Rickshaw pullers struggle for sustainable livelihood
'Behind every rickshaw there is a tragedy, of lost land or of a dowry that needs to be paid. This is as much a sign of our poverty as the beggars. It leads nowhere,' said one city resident.
RAMNARAIN ARRIVED at the station chowk at 2 pm to pick up his rented cycle rickshaw--a three-wheeled carriage which can carry up to three people--for his second shift of the day. Ahead of him lies another 8 hours in the saddle, pulling people through the sweltering heat, dust and fumes of the steel city. For some, it is a way of providing a livelihood to those who have nothing else, and offers a chance of social mobility. It is also lauded as an environmentally friendly and convenient means of transport in a city where buses and cars belch filthy fumes into the air.
Others scoff at such romanticism. “Behind every rickshaw there is a tragedy, of lost land or of a dowry that needs to be paid. This is as much a sign of our poverty as the beggars. It leads nowhere," said one city resident. For Ramnarain, there seemed little choice. Landless in his home district of Chatra, he came to Jamshedpur in search of work. Like thousands of other landless agricultural day labourers reliant on seasonal employment, rickshaw pulling is seen as offering a more stable income. Rickshaw pulling is a symbol of the non-formal economy and when our economy will totally be formal only then will rickshaw pulling also vanish.” “The government and NGOs can come forward to relocate the rickshaw pullers to other professions after proper training. Rickshaw pulling hardly helps to improve the quality of life,” he said.
Others scoff at such romanticism. “Behind every rickshaw there is a tragedy, of lost land or of a dowry that needs to be paid. This is as much a sign of our poverty as the beggars. It leads nowhere," said one city resident. For Ramnarain, there seemed little choice. Landless in his home district of Chatra, he came to Jamshedpur in search of work. Like thousands of other landless agricultural day labourers reliant on seasonal employment, rickshaw pulling is seen as offering a more stable income. Rickshaw pulling is a symbol of the non-formal economy and when our economy will totally be formal only then will rickshaw pulling also vanish.” “The government and NGOs can come forward to relocate the rickshaw pullers to other professions after proper training. Rickshaw pulling hardly helps to improve the quality of life,” he said.
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