The pandemic soured Harishchandra Pandey’s dream of driving his own rickshaw to earn a livelihood; he got it back after the bank confiscated it for non-payment of EMIs, but barely makes enough to survive
Harishchandra Pandey in his rickshaw
The COVID-19 pandemic affected daily wage earners in a big way, especially those involved in public transport such as rickshaw and taxi owners and drivers. With everything shut, many drivers left the city as there was no income source. But thousands soon returned to earn their livelihood again in Mumbai as they could not do so back in their native places.
ADVERTISEMENT
He had just taken it on loan for Rs 2 lakh before the lockdown
One such auto driver was Harishchandra Pandey. He has been staying in Mumbai for the past 20 years. After working as a driver for someone else’s rickshaw, last year, Pandey decided to buy his own rickshaw. Just a few months before the lockdown, Pandey took a loan of Rs 2 lakh from a small credit cooperative society and bought one, but destiny had other plans. Within two months after he purchased the rickshaw, Pandey had to park it near his house in Goregaon West and return to his native place at Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh due to the lockdown. The biggest question on his mind then was how would he repay the loan.
Pandey said, “It was my dream to purchase my own rickshaw and I was so happy at the start of 2020 because I had managed to buy it. I even started earning more money and was very happy as everything was going smoothly in terms of finances. But the pandemic started and without a source of income I had take my family and leave for Uttar Pradesh in a jam-packed truck after paying a hefty amount.”
Pandey had no money to pay EMIs for his rickshaw. For first two months, the people from the credit cooperative society did not bother Pandey on humanitarian grounds but soon he started getting calls and reminders to pay the EMIs.
“I did not earn a single rupee at my native place and whatever little amount I had also got over, as I had to manage the expenses of my family. In September, I decided to return to Mumbai so that I could start driving the rickshaw and earn some money. But I got the biggest shock, as my rickshaw had been towed away by the credit cooperative society as I had not paid EMIs. I requested them and somehow managed to extend the tenure of my loan payment because of which I got my rickshaw back. I started driving my rickshaw but have not been able to earn enough money as the business has reduced by less than 50 per cent. Somehow I manage to pay my EMIs.”
According to Pandey he earned between Rs 1,200 and Rs 1,500 a day before the pandemic, but at present he just earns Rs 500 every day. “At present I stay alone, as my family is still at my native place. I barely earn any money so I have decided to keep them there and stay alone here till the pandemic is over,” he added.
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
