Pang and affliction of ethnological expositions
By: Fardeen Hurrah
Human Rights Day is observed every year on 10 December — the day United Nations General Assembly adopted, in 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). The UDHR is a milestone document that proclaims the inalienable rights which everyone is entitled to as a human being – regardless of race, colour, religion, sex, language, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.
Available in more than 500 languages, it is the most translated document in the world. But less “implemented and most violated” when it comes to deliver the rights of a human being, unfortunately.
This institution was formulated and systematised to ensure and safeguard the rights and emancipation of every single individual residing on this planet. The discrimination and injustice in the past has accustomed a great problem with human beings from different parts of the world when human beings were exploitation and brutalized.
Exploitation and dominance of one over the other in human beings has been witnessed since the dawn of human life. This kind of discrimination eventually gave birth to an institution called “Human Zoo”, the horrors of this institution still haunts many hearts. The term human zoo is modern. In the past these torture centers were called Ethnological expositions. The Place human beings were caged and imprisoned similar to that of the animals.
Biblically it is believed that the concept of human zoo was introduced and established in 1875 by Carl Hagenbeck, a German animal trader or merchant. First he used to bring exotic animals for many decades, bringing them to private zoos and circuses for the purpose of entertainment.
Later at a certain point, Hagenback replaced exotic animals with the Humans. Termed and named as exotic humans. It was at the moment when industrialization was growing in Europe and adjoining areas and more people had leisure time and a little bit of spending money for the entertainment purposes.
As there were no televisions, cinemas, theaters etc so these humans’ zoos served a great interest for public eye. The links and the roots of this problem can be traced from the history and the wars that were fought. It’s believed that the prisoners of war or the captive human beings were portrayed or exhibited as the animals for the entertainment and amusement of the native population.
The term that was associated with these human beings was “Exotic” And these humans were termed as exotic human beings. This term was racial and discriminatory. These captive human beings were locked and exhibited at a specific place to meet the objective and aim of fun and entertainment for others, which usually animals used to provide in an normal zoo.
The visitors used to pet and photograph these agonized human beings. These Horrifying and rare incidents of so called human zoos from the past show how visitors used to gawp and jeer at theses primitive natives or captives in the enclosures to meet their amusement and make money from these zoos.
For the fact that these humans were believed to have unnatural or unusual size, shape and structure of many body parts. These rarities and irregularities in humans found were thus termed as exotic human beings and were treated and tamed as mere animals in any zoo.
This kind of discriminatory and inhumane behavior was particularly done with the people of black color and physically weak ones to curb and subdue their basic human rights. This dehumanizing practice was first adopted and admired by the then people of west countries mainly from United States and Europe.
Even Arab civilization has seen this sort of barbaric practice done with human beings in pre-Islamic times. Slaves and poor people were sold out to the wealthy merchants and businessmen for few pennies. This sort of market where humans were sold in exchange of money or some articles was known as Ukaz.
Let’s explore few inhumane and agonies of these human zoos. Thousands of indigenous individuals were brought from Africa, Asia and Americas to United States and Europe under queer circumstances to be put on display in the human freak shows or human zoos. Common people used to flock these human zoos because they never knew this was the oppression against their fellow human beings though they were from different area or of different looks and appearances but they’re the same Humans.
There are numerous stories regarding this cruelty of human zoos for instance, the story of Maximo and Bartola, Ota Benga, Sarah Baratmaan and so on, there are numerous individuals who faced and experienced these horrors of human zoos.
Let’s visualize the story of “Sarah Baratman”, a young African girl who was deceived and oppressed by an European businessman, by offering money and education to her. She was betrayed on account of getting rich and offering her the luxuries that she couldn’t have even thought of at her native place Africa.
But when she reached Europe, she was put in public domain as an (toy) for sale and sex. Thus she was put in the sexual slavery and was exhibited as a mere source of attraction and entertainment for the people of Europe.
To her agony she was going through a disease called “steatopygia” due to this disease her body structure and size was eccentric, particularly her buttocks were pretty big which fascinated and attracted the visitors and this illness was ridiculed and displayed as an instrument of fun and jolly.
Thus her disease was served as the entertainment for others. Her miseries and agonies didn’t stop here, at the age of 25 to 26 yrs she was diagnosed with syphilis disease, this disease was due to her polyamorous nature thrusted upon her in Europe. To her misfortune after her death, many of her body parts (brain, skeleton genitals etc) were put in a museum for the amusement and exhibition of human eye. “Museum of Mankind” in Paris.
A little relief to her soul and a tribute was presented after many years from her death. In 2002 her body parts were taken back to Africa from that museum and were given proper and respected burial on behalf of, the then President of Africa Nelson Mandella.
This inhumane and derogatory practice was opposed widely after the World War II in and across the globe, particularly in America and Europe marking an end to this barbarism. But in present times this human zoo no longer exists nor has any structural appearance in reality but virtually its characteristics and instincts are found in present world but need a special eye to look through.
As we know there are numerous countries in the world which are war torn or have been subjected to any war or still going through a war, for instance, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Ukraine etc. In Syria a war is going on for more than a decade. But there’s nothing good coming out except killing and destruction of human life and property. And this destruction and loss of human life and property in the name of terrorism is being given the name collateral damage.
So this destruction and war has made people apathetic and freezed the people in their homes due to such hysterias. So this is how the legacy and cunning manners of those human zoos are being imparted to the present world. Thus those human zoos have been fortified or modified to stop any voice raised against this barbaric act and ideology.
So the majestic and gracious Institutions like (UDHR, UNO etc) have the responsibility and duties to fulfill and guard the basic rights of human beings in and across the globe. Otherwise this sort discrimination and injustice will garner the power of hatred which gives rise to terrorism and terror like activities.
Similarly the conflict of Russia and Ukraine. Which occurred in last year February, where one is exercising its power over the other in the name of conventional threat. Also China – Taiwan skirmishes. This all has also subdued the rights of human beings across the globe and has jeopardized whole human race because of nuke eventuality.
I hope these institution will come up with such measures and parameters to create such a friendly environment on this Planet where all human beings will live with love, dignity, brotherhood and peace. So that no such wars nor will any other calamity be given a chance to overpower peace and tranquility for the welfare of this human race.
(The writer is an undergraduate student at GDC Sumbal)
