The condition of Railway vendors during Covid-19

Covid-19 has undoubtedly had a devastating impact on the world economy and India, as a developing country suffered a huge blow due to that. Initially the battle against the pandemic was for basic survival but as the days are running by it became a curse on human life. With time, things are getting normal as far as free commuting is concerned; however, in India it took longer than expected to run the local trains.

After seven months of static condition, the wheels of local trains have started moving on the track again, yet people who are directly and indirectly associated with Indian railway for their daily living are still sitting ideal. The hawkers and railway vendors have not acquired the permission to start off their daily businesses that were thwarted for so long. Earlier it was expected that with the movement of local trains the lifestyle of these people, who are mostly directly dependent on the railway service shall have an opportunity to begin their daily business procedure in a normal manner.

Nevertheless, Indian railway authority perhaps felt it is irrational to allow any vendor to continue their daily trading in a regular manner. Although there are shops on railway platform, who have been given permission to resume their shops again at the premises of railway but the numbers are very restricted among the affluent shops. The condition is so complicated that none can be held guilty, as railway authorities are trying their best to ensure the issue of social distancing in place, whereas the long gap of any financial profit made the struggling classes people like hawkers, vulnerable for their daily income to run their family.

The condition of these poor vendors and hawkers are indeed worst for the uncertainty of their daily income. Having spent more than seven months without an income, their back now stuck to the wall and they can take any risk to ensure food for their family. On the other hand, it is also a matter of concern that due to the safety protocol and keeping in mind the possibility of spreading the disease from one to another rapidly, general public would also be reluctant to buy goods from the railway vendors or hawkers in a normal approach. There shall be for sure, a down gradation of the daily income of the hawkers even if they are given permission to begin their business.

The pang of hunger and financial instability to some extent now forced the railway vendors to risk their life to put things in a normal manner. Nonetheless, the situation is still quite unpredictable that when they will be given the permission to begin their business in railway premises like before. This turmoil has definitely jeopardized many families who are living in a dark world and are quite uncertain about what future really holds for them.