These hardworking soft spoken people from Bihar and UP who sharpen metal edges while riding their ubiquitous bicycle and using it for the actual job are hard to spot since the past 15 - 20 years ever since everyone in cities and large towns started becoming a techie! Their tribe and profession have almost become extinct because men and women in their 20s and even upto late 30s talk big about sustainability, recycling and environment but with the bat of an eyelid they discard old stuff which can be made fully functional by forking out a few rupees only. The techie generation discard the old and take pride in ordering everything online at fancy prices.
A long pending issue since the past 10 or more years was done and dusted when this man came cycling while I was standing in the first floor balcony of my home in Kolkata on Friday 2023-09-22 afternoon.
I asked him to stop and told him that I have business lined up for him.
In about 30 minutes and a payout of ₹150 only, a 'dao' (chopper) and three scissors with blunt edges became fully functional.
While watching this man from North Bihar diligently performing his job, I kept wondering how brands can partner these people for a top of the mind recall and at negligible cost.
To get the ball rolling, I was contemplating fixing one or two #IndianRoadieStickers, because this man is also a roadie and a true #IndianRoadie who by his own admission has been cycling 20 - 30 or more kms everyday in the lanes and bylanes of Kolkata since the early 1990s. He is one who #LiveToWorkEvolveEnjoy and to feed so many mouths back home hundreds of kms away and is not one who keeps blabbering nonsense about fuel economy, build quality, top speed, 4x4 and more of such nonsense.
I couldn't spot any flat surface on his bicycle. Worse still the drizzle outside turned into heavy drops of rain. I paid him off without haggling for a lower payout.
He uttered a smiling 'thank you' and braving the rains, he vanished into some other bylane in search of the next client.
I am sure that he was not trained by some potbellied soft skills trainer in pink or blue shirt, green trousers and brown shoes like the ones who supposedly 'groom' tech college students to bag the job of glorified clerks to operate from 'workstations' and clamor for right to moonlighting.
Friends and fellow roadies, be honest and comment if you
- enjoy stopping to watch these kind of people silently carrying out their profession.
- have seen or availed of their services and where in India.
.
.
.
* Kms Of India
* Kilometres Of India
* Every Kilometre Of India Is Interesting
No comments:
Post a Comment