🌧️ Rain &
the Working Class: Braving the Storms of Survival
📸 Text & Photo by – Ashok Karan
🔗 ashokkaran.blogspot.com
While sipping
tea at a roadside dhaba, I witnessed a fleeting yet striking scene—two
young working-class men riding a motorcycle, drenched and rushing through a
relentless downpour. As always, my camera was by my side, and I instinctively
captured the moment. But what stayed with me long after the shutter clicked was
the harsh truth behind the frame.
For the working
class, rain is more than a weather event—it’s a daily battle.
Unlike those
who can work from home, delay meetings, or simply stay indoors with a cup of
coffee, lakhs of workers across India must keep moving—rain or shine. The
monsoon, though romanticized by many, often wreaks havoc on their routines,
incomes, and health.
Jobs like
construction, street vending, deliveries, and domestic work either halt or
become riskier:
- 🚧 A construction worker might be sent
home due to a dangerously slippery site. - 🍲 A street vendor may pack up early,
losing a full day’s earnings. - 📦 A delivery agent risks navigating
waterlogged lanes and unpredictable traffic. - 🧹 A domestic worker might be stranded
or late due to transport delays—or worse, get penalized for it.
I recall my
media days—wrapped in raincoats, boots, and protective gear for my camera. It
was uncomfortable, yes, but I had access to protection. Most working-class
individuals do not. They push forward—soaked, cold, tired—because pausing is
not an option when survival is at stake.
The health
risks are equally grave. Constant exposure to wet conditions can cause
respiratory infections, skin diseases, or severe injuries. In hilly states like
Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, monsoons brought landslides and collapse
fragile infrastructure—posing life-threatening challenges to both residents and
laborers.
For those in
informal housing or living on the streets, the rain doesn’t just bring
inconvenience—it sweeps away shelter, belongings, and at times, their already
fragile sense of stability.
Rain, as I
often reflect, has two faces. For some, it’s a romantic poem written by the
skies. For others, it’s a storm they must weather to survive another day.
📸 In
Frame: Two working men on a motorcycle, pushing through a heavy
downpour—emblematic of the resilience and unseen reality of India’s working
class.
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🔗 ashokkaran.blogspot.com
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