Veggie vendor takes this as opportunity to serve society

Box

When determination is strong

Surjit Singh wakes up at 4 am everyday to visit the wholesale sabzi mandi so that the needs of the residents are fulfilled on their doorstep. He also has three children at home, but his determination to serve others is strong.

————-

Neeraj Bagga

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, April 14

When everyone today is confined indoors to stay safe amid the deadly Covid outbreak, there are some warriors fighting for us, saving us and risking their lives for us and our families.

One among them is Surjit Singh, a vegetable vendor, who wakes up at 4 am everyday to visit the wholesale sabzi mandi so that the needs of the residents are fulfilled on their doorstep. Surjit also has three children at home, but his determination to serve others is strong.

“The government has permitted retailers to purchase vegetables and fruits between 3 am and 7 am. I along with other two vendors go in an auto to procure fresh vegetables. After this I go house-to-house to sell these. To ensure social distancing, I drop packets on the doorstep of each customer,” said Surjit.

The vegetable vendor said he had a family of five to feed and in this time of exigency when people were staying indoors to keep their families safe, he had no other way except to go out to earn.

“However, this way I also get an opportunity to serve society in this hour of crisis. Vegetables come under essential commodity. It now takes only a few hours to sell the entire stock of green vegetable, which earlier used to take the entire day,” he said.