Lose of income and livelihood : Storis of the common people

Today I went out first time after lock down being announced in Delhi, in between I explored the few things, which were totally different in comparison of normal time. These are really unprecedented timefor most of the people, but persons of margin are facing double-edged difficulties, one due to th infection of COVID19 and second loses of job/ income.

First interaction with cab driver, transport sector is one of the hardest hit by the COVID19’s lockdown in India or elsewhere in the world. In India, this is purely informal sector in India, there are hardly any security in this sector, whether you are employed with transport company or self-employed. Even though Delhi government was tried to help to the motor drivers, who is in the business of transport in Delhi, but there are not data to substantiate this initiative as a helpful, as far my interactions with those people, hardly any one of them got the monetary assistance.

I also meet one Coconut water seller, he was very upset with the lockdown and low business, he shared with me, he hardly able to make 20% of his business in compression of the normal time. But, he was more worried about the larger people, who lost their regular income or job. He had gone to his home town UP after complete lockdown being announced by the authorities.  

Other interaction with tea seller, Arjun ji (Name changed), he shared that, there is no interest in the business these day, people are not coming, and sell of tea are on the low. He shared that, in the normal time, he used to by around 50 Kg, milk for the making tea but now even he can’t sell the tea of 10 KG’s milk. In the same location, most of the informal eateries were not there.

We don’t have idea about the difficulties of the people in India due to the CODVID19 Pandemic, sadly our media just not interested to understand the difficulties of the common people’s pain or needs. Our entire economy is based on the informal sectors or self-employment, even we can think, how our people are sustaining their livelihood in India or I say, they used to earn they income because due to COVID19, most of these place is not open to provide platforms for people to earn their livelihood.