The Plight of the Worker

With the lockdown getting extended in the country and the unhelpful news channels that report bogus information about the extent of lockdown in states, the morale of the people is visibly diminished. However, the people who can view this post don’t have it bad at all – we sit in the comfort and safety of our homes, and the only big problem of our day is trouble deciding which new TV show to binge. But this is not the case of the class of workers who don’t have savings to dip into or alternate sources of work through which they can earn just enough for the day – these are the daily wage earners.

As the term suggests, these workers work through the day in hopes of receiving a meager sum through which they can barely afford two (in many cases just one) square meal a day. When the lockdown was called and construction projects were put on hold, stores were forced to shut and offices remained closed, these workers lost their means of livelihood. Usually, they would be able to just afford a small apartment which they would share with many others – but as they would not be able to pay the rent, they were forced out. Additionally, societies that housed these workers ‘grew concerned’ about the ‘possibility of the virus lingering’ on these rent-paying workers and forced them out.

To elaborate more on the severity of the situation, I would like to cite the example of Rajesh, a driver for Big Basket, and someone I recently met while collecting an order of groceries. Rajesh told me that he hailed from the remote parts of Uttar Pradesh and had come down to Bombay a while back. He has been driving trucks all his adult life and had joined Big Basket a considerable amount of time ago. As we got down to speaking, he told me how difficult it was to survive without his daily paycheck. He said that he lived in a shared space with 10 other workers, 6 of whom were on a day shift and the rest on a night shift. As their places of work shut down, 10 of them were forced to live together in an apartment designed for 5 people. They had been out of work since the lockdown had been imposed, and he had only recently gotten back to driving trucks 10 days ago. I asked him whether he was receiving any aid from the government, and he replied with a somber tone. He was disappointed that the government was not helping him financially as it is expensive living in Bombay – furthermore, he was disappointed in the fact that he was not allowed to head home where he could live with his family. He complained that the students of IIT Kota were allowed to return home as they were rich and of a ‘higher class’. He complained further that the government was not helping them as promised.

As a result of my conversation with Rajesh, I yearned to further understand the problems that these workers faced. I spoke with the grocer who catered to my building – he was extremely forthcoming and acquainted himself as Vinod Dube. He said that the lockdown had affected his business of groceries, ‘ration’, and ‘kirana’. He introduced himself as an honest man, and by the end of our conversation, I was convinced that he had lived up to the standard he had set for himself. When the lockdown had been placed, he had immediately registered himself as a grocer and had been issued with a pass that would allow him to carry on his business – he was thankful of the same. He even took a second to praise the police for their assistance and compliance. However, he faced a much bigger problem – he was being overcharged by his supplier, and there was no government policy that he could turn to for help. He sold his items at MRP – not a rupee more than the printed price. Additionally, as the lockdown rules had been made more flexible to allow Amazon essential items to be delivered, he saw a drop in sales. Having braved the virus and setting up shop after hours of work, he had once again been bested by the multinational corporations.

I went on to speak to more of the building staff – the security in my building had been on duty ever since the lockdown had been issued, and had not returned home for a night’s sleep since. I spoke with extremely friendly people – Sadanand and Nagnath at the gate, making sure that only safe and essential vehicles and people entered our building, and Ganesh in the garage, in charge of checking the temperature of delivery boys and making extensive databases of these delivery attendants personal contact numbers. Although they had no problem with the living arrangements and food organized by the building, they were missing their families. Most of them were from the area – Kalachowki, Sewri, etc. They knew that their families were not too far away, but were concerned about their health and wellbeing.

From my experience with these very distinct people, I am thankful for being fortunate enough to be living with my family in my house. The lockdown has been hard on many people, and as compassionate and empathetic citizens of Mother India, it is our duty to help our brothers and sisters in need – but don’t take this as a necessary call for help. Do what you can do to help them – do it if you want to, not because you consider it your social obligation.

This help can be to keep checking up on your building staff and making sure they are comfortable enough. Strike up a conversation with them, ask them about things that excite them – talking about their families is a great way to build a rapport with them. Don’t be afraid to talk to them about the virus and help resolve any misconceptions they may have about it. Go to your local vendor and make sure they are not being overcharged by their suppliers. They are braving the virus to bring you fresh produce, often at a loss for themselves. Help them understand their course of action in alerting the correct authorities. Speak to your maids on the phone and ask them how they have been doing – they live paycheck to paycheck, and could really use your help.

This whole experience has taught us that these people are our essential workers. We cannot live without them – our lockdown would not have been the same without them. Help them as they have helped you.

A group of students from our school has partnered with Hum Sahayak, an organization working closely with Goonj, a reputed NGO that provides for these workers in need of our help. If you wish to donate to my fundraiser just click on the link below. Every donation counts!

https://www.ketto.org/supportfundraiser/donate-to-hum-sahayak-yjvmn