In the Sundarbans and the regions that surround it, there is a direct relationship between where one lives geographically and where they fall on the social hierarchy. Similar to the phrase often heard throughout the United States which argues that one’s zip code is an important if not the most significant indicator for one’s future opportunity and success, the further “up” or “down” one lives in the Sundarbans directly correlates to their socio-economic status and their chance at mobility. In the table above, the contrasts between living “up” and living “down” are put side by side.
The terms “up” and “down” are literal, describing the further north or south that one lives, but are also symbolic of one’s position on the social hierarchy (imagine a pyramid chart – the further “up” one lives the further up they are on the chart, and vice versa). How close one lives to the dense wild mangrove forest is another way of understanding the geographical social hierarchy. Those that live closer to the forest are more likely to work as forest workers and make significantly less of an income than landowners or school teachers, positions traditionally held by people living further inland. But further “up,” it is less about one’s proximity to the forest and more about their access to urbanity and communication. Ports such as Canning and Basanti are considered “up” because they are hubs of travel and trade. Kolkata is a bustling globally recognized city, geographically and socially farther “up” than the majority of individuals living in the Sundarbans will ever achieve.
