Chaloge Kya?
- Shreyash Jaiswal
- Jan 26, 2019
- 9 min read
India (officially the Republic of India) is going to celebrate its 70th Republic Day on 26th January 2019.
With a staggering population of 1,259,695,000 and adding more numbers as you read this line, there’s no denial to the fact India is a land of wonders. Especially when, the PM was conferred UN's highest environmental honour and parallelly according to the report of World Health Organisation, about 90 per cent of world's population is exposed to dangerous levels of pollution and 14 of world's 15 most polluted cities are in India.
The Oxford dictionary defines republic as “A state in which supreme power is held by the people and their elected representatives, and which has an elected or nominated president rather than a monarch.” Now, the question arises; is India truly a Sovereign, Socialist, Secular, Democratic, and Republic nation as it claims? I assume everyone has a different version to narrate. While there are further segregations of democracy, we must find out where is our boat sailing. Do we fall under these given categories?
Direct democracy.
Representative democracy.
Presidential democracy.
Parliamentary democracy.
Authoritarian democracy.
Participatory democracy.
Islamic democracy.
Social democracy.
Apparently, India frames policies after passing bills in two houses of representatives and is governed by a parliament. But, I want to turn the spotlight to a term called “flawed democracy” which I think is the sane and logical conclusion of India and its politics. Some say India is a pseudo democracy, which honestly is true in some parts but still, India is not a pseudo-democracy completely, it is rather a flawed democracy. Pseudo-democracy by definition means a state which calls itself democratic but actually it isn't. eg. Democratic people of the Republic of Korea (North Korea) but when India claims itself to be a democracy there is some element of truth but its the partial truth.
Moving on from Democracy and its kinds, let’s examine what makes India the largest democracy on the globe. India is the second largest country in terms of population, after China. But since China doesn't have complete democracy. Hence, India remains with the largest country (in terms of population) which have democracy.
Therefore it is termed as the largest democratic country. In my view what makes India a unique democracy is the question “kya aapke Democracy m, Diversity hai?” and the answer is a straight YES.
In this blog I aim to analyse the predicament of our very own- Rickshaw Pullers. But before diving deep into the plight of this shrugged off section of society, I wish to tell my experience of Rickshaw this morning.
It was 8:50 on my watch when I reached my destination metro station for heading towards my college. To my surprise, it was raining cats and dogs and the sky was pitch-black. I had to reach my college anyhow since there was no turning back. As soon as I stepped out of the exit gate, I realised today was the day I was not going to be punctual at all. Why? Because every single e-rickshaw driver was standing under the roof and all their vehicles dripping wet. “Okay, let’s find a way to walk”, I thought. In no time I even stepped back from the idea when a car in its full throttle just splashed the muddy water at my steps. Yes, I know how that feels; more grave when you have been in a uniform. So, the next thing I did was, to step out from the shed and unfold my umbrella to look out for a brave auto-rickshaw driver.
Minutes passed away and so did my patience, but I could not convince one rickshaw driver to take me to a destination hardly half a km away. I was annoyed at the situation and furious on people, whom I was ready to pay double the fare I usually did; just because it was raining. I never got past the fact that, auto drivers had a roof on their head (because they were sitting in their auto) and yet they all denied me the ride. In their own words, “bhaiya, kon jayega itni baarish m”. In my mind, I was like; you people are dry, have headlights mounted on your vehicle and on top of that a customer; who is willingly ready to pay you more than the double of what you charge daily. Why in heaven’s name would you turn down such a once in a month offer?
Nevertheless, I got a rickshaw later and somehow reached college half wet and 15 minutes late. But one thing which made me a contemplative person the entire day was, a scene from this morning where I saw a rickshaw puller; dripping wet, shivering like a baby and fighting tooth and nail to peddle his vehicle on which a lady was seated. The passenger had a plastic sheet shed on her top, but the man peddling the vehicle put up a fight to keep his body working for a square meal. When I got back home I found some intriguing and disheartening facts about the rickshaw pullers of the world’s largest democracy.
According to the Center For Rural Development
There are 5 million rickshaw pullers in India. A random survey across the country reveals that 95% of rural migrants and unemployed men pull rickshaws to earn their bread on a daily-hire basis and continue that way throughout their lives. They are denied use of the post office or bank. Many who seek credit to purchase a new rickshaw become victims of high-interest rates.
Most migrants in Indian cities live in dire poverty, with a lack of adequate housing, clean drinking water, and medical facilities. These very migrants often become victims of the wrath of government agencies, municipal bodies and the police. A significant number of migrant workers in Delhi, India’s capital, depend on cycle rickshaw pulling to support their families back in their villages. Many of these migrant workers take up rickshaw pulling as a quick way to earn some money while they are in the city. A vast majority of these migrant workers get absorbed into various unorganized sectors and work as housemaids, sweepers, drivers, hawkers, roadside vendors, autorickshaw drivers and so on.
Thousands of male migrant workers join the cycle rickshaw industry as pullers, mechanics or workers in various ancillary units that support the cycle rickshaw industry. An estimated 2 million cycle rickshaws ply the roads in India. The exact number may be far greater as there are no reliable records available, but the cycle rickshaw industry provides instant employment to unskilled migrants in urban and semi-urban areas.
Indispensable Mode of Transport
The non-polluting and environment-friendly cycle rickshaw, as one of the cheapest modes of intra-city transport, plays a pivotal role in providing point-to-point connectivity, helping people reach nearby markets, railway stations, and bus terminals, and allowing them to commute short distances in narrow lanes where cars and auto rickshaws cannot easily travel. The neighbourhood rickshaw puller often provides door-to-door transport services for children in nursery schools. In crowded markets, they serve as a convenient mode of transport in ferrying goods to nearby areas.
