Photo and text by Abdul Hameed Yousuf
Sixty-year old Akbar Ali sporting a trimmed beard is sitting on the pavement of Carnac Bridge Road, Near Crawford Market, selling one-time used garments. He comes here only on Sundays.
‘I purchase the garments from Chindi Gali of Chor Bazar and sell them at many places particularly at Byculla,’ said Akbar Ali who is originally from Gonda district of Uttar Pradesh. Father of five children Akbar Ali has been in Mumbai for 20 years.
The family members of Akbar are in Gonda. Among his five children – two sons and three daughters – only one is of school going age.
Though his daily profit of 20-50 rupees is not enough for his family to meet their expenses, the cooperation of his elder son, a tailor, has enabled him to lead a better life in Mumbai. He has rented a dwelling in Kamatipura. He has to pay as rent at least 650 rupees out of his monthly income of moderate 2000 rupees.