In a longish conversation in an auto ride, the driver from Etawah, Mulayam Land pointed out to me a Mall where previously there was a chowpatty, a food centre where he worked as a twelve year old cleaner, on twenty rupees per day. He spoke with a glint of nostalgia in his eye.

There are so many narratives of survival which internal migrants within India face which are simply not heard. As an auto wallah, he complained about the late payments from OLA upto a week late, which is too late for a person who survives on daily income generated from his fumbling vehicle. The digital ecosystem seems to be crumbling at its edges. More in a separate article.

For a former child labour to an auto wallah, he surely projects the confidence of a self made man.

#urbanmargins #pune