Skip to main content

'What else I can do except this' says Kapil

Kapil Dev carries his black tattered bag on his right shoulder and comes to his ‘shop’ -- a shop which he sets up daily at a corner in Tikona Park in busy Jamia Nagar. Adjacent to a small wooden slab in the corner hand shoe laces and soles of different shapes and sizes. On other side of the wall is a rusted box, in which Kapil keeps the tools of his trade such as needles, sticking gum and threads.

While he is still arranging his shop, his first customer of the day arrives; a man in his 40s, who needs his shoes polished. Kapil instantly leaves all his work and gets ready to serve the customer. He says “ho gaya , ho gaya”, after shining the shoes of the customer. It is 7.30 am and Kapil’s hands are already black with the polish.
He charges Rs. 10 for a polish and between Rs 15 to Rs 20 for mending or sewing a damaged shoe. Hailing from West Bengal, Kapil has been in this profession for almost 14 years. For Kapil, this is his paternal profession.
 Though he has himself studies only till class 5, four of his five children go the government school. The youngest is attending pre-school classes before his nursery admission. His views are progressive when he talks about educating all his children equally, he says “no matter whether its boy or girl, I will educate them well.”
He earns around 200-7000 a day like his counterparts depending upon the locality the cobbler has his shop. His wife works as a domestic help and together they are able to afford a single rented room.

 Most cobblers have one major grouse -- their earnings have declined over the years. Raw materials have become costlier, but people continue to pay a pittance for getting their shoes mended. With shoes getting cheaper and easily available, people’s reliance on cobblers has decreased, thereby making them insignificant.
Today, their business suffers from the temporary state of the shop. Rain, sun and wind are the spoilers for them. Their tools of trade are vulnerable to these natural circumstances but they can’t help. They work for almost twelve hours of the day from 7 am to 7 pm. For elderly cobblers, their fading sight is a major hurdle since the work requires meticulous stitching.  Elderly are reluctant to shift from this age old profession, as their body can no longer adapt to other jobs, while their younger counter parts are open to change their profession if better opportunity comes to them.

As Kapil talks, he mends the intricately embroidered kohlapuri of a young woman, his deft hand movements show, how over the period of time his skill has become his practice.
Kapil does not want his children to follow in his footsteps. As for himself, he is content with his job. If you ask him, would you like to change it, he says matter-of-factly, “aur kya kareinge iske alawa.’ ‘What else I can do except this?” 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Why history lessons were boring in schools?

We were not taught (told) history as it was. History lessons dealt with dates and events only, history was always about kings,wars,victories and so called larger than life things. We were just told who ruled us,for how long.We never came to know about common man's life,may be it was not worth writing or documenting(it is still not worth it,only politicians make news). History books never had chapters of North East India and its contrib ution to Indian freedom struggle.Conflict regions' making and history was never made available rather they were just called resource abundant regions. Rise of right wing (radicalisation)doesn't find mention either. History books have been agents of lies and deception. History writing is often used as tool by state to deceive it's citizens,so that the truth and facts never come out. Whether it's America,India or Pakistan,their school history lessons are self congratulatory. Currently state is busy in bringing 'In...

Nightingale got no prize at the poultry show

Einstien,Twain,Edison were born out of class, before the text proceeds , I would like to say here 'class' doesn’t mean the structure with four walls, one door, two windows, one teacher, books and the pack of chained students. Here class is the niche of brilliance, freedom, discovery, imagination and invention. I wish to have education system that forges humans with brain and not machines with grades. As a student .I always wondered, how one can go about saying two plus two equals to four? Without anyone questioning why? Just because our course book said so. Why in history "dates and events” were asked? When no one taught us the resemblance to the days which we live in. Why for learning anything new, we need old books instead of new ideas? Why make notes in class, when the brain is blank and ink in copy left no hammer on thinking? Why teachers ask us to learn by heart, while it is the mind that is required to do so.? Even Winston Churchill had a dig at his tea...

CELEBRATING LOVE ...BEYOND FEBRUARY 14th

Today in the morning my cucu alarm got late and i was woken by another one.braying sound near my vicinity .by the time sunshine reached its best,the quarrel got worst. Young couple were fighting because it was February 14th and none of them got each other gifts. Such a megalomaniac generation,just because it is February 14th ,you need gifts,you need love? seeing them i went down the memory lane and recollected my love moments 60 years ago.I don't know whether in that age saint valentine had his clout or not! Late Mr Mathur,my husband and i seemed to have valentine day,every time we were together. Every time i served him tea and newspaper it was a valentine moment, Every time he helped me in my household chores it was a valentine moment. May be life then was not that busy.Gadgets and gizmos didn't occupy much of our time.space.mind. Once i asked Mr Mathur "even when i am 60, would you still love me"? "Mrs Mathur " he said "No ,god sent me he...