The local train of Mumbai is considered to be the life line of Mumbai. They are the source of survival for many people. It just not supports the public of Mumbai in commuting but also the life of vendors in the train for their daily bread and butter. No doubt local train of Mumbai is crowded, chaotic, and at times totally crazy! But in that chaotic environment there are people who have hope to make few bucks and get back home.
Local Trains are the major means of transport in Mumbai. Major part of the population relies on Mumbai Suburban Railway to travel within the city. The network of Railways has three lines, namely the Western Line, the Central Main Line and the Harbour Line. Mumbai being a linear city is totally covered by local train network.
It’s said that most of the time of Mumbai people is spent in travelling in the locals. In today’s robotic life hardly anyone has time to go and shop specially for the basic requirements of day to day life. But local train vendors save the time of the public by selling attractive products like ladies cosmetics, colourful nail polishes, hair bands, clutches, and even the product related to season like in monsoon, colourful umbrellas, wind shelter, plastic mobile covers to protect from rain, plastic folders to protect the official documents. If by chance one is starving in the train by travelling, eatables like vada pao, fruits, snacks and other eatables are also available with the vendors. Though the quality of the products is not that fine but the products are relatively cheap in price compared to the market price. And this is the reason that public do not mind spending in it as it’s relatively low in price and easily available. It’s not possible that if one travels in the local of Mumbai and do not come across any vendor selling any product.
The local trains of Mumbai do not hold the beauty without the voice of the vendors. But did anyone ever think about the life of these vendors, from where and how do they get the products to sell and how do they manage for the survival of their family. No doubt maximum numbers of local train vendors are of 7 to 14 years of age. These kids are mostly with little or no education bag round.
When asked about the interest of their studies one of the vendor named, Raju, aged 11 said, “ I came back to Mumbai two years back with my uncle from Benaras in the hope of getting educated but he got me into this business and I give him my every day earning.” This is just not one case but every second vendor has some or the other reason of getting into the business of local train vending. Either it is because of their family running into the same business since ages or because of they being helpless and cheated by their own people. Another girl name Bubbly, aged 9 is a member of a group of train vendors comprised of both children and adults. Bubbly lives a life in which her daily earnings are spent on food with some saved to purchase the items to be sold the next day. Although Bubbly and other child vendors like her are largely unschooled, but they have been trained in mathematical understandings which helps them in buying and selling of the product in the locals. They get the products to be sold in much cheaper price from directly the manufacturer and many products they make it themselves, like colourful bands, eatables like snacks etc.
Selling at a local train of Mumbai can be a financially and emotionally rewarding experience. It is also a challenging one that requires a heavy time commitment, a love of competition and plenty of business savvy. The profit that they make after selling the product is marginally very low which goes in the food to eat for survival or in products to sell the next day. The spice of local train of Mumbai is added by fisherwomen chatting loudly, college students bargaining with the vendors, Marathi ladies screaming at each other for the seat, vendors selling chips, samosas, bhel puri and others selling clips, stickers, bangles, earrings etc. This makes the journey most interesting for the locals of Mumbai.
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