What religion and caste do you belong to?
I’m a Mandal. In my village the Mandal caste is considered as Hindu. I am from the Hindu community.
And are you married? Do you have kids?
Yes.
How many?
I have 5 sons.
And for how long have you been living in Delhi?
It must be around 25 years now. Initially I had worked [in people’ s homes] for 10 years. And for 15 years I’ve been doing this.
And who do you live with?
I live alone. My brother lives with me.
Why did you come to Delhi?
There are barely any work opportunities in the village. That’s why I stepped out of the village and started doing whatever little work I could find. That’s how I get by with my life. That’s it.
Before you came to Delhi, did you have any friends or family living here already?
I had a father and uncle who were here.
And what work do you do currently?
Currently I have this stall where we sell tea and snacks, etc.
How long have you been doing this? Selling tea and snacks like this?
For 15 years.
The money you earn from this, is it enough?
I can’t really say it’s enough. But I manage to live a basic life with this. In the end, there’s not much left. It’s not so much that you can have a bank balance out of it.
Do you manage sending any money to your family back home in the village?
Yes, it’s easy. Like, if someone is going to the village from here, we send it with them. Or else, through the bank. Say, if I save 4000-5000, I send that home.
Could you tell me something about the work that you do here?
What could I tell you, sir? This helps me get by in life. This is a rented stall. I pay rent for this. And whatever I earn, I manage to live with that. So, all’s good. Nothing special. If the government wants it can do a lot for people like us, but if they don’t want to, then nothing can be done for us. That’s that.
What do you think about while working? What goes on in your mind?
I don’t think much, you see. I have to work hard and that’s what I strive for. All I think about is that if I make something, it should sell out somehow. That’s really it. What else could I think of?
In your opinion, what would be an interesting job that you’d like to do?
I guess I’d like to have my own dhaba (roadside food stall) wherever I can, even if I go to my village. I’d like to open a better dhaba than this one, if I have the money. For now, I don’t have the money to do that. That’s the reason I’m facing problems.
How do you like life in Delhi?
It’s okay.
If you ever get a chance to go back to Darbhanga, would you go?
Yes, I’d go.
Forever, I mean.
Yes, I could go. If I can get enough money there, I could go. That place has a lack of money and that’s why I came here, to earn money. There are no jobs in the village since there are no industrial areas around the place. I wish I could have my own business some day. If, let’s say, I have to move some day, then I would like to start my own business. Maybe I’ll take a loan or something and start my own business there.
In your opinion, why do so many people from all over India come to Delhi?
The main reason remains that people in villages don’t have many facilities. Forget facilities, they don’t have work to earn their livelihood. The main problem is that people don’t have any jobs there. There are expenses in the village too, right? But there is no means to earn for those expenses. In order to do that, people are bound to step out of their place. That’s the scene in the villages. We need to spend on the basics of life at least. If the government wants, it can have a few factories set up over there. People will not be compelled to move out if that is done. No youth would migrate from anywhere. People in the villages are an easy-going lot. They like it there. It’s just that there is no money in the village. There are no other problems in the village.