Bicycle Coal Carriers

 

Bicycle Coal Carriers

            If anybody goes to Patratu, Khelari, Rajrappa and Hazaribagh from Ranchi, so on the way he will confront with a scene which is unusual for anyone and stirs lot of curiosities, but not for the locales. Lot of people carrying coals in rag sacks on their modified bicycles who bear the weight, towards Ranchi not less than tons through treacherous, circuitous road, crossing the hills about 50 to 60 Kms, just to eke their livelihood, which is just an arduous task for anyone. As for them they buy the scrapped coal from the mines and from the middlemen and carry them to Ranchi and sell them in the roadside Dhabas or in the market. As per talk with some of them, they are in this business since long not less than 15-20 years. Their arduous and uphill journey takes whole day as they start by 2 to 3 am early in the morning and takes whole day to reach Ranchi but still they are less paid.

            As this is an unorganized sector job, doing by the nearby illiterate villagers who are around functionally opened cast mines in Ramgarh, Hazaribgh districts of Jharkhand. They are the subject of discrimination and don’t have any safety or any insurance cover if during journey something goes wrong with anyone he will have to fend and look after himself. In this way the focus is on inhuman treatment, empathic attitude, socioeconomic lives, and living hazards are ignored by the coal companies or the government.

            As they illegally gather coals from open cast mines which are owned by Central Coalfields who supplies coals to power stations, steel mills and other India’s big corporations, where the coals fallen from the conveyer belts are picked up by the local village women and children and they supply it to the men folk who carry them to Ranchi city. Each cycle walla carries coal up to 150 to 450 Kgs of coal and gets Rs 30 per bag Rs 01 a Kilo, as remuneration or price. Usually they move on in the night to avoid heat. For carrying coal on the hills the cycle carriers have made an innovative idea by toeing their bicycles to a scooter or motorcycle up to the hill, of course they pay them for this job. As it is a continuous process since long and will continue till infinity, it seems so.

Text and Photos by- Ashok Karan,

Ashokkaran.blogspot.com,

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