Amidst the coronavirus-induced lockdown, regular flow of income has taken a hit, especially in the case of Mumbai’s dabbawalas.
Subhash Talekar, President of the Mumbai Dabbawala Association, had earlier demanded that the local services be resumed for the dabbawalas or for the state government to give a subsidy of ₹3,000 per month to these people in order for them to sustain themselves.
However, ever since the plight of the famous dabbawalas came to the forefront, many people have come forward to save this indigenous business Mumbai is famous for. Since 1890, these dabbawalas have been fulfilling the hunger of almost 200,000 Mumbaikars with home-cooked food, delivering it to their workplaces.
Manish Mundra, who has produced films like ‘Masaan’ and ‘Newton’, pledged 100 cycles for the dabbawalas after reading the story about the plight of these people. Earlier, the Dabbawala Association had requested people to donate cycles to them as they cannot afford to fix their rusted cycles which have been lying outside the stations for months now.
Mumbai dabbawalas pick up lunchboxes late in the morning and deliver them predominantly using bicycles and railway trains, and return these boxes empty in the afternoon. The dabbawalas are also used by meal suppliers in Mumbai, who pay them to ferry lunchboxes with ready-cooked meals from central kitchens to customers and back.
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