Post-GST, every day is a struggle for them

Geetanjali Gayatri

Tribune News Service

Ahmedabad/Vadodra, Dec 12

Swarming with labourers, Thakarnagar in Ahmedabad is a cacophony of mixed Gujarati dialects early in the morning. Daily wagers from all over the state fill up the entire place as more continue to pour in.

They say jobs are hard to come by in the post-GST regime as the construction sector is going through a slowdown and getting hired is purely dependent on chance. Rising unemployment is a big issue this election.

“On an average, we get hired for a fortnight in a month. The post-GST era may have hit traders hard but it has taken from us whatever was left of our meager incomes. Some days we earn, other days we sleep on empty stomachs,” says Ketan Dabi of Kheda village, accusing the BJP of being “anti-poor”.

An angry Babubhai Kanji from Veeramgaum on the outskirts of the city, interjects, “Rs 100 we earned during the Congress rule held greater value than the Rs 1,000 we earn today. At least daily labour had the peace of mind then. Now, there is no guarantee of sleeping stomach-full. We have been rendered useless”.

The migration from villages into cities is at an all-time high as the unemployed youths look for a better life. The cities, too, are beginning to feel the pressure of this influx as spaces get eaten up by pavement dwellers.

“When we don’t get two square meals a day, we can ill-afford renting a room. So, we sleep in the open, barely eke out an existence but it is still better than being in the village where we have nothing to do. Our families have got left behind and our dignity stands compromised,” rues Jaswant of Kheda’s Sipri village. He is one of the many to arrive at Odhav’s labour chowk in the hope of getting hired for the day.

In Vadodra’s Makarpura, the labour chowk, Somatalav, makes for a similar picture — a crowd waiting to be hired.

As youths move out of villages in search of greener pastures, the buses ferry them to unknown far-off cities. At the Dahod bus stand, matriculate Anil is awaiting a bus to Surat. He is relocating with his family of 10. In villages of this tribal district, agriculture is a “seasonal activity” and getting jobs is near impossible.

“We couldn’t be bothered about any election. It will not give us food to survive. Moving out may be a tough call but earning nothing is tougher. This was our only option,” he says, admitting he has no clue of any election taking place.

As these villagers leave behind village life, elections and political parties are the last thing on their minds. The worry of earning to feed the many mouths in the family weighs heavy. A government will come to power with or without them but their family won’t survive if the much-needed money doesn’t come.