Calcutta to ban hand-pulled rickshaws.

abracax

Well, we'll still have 'em in Toronto - pulled by obnoxious college students.

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rangss

Double edged it might be, but the decision should have come long ago...it is an inhuman way of transporting oneself...

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lotus blossom

cycle rickshaws seem less burdensome to the body, unless, that is, the cyclist is pedaling a few hundred pounds of weight on a 110 degree day in delhi. i saw a very very large man and his friend being rickshawed around while the driver looked completely knackered.

with re to the animals, some look like they are on their last legs. all very unpleasant to witness, esp. when they get whipped. that makes me mad

yet, according to this article "There are about 100,000 people whose daily meals depend on rickshaws", and some cyclists do not care if to others it seems inhumane:

Ganesh Shaw, a 72-year-old rickshaw puller: 'It's our fate that we pull rickshaws. 'Whether we pull human beings or any other equipment does not bother us. We only want that our livelihood is not taken away without an alternative.'

http://in.news.yahoo.com/050816/43/5zqoi.html

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kiemhwa

These still exist in Japan too

ddevadatta

Frankly I think I appose the ban by the government. Smells like excessive government interference. Let me explain.

No one is forcing the rickshaw wallahs into any inhumane conditions. These guys are fit, they find that they can make an honest living by working hard and they provide a valuable service for the consumer. This is their own choice to make it seems to me, like if a fisherman makes a choice in that industry.

There is nothing inhumane in pulling people if a person so chooses to do so. Granted if you as a rider were using a whip and all to make him go fatser, I would agree with that. But none of that is going on.

Let the fellas pull the rickshaws, if they want. Let them convert them to either ccyle or motor power but for heaven's sake, let's not have the government banning legal means of living.

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Paagla Dashu

Surprising how our perception of what is cruel depends on what we can see.

There are many other things involved with more "humane" modes of transport that are as cruel , if not more, as a man pulling a rickshaw - but we do not see them.

Has anyone seen the hundreds of little boys who clean the buses, taxis, auto-rickshaws every morning instead of going to school? Many of their little brothers work in the garages that maintain these "acceptable" modes of transport.

Rickshaws are possibly the least polluting form of transport. The damage thats caused by the more "humane" modes of transport is staggering.

How about banning any form of manual labour - porters (railway stations as well as trekking helps), domestic help (many of these are children in India) and cleaners will be my first nominations.

At least the rickshaw pullers are earning an honest income and the licensing system makes sure that they are not underage children.

Lets get rid of child labour first (is there anything more cruel or inhuman?) before depriving their parents of their income and forcing more children to serve us tea at tea stalls, wash our plates, clean our cars, grease the buses or polish our shoes.

bijapuri

They don't pollute and they don't leave poop in the streets. The problem, IMHO, is the low wages and the lack of proper road considerations such as special lanes and restrictions on other vehicles.

Many places in India and other cities are so jammed up that banning cars in downtown and allowing only hand riks makes sense, especially if they can be licensed, unionized and paid a living wage.

Imagine Brigade/MG Rd in BLR as a no-petrol zone
I could be done if there was a mind to.

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lotus blossom

HERE, HERE! Good points.

amyl

yes indeed PD has got some good points!
its now that i am wodnering what exactly is the basic intention of the Govt. to ban these rix. is it that they donot want to see them taking this "inhumane" activity to make their living or is it that these rix are creating a menace on the roads and are prone to fatal accidents? maybe i missed out some reading regarding the same that i am wondering now

anyways..

in Pune the local govt has banned (successfully!!) the big diesel rix that were the most convenient, cheapest, and fastest mode of transport in the city. but since they were causing hell lot of pollution they had to ban it from some areas of the city.but i donot see any steps being taken to conpensate for this lack of convenience to the general public. still the local transport system is as pathetic as ever.

but here opposing the ban on the ground that its not inhumane and they are dong it by choice would not be welcomed i feel. yes they are doing by choice BUT THEY HAVE NO OTHER CHOICE while looking out for options to keep them from starving. i envisage that the sons would be following the footsteps of their dads. why? BECAUSE HE HAS NO OTHER OPTION. he has had no schooling or for that matter any vocational training to have some other "humane" option at hand.
on the same lines if u take the dance bars in mumbai..can anyone say that these girls are taking this by CHOICE? tho there might be some who wud be after easy money and pleasure but that wud be a remote case. the point here is ppl who are taking some of the inhumane ways of earning money are not doing it by choice. they are just doing it because they have no other choice. and if they want to wait for some "humane" option i donot think by the time they get one they wud have survived the starving while waiting/ferreting out.

in my dreamland i would like to materialize these points

1. ban rix from some parts of the city depending on the traffic density there. this way not all ric-wallahs wud be affected and the govt will have smaller number during rehabilitation. this might also include some exclusive-ric-areas

2. improve local transport system to give the same convenience as the rix did.

3. employment to the affected ones. NO PENSION SORT OF THING PLEASE. there is no free meal anywhere.(but what employment??? that is a big question to answer.personally i cannot answer this)

4. intensify child education policies and take care of the junior-ric-wallahs so that they have some more options besides the ric. vocational training along with basic education would be more fruitful.

some more policies cud be added to this.

lets see how things go around with this.

but its India and this case is concerned with the poor ppl out there so i am pessimistic in getting any positive output from this.poor will become poorer

Amyl

Paagla Dashu

It seems that the proponents of the ban are more concerned about their own feelings of unease - we feel uncomfortable that some of our people have to work so hard to earn a livelihood for meagre returns. It hurts our conscience, maybe?

So, the remedy is to ban them - at least we won't have to feel uncomfortable at their plight anymore. Whether they can find another means of sustaining themselves is not "our" problem. We will look "better".

What a pity!

Nick-H

Well, I don't think I agree entirely with "don't leave poop"...

But the recent posts make so much sense. Many forms of labour are much harder and much more 'demeaning', and what is, ultimately, the difference between using the legs to pull or using them to operate cycle pedals? ok, perhapos there is some mechanicla advantage to the pedals, but the difference seems to be symobolic in somebody's mind only.

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sadhuji

an interesting bit of news 'what kolkata lost, america gains' ......

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/a...ow/1203085.cms

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rangss

How about restricting them for use by children and the old...? bad idea...

ddevadatta

It would be hard for me to say that people do not have any other choice. especially in a place like India. You are right that in many cases children follow in the footsteps of their parent's vocation. But in many other cases children do not follow in their parent's footsteps. In that sense it does still reside that individuals do make choices all the time.

The problem is that either you or me or the government in this case is making choices for others. That is the crux of my argument. In fact by the ban the government is actually limiting choices. For all the noble ideals of more education, etc. I frankly do not see the government actually providing other opportunities for these people after the ban takes effects. Or should the government actually even provide alternatives? This is where I have a problem with the ban.

This is a legal form of making a living, just as the women who labor day in and day out carrying loads of building materials on a construction site. They can feed their families, hopefully build on their income, and be motivated to improve over time. I see this as generational shifts rather than immediate and short results that makes us (those who live in comfort) feel better. Perhaps that is the realism in me that is surfacing. Hope this makes sense...

rangss

Hmmm...lots and lots of good points in support of the rickshaw pullers...inhuman it is but yes...bonded labour, child labour, animal labour etc are equally inhuman...at least the rick pullers have their own say on fare, passengers and distance...I change my view point...the rick pullers should be allowed to stay.