Rain & the Working Class: Braving the Storms of Survival

 

🌧️ Rain & the Working Class: Braving the Storms of Survival
📸 Text & Photo by – Ashok Karan
🔗 ashokkaran.blogspot.com

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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.

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📸 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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