Informal Economic Activities in Delhi

Historically, Chandni Chowk was a cradle for several dynasties in India where various historical and religious sites shed light on our collective and contested past. These are Red Fort, Jama Masjid, and Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib. After an impressive past, it has emerged as a hotbed of informal economic activities in India which has wholesale markets for a wide range of commodities. These are clothes, spices, flowers, building materials, publishing material, glasses and much more. Roads and streets are extremely narrow. With help from the push carts, migrant labourers are connecting the dots. From Chandni Chowk to Shighada Chowk, roads and streets are replete with such pushcarts. Entire economic activities revolve around this wooden carts. Almost all barrow men and head loaders are migrant labourers mainly from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh. It's evident that Bhojpuri is a dominant language. Loaders are everywhere. After several years of its operation, there is no organisational setup to address their problems. Almost all owners of pushcarts are locals. One can notice that there is an apparent monopoly.

One owner, reluctantly, said that he received 600 hundred rupees per month as rent. Largely, they are tight-lipped on their business ventures. The price of one cart varies from 15,000 to 20,000 Indian Rupees. Though, there is no data on exact numbers of pushcarts. People said that there are 3 lakh push carts in the entire region. One big pushcart needs at least three people. There is no welfare intervention for them. As mentioned earlier, they are migrant labourers and their contribution is largely unnoticed and inadequately documented. There is no welfare intervention for them in Delhi.

Figure 1 : With fierce determination, three barrow men (migrant labourers) pulled Pushcarts. They were moving towards their destination which is a wholesale shop just opposite to the Mahabir Bhavan (A multi-storeyed historical building) in Chandni Chowk

areas. Amidst scorching sun, the youth who was leading huge loaded pushcart was crawling. I noticed that several time, he struggled to make a balance. Though they were working collectively. They loaded goods near the Lal Quila (Red Fort). They consumed several minutes to reach the shop. Eagerly, proprietor of the shop was waiting for the consignment. After reaching the shop, they, immediately, started unloading the pushcart. In pushcart, there is no box for essential items like water. In these areas, frequent traffic jams consume a lot of time and energy of labourers and micro-entrepreneurs. Dhakkas, the last and head loaders are an indispensable part of informal business activities. Picture: Vivek Rai

Figure 2: To overhaul, a mechanic is trying to fetch a pushcart in Singhara Chowk which is very close to the Chandani Chowk areas. After being asked about the Dhaka Business, he declined to speak! Entire areas were replete with the wooden pushcarts. There were several shops dedicated to repairing the wooden pushcarts. Almost all run by people who own these wooden pushcarts. Here the road is very

wide which give an opportunity to park pushcarts. I noticed that no one complained about it. Because owners are locally influential l. Local people park the wooden pushcarts in front of their residence. In spare time, several migrant labourers sit, nod and talk(telephonic) to their beloved one in their native places. Picture by Shailesh Nigam

Figure 3: Near, the Fountain Chowk, four labourers were involved in unloading various kind of items in front of shops. There were chatting with each other in Bhojpuri – (a dialect of Hindi and people from Bihar and the Eastern Uttar Pradesh speak it). In a blistering

afternoon of May, they were, apparently, tired. All of them used Gamccha (a kind of towel which is very popular in various parts of rural India). In more than 42 degrees of temperature, profusely, they were sweating and Gamccha was an instrument to cope such high temperature. There was more space which was appropriate for unloading activities. Picture by Vivek Rai

Figure 4: In the narrow lane of Chandni Chowk, a barrow man pulled various types of clothing in his pushcart. Despite having a burden of wrapped parcel of cloths, he talked to fellow labourers who were sitting in the Gali (a narrow lane). After interaction with them in

Bhojpuri, he again started pulling his cart. Though, this market is well known for its Sarees and a huge number of women visit every day in such shops. Almost all shopkeepers installed C.C. TV camera. Though, shopkeepers at the entrance mounted, relatively, big cameras. It’s a new thing in this market. Picture by Vivek Rai

