With millions of people losing their jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic and regular lockdowns, the ongoing crisis also forced Mumbai’s renowned lunchbox deliverymen, dabbawallas, out of work. Hundreds of dabbawalas in Mumbai lost their regular income as offices remained shut for several months amid second wave of COVID-19 pandemic.
Hundreds of dabbawalas had to go through a great deal financial problems. Many are facing starvation due to the lockdown. Now the dabbawalas are being forced to work as security guards and porters.
The 130-year-old dabbawala system may go extinct very soon if the Covid-19 pandemic continues and people continue working from their homes.
This is the first time in the last 130 years dabbawalas have no tiffin boxes to deliver. For decades since the dabba system started in Mumbai, neither floods nor terror had stopped the dabbawalas from delivering tiffin boxes on time.
Ramesh Shinde, a dabbawala, who was attached with the system for the last one decade is forced to take up a job of a porter. “I ran out of money. I had to feed my family including two children. For many days my wife and I skipped one meal to feed our children. When I ran out of money I was forced to take a job as a porter.”
“Delivering tiffin was our source of income but from last year we have no tiffin boxes to deliver,” added Shinde. According to Shinde, many dabbawalas like him have returned to their homes as they even failed to get a job as a security guard or a porter.
According to Vishnu Kaldoke, spokesperson of Mumbai’s dabbawala association, a total of 5000 dabbawalas delivered tiffin before the pandemic. With relaxation in Covid-19 restrictions in Mumbai, around 250 dabbawalas have started their own business.
Kaldoke also added that around 16 dabbawalas lost their lives due to the Coronavirus. “The Central and state governments promised to support us but we are yet to receive any help. A few days ago at a cabinet meeting, Dabbawalas were promised a financial help of Rs 2,000 each but we are still waiting as no final decision has been taken by the government,” said the spokesperson.
Citing an example, Vishnu Kaldoke said that a wife of a dabbawala, Sadhana Babaji Shinde, has started working as housemaid after her husband’s death. “She has to take care of her two children and mother-in-law,” added Vishnu Kaldoke.
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