End of an era: Kolkata bans hand rickshaws

Kolkata’s ubiquitous hand-pulled rickshaws have been part of the city for as long as one can remember. In fact author Dominique Lapierre wove his masterpiece City of Joy around a hand rickshaw-puller. The novel brought to fore the tribulations of the impoverished lot and the life they represent.
One can’t help but wonder how such a mode of transport not only came into existence, but also thrived among Kolkatans for so long. History has it that Chinese traders in Kolkata introduced these rickshaws in the late 19th century, primarily to carry goods. But with time, British rulers made them a cheap mode of transport, eventually turning them into a symbol of the city. While China banned these hand-pulled rickshaws after the communists came to power in 1949, the system continued to exist in Kolkata.Kolkata is one of the only places in the world where such rickshaws are used as everyday means of transport. According to a recent study, the number of hand-rickshaw pullers stands at 18,000 with more than 1,800 joining the profession every year.

In the wake of such statistics, the announcement by West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya banning these rickshaws by the year-end has caused quite a stir. “They may be environment-friendly but they are also a symbol of an inhuman practice. Nowhere in the world will you find one human being pulling another human being with his hands,” says Bhattacharya.

Poor conditions
These rickshaw pullers live in unhygienic conditions and often suffer from malnutrition and tuberculosis. They are also susceptible to skin diseases, since they wade through contaminated waters carrying people through the city’s old bylanes. But all that is set to change with the Chief Minister’s diktat. "Westerners try to associate beggars and these rickshaws with Kolkata's tradition, but this is not our tradition," claims the Chief Minister. But while some see the move as solely to revamp India’s global image, others admit that the move had long been in the offing. Until a few years ago, there were about 6,000 licensed owners of hand-pulled rickshaws in the city, but their numbers shrunk to around 1,800 after the authorities stopped issuing new licences.

Alternate jobs
While announcing the decision, the Buddhadeb government has assured the rickshaw pullers that they will be provided with an alternative means of livelihood.Officials in Kolkata said they would look into replacing the hand-pulled rickshaws with motorized three-wheel versions or bicycle rickshaws. While some of the Kolkatans have welcomed the decision, others have objected strongly to the move, on grounds that thousands will be rendered jobless by the decision.

However, the apex body of rickshaw pullers, All Bengal Rickshaw Pullers' Union (ABRPU), has said that they are not totally averse to the idea as long as they have an alternative livelihood. "We hope the government will make suitable arrangements and thousands of people who are involved with this trade are not left in the lurch," said Mohammad Aslam of ABRPU.Whether the ban is part of India’s new makeover campaign, or as the Chief Minister says, is taken on “humanitarian grounds”, if the rickshaw pullers are provided substitute employment, then there will be no reason for anyone to protest. But one thing is for sure; the ‘City of Joy’ will never be the same without these rickshaws.