Rickshaw Pullers 2008 Jamianagar, Delhi

The world of rickshaw pullers in Delhi

Being a rickshaw puller is not every man's cup of tea. More than endurance and stamina you need a super human grit and a thick skin to put up with the daily dozes of revolting muscles and bones, thrashings, abuses and sometimes wounds that take long to heal. at the hands of beings whom the father of our nation once called bullies.

The round the corner tea shack is the only shop that opens at 6A.M. - a rickshaw pullers only haunt. People here wake up an hour and half later than the rest of Delhi. The missing of morning newspaper, ever since I shifted here 4 months back is more than offsetted by the conversations, gossips - that to me is a thresh hold to a new world - that takes place among the rickshawpullers, laborers and in this small hut and which has graced me with moral duty to highlight there plight and take up their cause under the aegis of our newly formed Organisation: " movement for Economic Democracy". I share with you excerpts of their conversation adverbtim.

May 2008 Sunday

I was in the hut, 5 minutes walk away from my one room tenement at Okhla- predominantly Muslim locality close to now dried up and wasted river Yamuna.
" Brought medicines yesterday. Heaviness in the head and nausea go away"
said Rafi the rickshaw puller, emaciated , in his 20's who has taken to the job 6 month back.
"Nothing left in Delhi - prices are soaring - better labour in fields of others in the village"
Said Bholoo a middle aged one.
"But he has 3 sisters to marry " said the tea vendor pointing towards Rafi " I asked him, six days ago to go to medical( All India Institute of Medical Sciences) W hat does this quack know what has gone inside. They do free x-ray over there ."
"Why didn't you whirl your cycle chain at them - I would have done it if I had been in your place" said another in sandow and a piece of cloth wound around his lower torso.
" Easier said than done" said the tea vendor "Who cares about us - not even the police - we are always wrong always a suspect (of delinquency) - on street, in markert, in mosques, in shrines- one day they checked the bag of loharoo while he was coming out of mosque to ensure that he was not carrying away the sandals of the faithfuls".

Hakim tried to say full throated to come over his gruffly voice "let them ban rickshaw in Zakirnagar the buttock of residents would go burst" Zakir Chacha has started selling off his rickshaws lest he'd have to sell them off by weight. The owner might also ask him to vacate the (vacant) plot any moment - election is drawing near - building activities have started up here and there - the police was saying that MLA sahib has instructed the Sahab (Station House Officer of Police Station) to go soft on illegal constructions and encroachments- there is no spare rickshaw available on rent in Zakirnagar - The poor fellows are without work for a week. Elsewhere they won’t rent rickshaw to a strangers. They ask for reference. Who would in this alien city (most of the rickshaw pullers hails from the remote villages and districts in Bihar West Bengal etc. They would rent rickshaw only if half a dozen of rickshaw pullers already there testify that the incumbent is already known to him."

Rahmat Bhai was saying that he had  increased the rent of rickshaw by Rs. 10/- more. The price of nuts and bolts have trebled and the price of wheat and oil is soaring by the day."Tariq resumed after a pause .

"It is only a month that they raised the rent from Rs. 20/- to Rs. 30/- - By the year end they would ask for Rs. 100/- quipped a dark complexioned the most soiled and shabby among them. This what ir that way the days of rickshaws are numbered in Delhi. They'll make Delhi Paris and throw the poor out . One day ther'dsay " the'd make India France and push all the poor into the ocean."

After a week I chanced upon Rafi in the same hut and inquired about his health and what had happened that day that led to his illness.

" There is no more nausea but the heaviness in head wont go away. There is a sort of tiredness in the eyes all the time - piercing pain quite now and then is agonising the chest - all the time I feel afraid while on street with my rickshaw."

"What had happened " I enquired."

"I was waiting for the lady near lane No5- she had gone inside to fetch fare of Rs. 5/- she was short of change- A shopkeeper on the other side of the road started abusing me and ordered me to move - upon my saying that I am waiting for the fare, Hell broke loose-- He pounced upon me - rained kicks and blows all over me and then held my neck in his powerful grip 0 I began to suffocate- my position was like the hen in the grip of round the corner butcher - I was passing out - lay on the road - then somebody threw a bucket of water on me. I regained control of my body and mind. Somebody asked me to do BELDARI (laboring in construction of houses and buildings in the area. There are absolutely no safe guards. You'd find workers working in hair raising precarious conditions... Fatal accidents are common. These workers are not entitled to get compensation under any law. Those who survive have no option but to beg I'd come to this segment later.“Only 15 days back a 3000 liter water tank fell on kafeel- they were five of them- they were raising the tank to the fifth floor. The two below managed to escape unhurt. He was recovering well with steel rods inserted in his back, hands and legs. Doctors had declared him out of danger. His family was told in the morning when they went to the hospital to bring him home that he was dead.After two days they received his postmortem body. He was only 18. He lived next to Al-taqwa mosque at jogabai extension - supported his father to manage 6 dependent heads".