What is your religion and your caste?
I'm Hindu and I'm an OBC [“other backward caste”].
Are you married? Do you have children?
No, I'm not married and I don't have children.
Where are you from and how long have you been in Delhi?
I'm from Guwahati, Assam, and I've been here since 2008, so I think it will be around 11 years.
Whom do you live with?
I live here alone.
Why did you come here?
First, I came after my class 12, then I studied out here. Then I did my graduation out here. Then, after that, I did two years of diploma in culinary. Then I worked in other establishments, small establishments. Then I started my own business.
Did you already have friends or family here in Delhi?
I have my uncle, my aunt. They live out here.
And what kind of work do you do?
I'm basically a chef. Now I'm into management, but before then I was a chef and I'm still a chef.
How did you start this type of work?
First of all I studied it, then I went for internships, then I worked professionally. Then I came to do this.
How much is the salary and is the salary enough to cover your needs in Delhi?
Right now, today? Yeah.
Are you able to send remittances?
Yeah, I send to my mother. I bought a car two years back. Along with that I take care of the groceries that they eat back home. So I send a little money and my mom has a very stable job, so I never have to worry about it. But still it is my duty to send them since we are Indian people, so we have to send.
What other kinds of jobs have you had?
Before? Before I used to work in a factory, in a biscuit factory.
Can you describe your work day?
I try to wake up early in the morning around 7am. After that, I drink honey and lemon because I smoke a bit (laughs). It clears out my lungs. I come to work. I work straight for twelve hours.
What do you think about while working?
What I think is that this is a great environment, you know? These people are more like my family, they are not my workers. I always feel that if I grow, then they will be the first ones to make me grow. And I always teach them like whatever I have learned. I am planning to expand in a few years, so... They're the most important thing and I try to teach them whatever I learn. I try to share with them. Every day that is my goal. If they do not learn, then I won't be able to grow. They are the future, for sure.
What do you think of the lifestyle in Delhi?
It's very posh, fussy, but I'm not interested. I'm not that kind of person. I don't go for parties and things. And there are so many people around. The diversity is such that, everybody has their work, their knowledge, their experience.
Do you experience any discrimination in Delhi?
I do, I do. In back, you know. They don't dare to do it in the front, in the face, you know. But yeah, behind the back, as we have come all the way from Assam. It's around 2600 kilometers from here. And we are doing business in a place where the majority of people are Jats. They try to like, push you a bit. But you can get your work done, that's what I think.
Can you mention any examples?
Yeah, there will be cops coming up, as we are from another state, they try to provoke us, they try to charge us. But there are loopholes obviously, there are ways you can fight back.
Will you one day go back to your hometown?
No, no, as I'm a businessman, I love to travel at the same time. So I have a business in Delhi. Now I have a business in Guwahati. It's not like I want to be stuck in one place. I like to travel around and meet people, let my brain get exercise and go at the same time. Traveling really helps you. I was about to shut this place down a year back because my dad passed away, but I kept it so that I can keep traveling.
In your opinion, why do so many people come to Delhi?
See, there are a hell of a lot of opportunities out here. They come here for earning money. Out here, the laborers get paid well. That's definitely true. But there are again drawbacks at the same time as it's a very posh, fussy, very fussy city. You tend to spoil yourself. There are a lot of things. I have seen my friends studying here for six years and going back home and not doing anything now. Why did you waste that six years of your life?
You said that word two times: “fussy.” That's an interesting word. What do you mean by fussy?
I'll give you one example. You don't have a sanitary establishment at your hometown. Like at your village home. But out here you like want to poop on a western pot. I think these kinds of things are very fussy. Dressing up well doesn't mean that you will have an impact on everybody. You are just living your own style. That's it, your own living standards and nothing else. You are not able to give employment to so many people. My motto is to give employment to a lot of children. Suppose if I don't give them employment, if I don't give them money, I don't give them a salary, they will just go in some other way and they will just spoil the world. I have asked them yesterday to clean the dustbin. They said “We'll do it tomorrow.” And I said, “It's no point keeping the garbage outside.” And we are doing really a good thing, by keeping a dustbin outside. At least people throw things out there and we're keeping the place a bit clean. And as Delhi's so polluted, I really like, get pissed off sometimes. Because when I go back to Guwahati, the air is really good and all. It's really clean.