Occupation: Roadside vendor
We have come all the way from Rajasthan for a livelihood. Members of my extended family still live in our village. We are forced to move from place to place to earn a living. If we are lucky, we manage to go to our village once in a year. We sell various things like sun shades, umbrellas, toys and wall hangings, most of which have been sourced from Delhi. My wife and three-year-old son Guddu are also here. Why should I tell you my wife’s name? All of us stay in a room at….I can’t get the name right. It is walking distance from Kowdiar.
My name is Ram Saran but I have no idea how old I am. Maybe 26 or 28. I could not complete my schooling due to poverty. I went to school for a few years. Then I had to drop out to earn a living. I hope my son goes to a school.
Now we make enough for three meals. We come early and request passersby to buy sun shades for their vehicles. Business is poor if it rains. Whether it rains or not, we have to hit the road to make a living. But on sunny days, we are able to sell quite a few sun shades. People like to bargain. So we are forced to haggle to get a fair price.
I have not learnt much Malayalam. I know that women must be called Amma and I call the men sir. The language is not easy. Since we keep to ourselves, we don’t get into too much trouble.
However, please don’t put my snap in the newspaper. I trust you, that is why I agreed to pose for a photo. But if you publish it, the police might not like it and drive us away from here. That means no work for us. Usually the police just leave us alone but if someone complains or makes an issue they might throw us out.
Anyway, since I have talked to you for so long please buy four sun shades for Rs. 550. No it is not much, very reasonable. For you, I will give it for Rs. 300. But you will have to be quick about it. By the time, the green signal changes to red, I want to go there to stand by the roadside. One has to live!
(A weekly column on men and women who make Thiruvananthapuram what it is)
