Can we ask you about your religion and caste?
I am Muslim.
And your caste?
My cast is Mansoori.
Are you married?
Yes.
And children?
I have three children.
For how long have you been living in Delhi?
I am going on 20 years here.
With whom do you live in Delhi?
Wife, children, we are all here.
And why did you come to Delhi?
I came to Delhi to improve my family’s condition. I came here to earn something. I thought that by coming here, my family’s condition might improve.
Do you have any friends here?
I have no friends here from my village.
What kind of work do you do?
I work in the metal industry. It is steel polishing work.
How did you start this work?
Initially, the person who brought me here, he got me on a job at a shop. That’s where I learned this work, and after that I got a job in this company.
How much do you get as a salary here?
Right now the company is paying me sixteen thousand five hundred [rupees] per month.
Are you able to meet your expenses with this salary?
With inflation and the cost of living as it is, it is difficult. We need to make some adjustments.
Are you able to send money to family in your village?
I do not send any money from here, because my family is living along with me here. My parents have expired. I have an elder brother. He and his family are there in the village.
Had you ever done this kind of work before?
No, I hadn’t done it before.
Okay, so what type of jobs have you done prior to this?
I didn’t work earlier. I was studying, then I left my studies and was just roaming around the village. I mean I used to work as laborer, and then I all of sudden came here.
Do you like this job?
It is not about liking or disliking. It is about earning one’s bread and butter, which is more important. And as one keeps on working at anything, he starts developing a liking for it. Now if I want to go into any other line of work, I have to think a lot, because now I have a family who needs my support.
What would be an ideal job for you? What would be a job that you would love to do?
Now it isn’t important to have an interesting or likable job. My priority now is my family. I have to take care of my family and their future. Even if I learned a new line of work now, I wouldn’t get that much of a salary. Forget about liking, liking you can have only when you are not married. When you are alone, there is no responsibility on your shoulders.
How do you find Delhi life?
There is no life in Delhi. You just get up on time, eat on time, go to work on time, and you can relax neither at night nor in the day. Nor can you go to meet with your friends. In a month, in a week you just get one day off, on a Sunday. And it isn’t confirmed whether it will be off or not. On off days, the time is used up doing a lot of pending domestic work.
Would you ever like to go back to Jaunpur?
In an year I definitely visit once or twice.
But, forever?
Forever? Yes, I hope to go. I think maybe I could have something better.
Why do so many people leave their village and come to Delhi?
When they have poor financial conditions, someone from the family needs to go out to earn. They think that by doing so, their family’s condition may improve.