If it’s impossible to avoid the rasogollas while
talking about Kolkata, it is as much difficult not to picture a hand-pulled
rickshaw plying in the by lanes while thinking of the city. But in this era of
technological advancement, do those two-wheeled things really have a place in a
city that supposedly wants to shed some old clogs? And like everything else
under the sun, there is no dearth of opinion on this one too in Kolkata.
City of joy; a foodie’s paradise; cheap-n-best; true
appreciator of art, culture and music... the adjectives that make this place
stand out from just any other metro of the country are galore. And so are the
tags like reluctant and regressive. But one thing that would stand above all
things that should describe this city best is ‘confused’.
Yes, Kolkata is a confused city. To do or not to do; to keep
or let go; to change or retain; to look new or keep it the old way... the city
keeps on finding itself at the crossroads too often. So when a symbolic thing
such as the hand-pulled rickshaw was diced in as the topic, you couldn’t help
but again see the confused Kolkatans.
“Which developed city in the world has vehicles pulled by
humans like this?” questions second year History student Shibani Guha. “And
look, we still have it in Kolkata.” Understandable, coming from a 20-year-old.
While post cards of other cities, when Googled, offer beautiful landscapes or
high-rises, her city’s name throws up elderly men pulling rickshaws – that’s
definitely not what someone of her age associates with development. But, hold
on.
“What about the coolies at our stations? Why are they still
there?” questions Shibani’s college-mate Roshni Nayak. And there goes the
debate.
Hand-pulled rickshaw have for long been the subject for
discussion now in Kolkata. To have them or to do away with them? While almost
everyone agrees that it doesn’t augur well in this age to have yourself pulled
by someone else, taking away the livelihood of so many people is at stake too.
“In any case there have hardly been new opportunities for these people, so
where do you expect them to go?” questions Nayak.
True. The state may have seen a few IT biggies coming over
in the last few years, but the ground reality remains pretty much the same in
Bengal even today. With few industries coming up, things have hardly looked up
for the lower strata in the state. “We just can’t do away with something just
because it looks odd in the modern scheme of things,” Sociology student
Abhijeet Sikdar makes a point. “That would be inhumane.”
“But then what’s humane about being pulled by someone you
father’s age,” argues Shibani. “And the last thing that should be attached to
this topic is a heritage-tag. There’s already enough heritage in the city that
remains to be protected, there’s no pride in this one at least.”
And we thought that at least the new generation would be
speaking in the same language – that of doing away with the old burden. Well,
not really, if you are in Kolkata.
What do they want?
This debate can go on for eternity in a city that loves
debating over their cups of tea. But why not ask those who are actually
concerned -- those who have to walk the lanes pulling the load under the sun.
Do they want the rickshaws to be done away with? How hard is it to carry on
with such a laborious way of life? And here comes the real surprise.
“When other things from the British raaj can stay, why can’t
we,” question Shauqat Ali. “The trams a moving, the thela (hand-pulled carts)
is also running. So why this debate only on us,” questions the nearly 60 man.
But isn’t it too hard for the body? Won’t the usual three-tyred rickshaws be
easier?
“No no, that comes for Rs 100 a day,” remarks Mangal Yadav.
For one hand-pulled rickshaw, one has to deposit Rs 20 a day to the owner, who
usually has a fleet of around 100 rickshaws to rent. “Customers won’t give me
extra money because of a cycle-rickshaw. So if I have to give Rs 100 a day on
rent, what will I earn,” explains Yadav. “And this is actually much easier to
pull,” chips in Ali. “Our legs would have ached even more.” Now that was something
new!
The good men!
And there was more. There’s a typical bell that the rickshaw
pullers use in Kolkata. A little tap on the handle of the rickshaw with these
bells makes a rattling sound that’s so typical of a rickshaw behind you. But
one never knew that this simple little bell could have a far greater importance
than just helping pave the way for the poor rickshawwala, unaided with a brake
or pedal. “Every rickshaw puller will always keep his bell at hand. This proves
that we are not in the city doing something bad, but earning our livelihood
honestly pulling rickshaws,” says Yadav.
Most rickshaw pullers in the city come from the states of
Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh or the rural districts of south and western
Bengal. They huddle in one cramped place to spend the night or just sleep on
the pavements. At a time when no one is to be believed and every unknown face
that turns up in the city is a suspect for the police, these bells help these
immigrants prove their noble intentions. At least, that’s what they believe.
And it’s not a bad one either.
Years on the wheels
For Mangal Yadav, it’s hard to remember if he ever did
anything else in this city other than pulling the rickshaw since he first
landed here in the early 1970s. “My chacha came here first from Joshidih and
then I followed,” Yadav tries to rewind the years while taking a break on the
Free School Street crossing. “I think I’m pulling rickshaw for 40-50 years
now,” he says. Well, how old are you then? “Might be some 50-60,” he tries to
get the math correct. “But that doesn't matter. I can still do this work for
4-5 months a year,” he adds quickly sensing my awkwardness after hearing that a
man-aged that many years has to put in so much labour.
But I put a brake on this pseudo emotional-turmoil of mine
there itself – from my vegetable seller to the farmers, the laundry men to the
domestic helps... almost everyone is elderly. No one ever thought how difficult
must it be for the farmers of this age to break their backs under the sun... so
why this sudden awkwardness for a rickshaw-puller? And so, the chat continues.
“I work for 4-5 months here and then return to my village to
tend to the crops,” says Yadav, who usually plies in the by-lanes of central
Kolkata that connects the ever busy Park Street. This is one part of Kolkata
that’s still holding on to its past. Loves going to the New Market for the
morning fresh bakes, picks up the winter jaggery from Taltala market, hops on
the tram to move from Wellington Square to the old furniture shops near Ripon
Street – this part of Kolkata has little urge to enter the 21st the
century. And probably that’s why the maximum number of rickshaws too can be
seen there.
There’s one more reason why this part of the city is dotted
with hand-pulled rickshaws – the number of small and renowned schools in the
area. A fair chunk of the steady income for the rickshaw pullers come from
plying the kids to the neighbourhood school and back. The by-lanes are so
narrow and crowded that it’s practically not feasible for a school bus of van
to operate, and so the rickshaws hardly have a competition here. And more so,
if it’s the rainy season – which the city sees for at least three months a
year. With water-logged streets, rickshaws are your best bet to climb high
while the rickshawwala navigates through the water.
“There are around 5000 odd of us now in Kolkata,” says Hari
Ram, joining Yadav for a bidi in the afternoon. “Even till five years ago there
were around 12,000 rickshaws,” adds Hari, who comes from the Darbhanga district
in Bihar. Yes, with the passage of time the numbers have come down. And Yadav’s
testifies why. “I don’t want my kid to pull a rickshaw here,” he says. “He
should study a bit.” Well, though by ‘study’ all Yadav means is that study
enough to become “a driver or a mechanic”, but still it’s a welcome progress in
the mindset.
1 comment:
Hey, good report!
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