Dabbawalas warned of fine if capless

Updated on: 27 April,2009 08:11 AM IST |
Shashank Rao |

Dabbawallas were warned that they would be penalised if they attended a meeting with Priya Dutt without their topis

Dabbawallas were warned that they would be penalised if they attended a meeting with Priya Dutt without their topis

Mumbai's famed dabbawallas take a lot of pride in their distinctive white topis. But wearing it was never as important as when they met Congress candidate Priya Dutt yesterday. The Dabbawallas Association had warned them that those found without their caps at the meeting would have to pay a fine of Rs 25.u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0

"It's mandatory for us to wear the caps during working hours. Though we had a holiday yesterday, we were asked to wear our caps if we wanted to avoid the fine," said dabbawalla Datta Bendure.

Confirming the instruction, Manish Tripathi, chairperson of the Dabbawalla Association, said, "Dabbawallas are known for their white caps. So, we asked them to wear it even on a Sunday."

Around 60 dabbawallas met Dutt to discuss the problems they faced.u00a0 They, however, made it very clear that this was not an indication that they would all vote for the Congress. "We have talked about our problems to candidates from various parties, but it does not necessarily mean we will vote for them. That choice is left to the individual. The association has nothing to do with it," said Ankush Khengle, another dabbawalla.