he had failed to make it. Yet he is confident of starting anew by kicking off his own business and setting a good example for fellow ants to follow.
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