In a day and age when news reaches us at break-neck speed, there's a small world of newspaper vendors that is silently competing against the changing times.
Pedaling their way through the alleys and lanes of different communities, these paper delivery boys are often the first visitors to any residential area in the morning.
They start their day quite early with a mission to ensure that the readers don't miss out on their broadsheets while savoring a refreshing cup of tea.
But despite years of literally flawless and dedicated service, they are fading into nothingness without even being known by their real names or recognized for the vital role they play in the newspaper industry.
Newspaper vendors segregating newspapers on the pavement at their Selling Point in Delhi's I.S.B.T. area
© Sandeep Datta
What It Means Being a Newspaper Vendor
It's 4.30 a.m. on Sunday morning and Anup Kumar is already up. After attending to his daily chores, he's off to collect newspapers from a selling point in the Kamla Nagar area, near Delhi University. He purchases them for cash, with the hopes of earning his money back after a month once he is paid by customers.
He took to this work to support his bicycle-riding father as an 11th grade student in 1994. But since father died a few years ago, Anup must slog through the month all alone. He doesn't have any opportunity to skip work to enjoy a morning or evening.
"Frankly speaking, I cannot think of being out of this city for a few days with my family," the commerce graduate, who distributes around 400 papers to 350 houses in morning, and 200 papers in the evening, told Sputnik India.
For each paper sold, he gets INR 1.50 as commission from the newspaper companies. He lives with the hope that he will somehow survive the onslaught of inflation while supporting his family, especially his kids' college fees.
For 25 years, he pedaled his way to different neighborhoods on a bicycle. But recently he bought a moped on EMI. "It's economical, and has added speed and time to my lifestyle, enabling me to supply so many papers within a few hours."
Since Anup didn't take up any private job as a side hustle due to his engrossing lifestyle, he doesn't wish his nimble economics graduate son to join him and lose sight of his big dreams.
He rues that this profession lags much scope for growth for small vendors. "My father devoted 60 years as a vendor for all leading papers. But even in his dying stage, there was no recognition or financial aid available for him."
"We give decades for companies but are still not counted for our official existence or role," he remarked before excusing himself for getting late to deliver a few more papers and drove off.
The Little 'Akhbar Wale Miyan ji' of Connaught Place
While heading to central Delhi's famous Connaught Place market in the morning, it's likely that you may get unusually drawn to an elderly man with a hump generally dozing off on a sidewalk in the outer circle area.
A small bundle of newspapers typically lies in front of him.
For some extra cash, the little man who is barely a meter in height has to be back at work around 3-4 p.m. This time again he walks around distributing evening papers at shops near Regal cinema, and the famous Hanuman Mandir at Connaught Place.
Having sold papers here for around 25 years, the man, who originally hails from Ajmer city, still lives on daily earnings.
Talking to Sputnik, the 67-year-old Deen Mohammed shared that COVID lockdowns were actually a difficult period for him. "I have largely survived by selling newspapers and having meals at local eateries."
A exhausted Deen Mohammed, the vendor with a hump, dozzing off on a roadside near outer circle area of Delhi's Connaught Place
© Sandeep Datta
Earlier, he used to sell papers near the Regal cinema area, a popular area with a bustling market. But one day police told him that it was not allowed there. So he now sells leftover papers at the outer circle's traffic signal.
Asked about his desires in life, he said: "I couldn't build even a small home. Twice my shanties were removed in the city by local authorities. But, as is assured to the poor, I wasn't compensated with a small house in its place. I can just appeal to Delhi chief Arvind Kejriwal ji or Modi ji to help me with it."
Taking Papers to Readers on Humble Bicycles
Most of the vendors prefer bikes. "Travelling by bicycle is economical and quite a help in distributing papers in narrow lanes and by-lanes of the colonies," said vendor Pushp Kumar Mishra, a father of two adult children.
Buying a motorbike would mean more expenses and less of a profit margin, he added.
However, many of the young vendors now find riding a bicycle beneath their dignity and thus prefer motorbikes, another vendor pointed out.
Deen Mohammed, the vendor with a hump, awaiting the daily commuters on the roadside near Delhi's Connaught Circle area traffic signal
© Sputnik / Sandeep Datta
Tough Times and the Challenge to Swim Against the Tide
Many of the vendors point to the sharp decline in newspaper readers, remarked Mukti Narayan, a distributor at Delhi's Kashmere Gate bus terminal selling point. Every day he sells newspapers to about 90 vendors.
Talking to Sputnik India, he reminisced about the good old days when some vendors could even afford to build their own homes by selling newspapers. "But things have changed like many other things."
A homeless man reading newspaper early morning near a newspaper selling point at Delhi's I.S.B.T. area
© Sandeep Datta
Narayan said earlier people would buy a newspaper or magazine during long travels in trains or buses. But things have transformed in this technology driven era. "Most of the travellers can be found scrolling reels or watching songs rather than reading anything."
But Lakshmi Kant, a vendor sitting next to Narayan, while arranging his bundle of papers interrupted him to highlight the vendors' struggling life.
He pointed out that most of the newspaper readers never get to know what kind of challenges their unknown paper delivery boy goes through in his daily life.
Kant said a vendor can't be expected to be present with his loved ones in case of a sudden demise or accident. "Since one cannot predict such a situation, handling something on a short notice or arranging someone during a routine day turns nearly impossible."
A vendor, he stressed, never has the nerve to squander time and relax even after years of disciplined service.
"He always has to put up with the looming threat that he could lose his years-old and much treasured client to his rivals on any given day."