Aslam Shaikh writes to CM Thackeray as Mumbai dabbawalas suffer

The dabbawalas who are considered to be the second lifeline of Mumbai, have been facing the brunt of the lockdown due to the coronavirus. The 125-year-old lunchbox delivery system has been rendered jobless and is reportedly struggling to put food on the table. In light of the situation, help has been pouring in for the dabbawalas whose plight was earlier highlighted by MLA Aslam Shaikh. In the video shared by Aslam Shaikh on his Twitter handle, he can be seen shedding light on the issues of Mumbai’s dabbawalas and how the pandemic has cost them their livelihood.

#Dabbawala, the second lifeline of #Mumbai,having more than 100yrs of relentless service standards in feeding d workforce every single day. #MahaVikasAghadi government is committed to stand with them in times of crisis due to lockdown.@CMOMaharashtra @AUThackeray @SunielVShetty pic.twitter.com/3bXngK8Nn7

— Aslam Shaikh, INC (@AslamShaikh_MLA) June 8, 2020

Aslam Shaikh of the Indian National Congress (INC) has distributed over 2,500 dry ration kits to dabbawalas across Mumbai. On Tuesday, Shaikh further wrote to the Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar proposing a financial aid of Rs. 2,000 per month for approximately 5,000 dabbawalas. Shaikh has also roped in Bollywood actors Suniel Shetty and Sanjay Dutt to create awareness and help the dabbawalas in their plight.

The Mumbai Dabbawala Association have also stated that they are not in a situation where they can resume work immediately as many dabbawalas have travelled back to their hometowns and have not been able to return.

Another crucial reason for their inability to resume work is the lack of local train service. Without the locals, the dabbawalas have not been able to traverse. The Dabbawalas of Mumbai has been popularly known for ages for delivering home-cooked meals to office workers. They pick up lunch boxes from various residences and drop them to an individual’s office or workplace. The dabbawalas then take the empty lunchboxes back. This food delivery system is primarily dependent on the local train services, which have been paused due to the threat of the coronavirus outbreak. Thus, the work of the dabbawalas has come to a standstill.