Madhukar Shukla has a very interesting post on his blog. He writes that a significant section of Indian populace works without a secure contract, with no or minimal employee benefits, and no legal or economic security. This should have been obvious, but what makes the post so shocking is that we see these people all around us. Contract labourers, roadside vendors, cart pullers, roadside mechanics - the list could be endless. These people have become invisible in our daily lives, even though there presence is obvious and taken for granted. Imagine Mumbai streets without roadside vendors. I know it is hard to even think of it, since we are so used to seeing all these people around us. And never once did this thought cross my mind that these “invisible” form a significant part of the social strata - the “working poor”.
Their presence seems to be a disturbing factor for many, especially when they line up outside railways stations blocking your way during peak hours. But what Madhukar points out is something very interesting:
They perform one other very “useful” function in the society, which is least acknowledged: They subsidise life-styles of their “more organised” fellow citizens!!!
Good fodder for thought !!!
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