With the proportional increase in poverty and inflation day by day, only those surviving with less pay and with insufficient resources for living will interpret its real impact.

With that ideology, Suke India decided to interview a rickshawala from a town in Maharashtra with the population of approx one lac people.

We respect his job and this is just a story of a man who in spite of working for hours and serving people in the area, is not enjoying the similar benefits as we do.

Would appreciate if you comment and share your views about such scenarios in all parts of our country. We have just covered one rickshawala from one town of India, imagine there are hundreds of drivers in lacs of towns and thousand of drivers in thousands of cities.

It is easy to show sympathy to their life situation, empathising it requires us to actually understand their phase of life and show them the real support. Are we doing it?

Most of us have a tendency to bargain with the rickshawalas, and when it is about OLA or UBER service, none of us imagine to Bargain even though these companies has already hiked the travelling prices, though they offer the coupon codes by calling it a discount offer but even then there prices remain costly and a common man thinks that he’s enjoying an offer, but in fact, he’s not! Does this happen just because they are branded and these rickshawalas are not? But infact, they are earning in millions whereas these people don’t even make it to Rs. 5000 per month, being in a crowded and a costly city, and the whole family has to survive with that amount of money. So, what comes in your mind now?

It is not just the case of rickshaw walas, but also those small vendors and other stores who sell their products already at a cheap cost and we tend to bargain for even less price, in the same way nobody dares to think of bargaining at a mall because the billboard at a store reads “Fixed Price”. Though this is something, which is not be blamed as it is a matter of quality, but when the price is life of an individual, quality is something which can be sidelined.

We hope you will like the discussion with a rickshawala from Bhandara, Laldas Narendra Khobragade!

So, do not forget to share this discussion and please appreciate the efforts of these who struggles a lot, but privileged nothing. Also, people are so centred to the upcoming technology that they have forgotten the backbones of technology do exist in 21st century.

Laldas Narendra Khobragade (Rickshaw Chalak/ Father/ Common Man)

Interview Credits : Sanket Balapurkar & Asmit Sontakke

(Translated in English)

How many kids do you have?

I have a son and a daughter. My son is the younger one, who’s studying in 10th standard in Nutan Maharashtra School ( Semi govt. public school) and my daughter is into nurse training.

What problems are you facing for their education? Is there any shortage of money?

Yes there is. My daughter is pursuing training in Nursing, so she often requires money and now my son will grow so definitely he will find the need too (for education).

How much do you earn, like earning per day basis?

Earning from daily rides is not regular and rarely happens, whatever I earn for the family is just because of driving the school students to the school and henceforth, home. My wife too earns money by washing utensils and clothes at people’s homes.

Still, how much do you earn, monthly?

It reaches Rs. 4000, but sometimes even Rs. 4000 is not possible. And she earns 3000 per month.

Do you think this much amount of money is sufficient for the whole month?

We have no other option. Sometimes, we have to borrow money from people, few of them give it, but few don’t.

Do you have a ration card?

Yes, I do.

What all things do you get with that card?

10kg wheat and 15 kg of rice.

Does that last long for a month?

It is not sufficient, but we are familiar to these conditions so we adjust to whatever we get.

How good is the quality of ration that you get?

We are poor, we are getting food to eat, that’s enough.

What are your hopes/expectations from the Government?

What to expect from them? Whatever we do, we have to look after it, nobody cares. Just one thing I wish that the inflation should get minimal so that we can never go to others for borrowing money.

What are troubles you face in getting rides daily? Do they bargain for the amount you requested or they ride happily?

Getting rides is very tough these days, I have spend half-of the day today and then I got a person, who bargained the amount requested of Rs. 40 and brought it down to Rs. 30. We don’t shout much about these issues and even if we do, nobody thinks about it. Even the auto walas created a problem for rickshawala (s). It is very tough to get a ride and I imagine, if I didnt had these school students to pick up and drop, the situation would be even worse.

Also Read: Student of ISM Dhanbad found missing from 18th Dec at Railway Station, read and share

(Original in Marathi)

Kiti mula ahet tumhala..?

Ek mulga ani ek mulgi. Mulga lahan ahe aata 10th chi exam dein nutan maharashtra madhe ahe. Anhi mulgi mothi ahe nurse training karat aahe..

Tyancha abhyasat kahi traas hote ka? Mhanje paise wagere kami padtat ka?

Ho mulgi nurse training karat ahe tar tila paise laagat raahatat, anhi mulga aata mota hot aahe tyala pan lagtilach paise.

Tumhi kiti kamawta eka Diwasche ?

Asa sawari ni tar kahich nahi hot.. je kai hote te shaade che mula sodto-aanto tyatach bhagte amcha.. anhi bayko lokan kade bhande ghasna ani kapde dhuna krte.

Tari eka mahinyat kiti paise yetat ghari?

Majhe Rs. 4000 hote kadhi kadhi Rs. 4000 pan purna nahi jama hot. Anhi tiche (Baaiko) Rs. 3000 yetat.

Yevdhya paisyat ghar chalte ka barobar mahinya chya shewat paryanta?

Chalun geto, kadhi kami padhle tar mag magawe lagte konhala, konhi dete konhi nahi det.

Ration card ahe ka tumcya kadhe.. ?

Ho aahe na.

Kay kay bhette tya madhye?

10kg gahu ani 15 kg tandul.

Yewda ration purte ka tumhala?

Purat tar nahi.. pan amhala amchi paristhithi mahiti ahe mhanun mag adjust karto amhi purawa lagte tewdha.

Quatlity wagere changli aste kay?

Aata aamhi garib mansa amhala khayla bhetla tech khup ahe.

Government kadhun kay apeksha ahet tumchya?

Amhi apeksha karun kay honar. Amcha amhalach baghawe laagte. Mala yevdach watte ki mahagai kami jhali pahije, amhalaa kona kade paise magawe nahi lagle pahijet.

Sawari bhetayla kiti traas jate? Sangitle tewde paise detat kay loka ki kami kartat?

Sawari tar khup kami bhet te aata ardha diwas nighun gela aanhi aata kuthe ek sawari bhetli, te pan tyanla Rs. 40 sangitle pan shewti Rs. 30 madhye aana lagla. Amhi kai jast tar sangat nai anhi amcha konich vichar kart nahi. Ya auto walyan mude pan rickshawalyanchi waat lagli ahe. Mothya mushkili ni sawari bhet tat… shaade che mula nena aanna karto mhanun maza ghar tari chalte nahi tar mahit nahi kay jhala asta!

Thank you for your precious time in reading the story of a poor, hardworking rickshaw wala. We are Proud of him and people like him.

It is sad to know that our government describes India, a developing nation, but when we look into the deeper side of our country, poverty and inflation still hits and kills the people of this nation for which we feel so proud.

Do you have any similar story to share with us or want us to write about anyone you suggest, please mail us at yourstory@sukeindia.com with your name and the story to share. We would love to publish it in our column and definitely spread it to large crowd. You can also fill the details at “Ur Story” page (if not mail).

Stay Tuned!