Bandh for the poor hits daily wage earners

NEW DELHI: Hundreds of workers and rickshawpullers in Old Delhi went to sleep on an empty stomach on Monday night. The bandh meant no work and, in turn, no earnings throughout the day.

Most other daily wagers in the city, too, were left with only one option, to live off their savings.

Jaiveer, a rickshaw-puller in Chandni Chowk who is from Uttar Pradesh, said: ‘‘The market remains closed on Sunday and the opposition parties called for the bandh on Monday. With no earnings on two consecutive days, I have already exhausted whatever little savings I had. I don’t know how I will manage now.’’

These workers were hit where it hurts the most. Even as the strike was organized to protest against the rise in prices, people who suffered on account of it said that there was no justification for not allowing them to earn a livelihood.

‘‘That they are opposing the rise in prices is right but what will they gain by denying us the right to work. Will the government bring down the prices tomorrow?’’ asked Indeshwar Majhi, who pulls a goods trolley in Chawri Bazaar.

‘‘We did not get any passengers today. Let’s see if the gurdwara serves us langar. Otherwise, we will have to go to sleep hungry. They (political leaders) are big people who travel in big cars. Why couldn’t they put up food stalls for us?’’ asked Rajkumar, a rickshaw-puller in Old Delhi.

Many workers like Ramprakash, a plumber who cycles to Rohini everyday, were stopped midway and not allowed to reach their workplace. Ramprakash stood in silence as party workers broke his cycle.

‘‘They damaged the tyres of my cycle. How will this help in bringing down the price of food. I have a family of four to look after. I won’t be able to feed them if I don’t earn,’’ he said.

Shailendra Kumar, who washes dishes in restaurants and does odd jobs, is worried about his family in UP. ‘‘I could not send anything even last month as I did not get much work. Now I have been without work for the past two days.’’