For how long have you been living here in Delhi?
It is almost 12 years now.
And how many children do you have?
I have one daughter.
And what is your caste, what religion are you from?
We are Vaalmiki, Harijan.
Did you know anyone here [when you first arrived]?
My father used to live here. He used to work as ladies tailor.
So, why did you come to Delhi?
I came here for earning money.
When you came here, how did you start this work?
Madam, I came to Delhi by my own expenses, by bus. When I arrived, my father said that if I could not get any work, then I could do a construction job or go stand at the intersection and try to find work doing day labor. It is not possible for me to do hard labor, so I chose to pull a rickshaw. Whenever I get a chance to work in marriage functions, I do that also. And I sometimes work as a laborer also.
What do you do in marriage functions?
Washing utensils or general labor.
Which job would you like to do then?
I would like to learn the work that my father does, that ladies tailor work. I would like to learn ladies tailor work. [And] I know painter job.
You know, or you would like to do this job?
Yes, I want to do this job only, but the scope of this job is only during Diwali festival. And during the rest of the year there is hardly any work painting.
For the whole year?
It is there for the whole year also, but you have to work under a contractor. They often take the money and abscond, so where would you go to collect your money? And if you keep on following them and chase them then after those efforts you are left with nothing at all.
Do you send some money to the family?
See, whatever you send to family is not sufficient. A family cannot survive without money. But the only thing I wish is to take care of my own family. It is good if someone can see his family and children.
My wife does farm work in the village. She goes for fodder for the buffaloes, and on the way she drops [our daughter] off at the village school.
So your mother, grandfather and your wife and daughter are there?
Yes, there are two brothers of mine who live there also.
What do your brothers do?
My brothers do farming in field.
If you are given a chance to go back home, if all the facilities were given to you in your village to work properly, would you be willing to go back, or would you like to live right here?
Madam, there are already facilities there in the village, too, it is not like that. There is even a possibility of labor in the field, paid at 300 to 350 rupees per day. But I like working right here.
Then you can bring your wife here, too.
In the village, there is a need for someone to take care of – someone to cook for – my father and mother in-law and brother-in-law at home, and someone to get fodder for the cow and buffaloes.