Life not shining for polishing shoes

Krishna Bahadur Nepali arrives early in the morning at Damkal Chowk of Lalitpur from Dhapakhel and spreads his paraphernalia at the roadside. He spends the whole day by mending and brushing shoes.Despite his hard work, his problem of survival still remains as it was before. "All my earnings go into buying food and we do not think about anything but two square meals a day,? Nepali said.With the regular work on the street for years, he has not seen any sign of change in his life. "Unlike in the past it is hard to earn two meals. Our traditional means of livelihood of sewing and mending shoes is ignored and the ever swelling market price has added the woes,? he said.He earns about Rs. 200 in a day by spending the day out in the open and polluted streets. He said, ?It is hard to survive and I am the only one to manage the household expenses.?
Krishna worries about the future of his four children who are also illiterate like him. "We are facing problems of feeding and educating our children,? he said.

Sanubhai Paheli, 50, of Bhaisepati in Lalitpur district has also been facing the same problem like Krishna. He has been doing the work as a shoe mender for the past thirty years at Damkal Chwok, but nothing in his life changed in the subsequent years. "Things have changed a lot in and around this place but for me nothing has changed. I was struggling for two meals before and I have not done anything except adding some children,? Paheli said.

He is well aware of the political changes of the country, but said that the plight of the people like him has not been improved. Paheli has so many problems but forgetting all these demands he only wishes that the government gave him one umbrella to protect his elderly body from rain and sun.

Paheli lamented that due to the increasing use of imported shoes, their profession of making shoes has fallen under the shadow.

"Modernity rendered us helpless. Neither the Shoe Company has utilized our skills, nor the government has provided any skill oriented training for us,? Bal Ram Nepali said. He thinks that the government has not been paying attention towards their problem.

More than hundred shoemakers have been continuing their traditional profession of mending shoes. However, those people who shine others' shoes have not been able to shine their fate. "None of the governments supported our profession. All are same for us,? he said.

Reluctant to talk to any press reporter, Bal Ram said it was meaningless talking to the press and politician. "I do not want to expose my reality because none of you take our demands seriously.?

These homeless and land-less shoemakers expressed contentment in the sense that they are getting opportunity to stay on the street without fear. "During the Royal period, we were often chased from the street but the democratic government is not doing so,? Bal Ram said.

Binod Pahadi, a dalit rights activist, stressed the problems of lower caste communities and said that the problems were not solved even after the success of peoples movement in Nepal. "Government has not given any thought toward addressing the problems of dalits. Different NGOs and INGOs have been earning a lot in the name of dalits. But those dalits are always suffering,? Pahadi said.

source: Gorkhapatra)