Socio-economic condition and demographic profile of the Rickshaw Pullers:
Rickshaw pullers are lower strata of the society and historically excluded. They are rural to urban migration due to agricultural distress and lack of the local job opportunities to push rural mobility toward urban searching better livelihood. However, Rickshaw pulling is arduous work in informal sectors. They are illiterate, poor, unskilled, semi-skilled. They have adopted the rickshaw pulling easy entry, instant income, and no need for formal education or any skill. They are adopting rickshaws pulling as a profession for the feed belly of their family members. They are most landless laborers, agricultural workers, daily wages workers, Constructed works, and other menial works. Thus, they are rural migrant’s different districts of Uttar Pradesh and the rest of the country. They have married early age, the family responsibilities big reason for entering this profession.
Bar graph no.01 Shows no of the rickshaw pullers entry early age adopted rickshaw pulling. The study has found mostly age-groups 25-40 years, while Minimum numbers of them lie under the >50 years. Rickshaw pullers are hard, competition within the occupation and modern short-distance city means of transportation. The rickshaw pulling profession uncertain jobs opportunity in this occupation.
Bar-graph no. 02 Shows that the daily average earning of the rickshaw pullers was 65 respondents earning between Rs.100-250 while ten respondents were earning more than Rs.250-300 rupee. Rickshaw pullers are low-earning groups. They are facing intergenerational abject poverty.
Pie-chart no.01 Shows 60% of the rickshaw pullers paid Rs.40 per day to hire the old rickshaw while 40% of rickshaw pullers hired new rickshaw paid Rs.50 per day from the rickshaw owners. The study has found that rickshaw pullers sometimes didn’t earn enough money to pay rickshaw rent and two-time foods. The study did not find the owner of the rickshaw pullers.
Bar-graph no.03 shows that in family sizes 58 respondents 3-11 family members, while only 17 respondents have 0-2 family members. They are come from poor socio-economic backgrounds to hard tasks to one person, solely on the earning of the rickshaw pulling Rs.100-200 per day bearing big size of the family. They are illiterate, have chronic poverty, and have no alternative jobs opportunities to enhance income.
Pie-chart no.02 shows 77 percent of rickshaw pullers are migrating rickshaw pulling to the city while only 23 percent are local residents. Mostly rickshaw pullers are seasonal migrants to earn a sustainable livelihood, from rural areas (different neighboured districts in Uttar Pradesh, rest of the country), and among most of them the agricultural laborers or landless workers and menial workers.
Table No.1 Previous Occupation of Rickshaw Pullers
Sl. no
|
Occupation
|
Respondents
|
Percentage
|
1
|
Farmers
|
2
|
2.5
|
2
|
Bricks Kiln
|
7
|
9.4
|
3
|
Construction labour
|
11
|
14.7
|
4
|
Landless worker
|
25
|
33.4
|
5
|
Agricultural labour
|
30
|
40
|
|
Total
|
75
|
100
|
Source: Based on field survey January, 2019.
Table no.01 shows 97.5 percent rickshaw pullers are the previous occupation of the agricultural laborers, bricks kiln, landless workers, construction workers, while only 2.5 percent farmers.
Bar-graph no.04 Shows 60 numbers of the respondents Hindus and within Hindu’s caste,37 number of the rickshaw pullers scheduled castes,18 numbers of OBCs and six number of general categories and poverty no exception in general categories, while 14 numbers of Muslins.
Pie-chart no.03 shows that 93.33 percent of the rickshaw pullers married respondents and only 6.67 percent unmarried. The study found rickshaw pullers have got early age married felt the family responsibilities compelled dependents to feed the belly. they are suffering intergenerational abject poverty and enter this occupation while unmarried respondents enter this profession due to poor conditions.
Bar-graph no.05 Shows 29 numbers of the respondents are an educational level of the rickshaw pullers illiterate and only two numbers of the respondents intermediate and rest respondents of the primary, secondary or high school failed. They were excluded from higher education due to poor socio-economic conditions and early age adopt rickshaw pulling.
Bar-graph no.06 Shows 66 numbers of the rickshaw pullers living on a footpath, Jhuggies /slums and own rickshaw passed night while only six respondents rented house. The study has found mostly respondents living single room 3 to 5 members, share kitchen, toilets, use public place, and unhygienic living condition.
Bar-graph no. 07 Shows that 59 respondents daily working hours between 7-12, while only 17 respondents per day 4-6. The study has found most of the respondents start early morning to midnights to rickshaw pulling. Rickshaw pulling is arduous work. They are working more than 12 hours but they are hardly getting 4 to 5 hours. The study has found most young rickshaw pulling earnings are more than elderly rickshaw pullers.
Bar-graph no.08 shows that 42 numbers rickshaw pullers have tobacco,55 numbers bidi, 16 numbers alcohol, 61 numbers pan Mashal addicted. They are hard earning spend on the addicted, due to hard work from exit pain.
Bar-graph no.09 shows that 35 Rickshaw pullers have a cough 29 numbers have joint pain, eight respondents have asthma and three respondents have chest pain. Rickshaw pulling is hard physical work. They have a lot of bad habits such as smoking, chewing, and drinking due to many types occurred health issues. However, they are most self-Medicare, medical stores. They are most of the income spent on health and other essential thing. These have increased deterioration conditions.