Rickshaws are also used for garbage collection. Lately, cycle rickshaws have become an indispensable feeder service for the Metro and bus stations and can be found queued up outside many Metro stations in Delhi. For hundreds of homeless rickshaw pullers, by night their cycle rickshaws get transformed into makeshift beds.
Conflicts
In Delhi, the cycle rickshaw has gradually emerged as an indispensable mode of public transport and the cheapest way to commute short distances. Thus, a large number of people still depend on them. In order to control and regulate the rickshaws in Delhi, the MCD often employs the draconian Cycle Rickshaw Bye-Laws of 1960 Act. According to this law, one person is granted one cycle rickshaw license, except widows and handicapped persons, who can avail five license permits.
"Plying a cycle rickshaw without a proper license is illegal."
The civic agencies and policymakers in Delhi often neglect the much-needed service provided by rickshaw pullers. While planning and implementing their projects, they only look at cycle rickshaws as a nuisance, as slow-moving vehicles that obstruct the smooth and speedy flow of traffic on heavily congested roads. The traffic police and MCD officials frequently harass rickshaw pullers by puncturing rickshaw tires and confiscating and impounding rickshaws. Because of the unsympathetic attitude of government agencies and the police, the rickshaw pullers often find themselves caught in technically illegal situations while struggling to earn a livelihood. This is where the problem starts.
Many rickshaw pullers and owners complain that MCD officers impound rickshaws without any reason and dismantle the confiscated rickshaw if the owner or puller fails to pay the required fine along with the fees for the storage space in the MCD yard. But in reality, besides paying the required penalty, often the pullers and the owners have to pay a bribe to get their confiscated rickshaws released.
Manushi, a welfare organisation founded by social activist Madhu Kishwar, has been at the forefront of many struggles for the rights of marginalized and vulnerable groups and has run several campaigns for the rights of the rickshaw pullers in India. Madhu Kishwar points out that singling out cycle rickshaws and creating a cap on licenses through draconian laws is highly discriminatory. She further states that, while the municipal body is adamant about enforcing laws on cycle rickshaws, there are no such quantitative restrictions on the number of licenses that can be issued to motor vehicles owners. The state unnecessarily favours the automobile industry and wishes to wipe out other modes of transport that are cheaper and environmentally friendly. In fact today, Delhi is overcrowded with automobiles, and even narrow lanes and pedestrian pathways are overrun by erratically parked cars and motorbikes.
Social Insecurity of Rickshaw Pullers
Rickshaw pullers, due to their status as seasonal migrants, do not receive basic social security in urban areas. Important documents like ration cards or voter identity cards are difficult to procure due to lack of proper identity proofs. The study conducted by Jan Parivahan Panchayat in 2001-2 revealed that around 88 per cent of the rickshaw pullers in Delhi do not have ration cards issued by the Government of Delhi, which would entitle them to subsidized grains, cooking oil, sugar and other essential items. More than 90 per cent of the rickshaw pullers did not possess voter identity cards and could not enrol their names on the voter list due to lack of evidence of residential and identity proof. The voter identity card, one of the most important identity proofs in India, help in obtaining various other facilities like a bank account, driver’s license, electricity connection, telephone connection and so on.
Thus, most rickshaw pullers, deprived of any social security and exploited by the MCD, police and certain sections of society, remain suspended between the poles of “legality” and “illegality.” Although they are citizens of India, as migrants in the city of Delhi they are forced to live a suspended and subversive form of life.
Climate Change and Cycle Rickshaw
Over the last several decades, the city of Delhi has been experiencing an automobile revolution and an exponential increase of privately owned cars. Thousands of newly registered private vehicles are added daily on Delhi’s already-congested roads, causing traffic jams that last for hours. As a result, problems of mobility, congestion, and ever-increasing air pollution have all become issues of serious concern. In this context, the cycle rickshaw – as a non-polluting vehicle ideally suited for commuting short distances – should be adapted quickly as a sustainable model in public transportation.
A study conducted by the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy has pointed out that if all the rickshaws were removed from Delhi’s roads, the air pollution would increase dramatically. Thus, cycle rickshaws should be seen as an environment-friendly vehicle in the era of climate change, where alternatives to fossil fuel-based transportation are the need of the hour.
But as we know the person who won an environment award for displaying India, as a country running a marathon for sustainable development, would first buy bullet trains from Japan for the elite who can afford it.
In the end, it always matters!
Compared to privately-owned cars, which take up more road space and are very expensive to maintain, a cycle rickshaw takes up very little road space and can ferry many passengers throughout the day. Since a cycle rickshaw involves very low investment, it is often seen as an instant source of employment for the huge migrant population in Delhi. Policymakers by and large have ignored the plight of poor rickshaw pullers by favouring the automobile lobby. The cycle rickshaw industry should be encouraged in the urban areas, along with appropriate policy adaptations and financial support to rickshaw pullers. In addition to providing the cheapest mode of public transportation, the cycle rickshaw industry helps reduce unemployment in a city with a large population of unskilled migrants.
Leading by example
The e-rickshaws distributed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 5 under the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana seems to have no takers in Noida and Ghaziabad.
Nearly 2,000 battery-operated rickshaws are gathering dust at the NIB (National Institute of Biologicals) ground in Sector 62 Noida. The Mudra scheme refinances loans of up to Rs 10 lakh given by lending institutions to small borrowers for non-farm income-generating activities.
Modi had distributed a total 5,100 e-rickshaws, of which a thousand each were meant for Noida and Ghaziabad.
If you are somehow reading this line, I don’t know how could you survive to read so much but I have a point to make. Next time when you have to reach a nearby place and the weather is fine, think of taking a rickshaw instead of a cab. Feel free to share it with me if you made someone’s day by just taking a ride. Thank you for your patience.
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