Figure 5: This push cart is a new entrant in the Chandni Chowk areas where the wooden pushcarts dominated and still dominating the pie. In other words, it’s an exception! After following a Barrow man for more than five minutes, I clicked this picture when he entered a

shop. I noticed that he was well-versed with the local shopkeepers and eagerly, they were waiting for me. Almost all shops come under the category of proprietorship where several family members are involved in the business activities. A huge number of shops are selling clothing western and ethnic. Shops of cheap electronic products and food items are quite apparent in the entire bazaar. Picture by Vivek Rai

Figure 6: A huge bullock cart was reaching an intersection near the Lal Quila (Red Fort). It was carrying several wrapped parcels of cloths and people were sitting on it. In Chandni Chowk areas, such carts are used for long distance. This is a complete case of Jugaad

innovation which is extremely popular in the Western Uttar Pradesh. They installed used tyres of trucks and jeeps. Earlier, they used wooden wheels in such carts but used tyres replaced it. In order to protect from the scorching sun, they covered their faces with Gamchaa (Indian version of towels). Picture by Vivek Rai

Figure 7: After unloading the cargo, a person mounted on his bullock cart near the Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib (A religious place for Sikh). He was stuck in a typical traffic jam and unable to move for more than five minutes. This is used for ferry goods and such carts are

made from various ‘used’ parts of other vehicles. In the City of Djinns, William Dalrymple (a well-known historian and travel writer) wrote: “Our landlady, though a grandmother, soon proved herself to be a formidable woman. A Sikh from Lahore, Mrs Puri was expelled from her old home during Partition and in the upheavals of 1947 lost everything. She arrived in Delhi on a bullock cart. Forty-two years later she made the transition from refugee pauper to Punjabi princess.” Since then much has been changed in Delhi for people like Mrs Puri. In Chandni Chowk, traditional vehicles are dominating the pie. These are pushcarts, bullock carts and Thelas. It’s a complete departure from the rest of Delhi where mainstream media project differently. Picture by Vivek Rai  

Figure 8: A row for the last (a three-wheeler cycle cart) parked near a government-owned complex where a loaded with goods was standing. Parking is largely based on a principle of the first-come-

first-occupy. Such Thelas are owned by the locals. Many micro-entrepreneurs run such Thelas. Picture by Vivek Rai

Figure 9: Two people were ferrying goods while using their thela.                                              

Figure 10: After negotiation with shopkeeper, a head loader decided to ferry his goods. Shopkeeper was following him. Pictures by Vivek Rai

Figure 11:  In order to find work, one barrow man was walking on the main road. Picture by Vivek Rai                                                                   

                                                                       

Figure 12: In a stifling traffic jam, Barrowman was stuck for more than 10 minutes. There were no personnel from the traffic police. People flouted all traffic rules. Picture by Vivek Rai  

Figure 13: In Chandni Chowk areas, there are wholesale markets of cloths, spices, flowers, building materials, publishing houses and much more. Every day, people from various parts of Delhi come here in throngs. Many of them belong to the low-income groups and they

paddle bicycles. Few of them parked their bicycles near a park in Shahjanabad, Chandni Chowk. One such worker is relaxing in the parching summer. On the other hand, there is a huge number of addicts and they roam in these areas. Another big issue is homelessness where a couple of government-run shelters is inadequate to accommodate such people. Picture by Vivek Rai

                                                               

Figure 14: Three Barrowmen loaded a pushcart to ferry construction materials. All of them were involved in construction work. One of them said that we get 100 Indian Rupees for 100 bricks

and 10 rupees for one sack. However, they lamented over unevenness in such activities. There is a sheer lack of welfare interventions. Picture by Vivek Rai

Reference:

Dalrymple, William: City of Djinns:  A Year in Delhi (Penguin Books India:2004)