हव्किंग गर्ल
January 18, 2007
हव्किंग तकेस गर्ल टू नैरोबी
BY MRITYUNJAY BOSE
MUMBAI: She is just 21-year-old. She speaks more than seven to eight languages: Hindi, Marathi, Gujarathi, Urdu, to name a few, and of course, English. She had been to jail thrice. She is actually a girl, who used to sell vegetables near the Indian Institute of Technology at Powai.
Anees Fathima Jafar Shaikh or Salma, as she is popularly known, yesterday left for Nairobi, the Kenyan capital, where she would address a session on 'Child Street Vendors' at the World Social Forum on January 22.
An elated Salma, who is the ladies wing chief of Azad Hawkers Union, hours before she left for her first foreign journey told 'The Herald': "I am going to speak on the issue of child labour. I will speak on why one becomes a child labour, what difficulties one faces as child labour. And also what are the advantages or disadvantages of being a child labour."
Azad Hawkers' Union chief Daya Shankar Singh points out: "She is the only one to speak on this subject from whole of Asia at Nairobi. She had been given 10 minutes for this and I and sure she would make her point. This is like crossing seven seas for her."
A girl with good grasping power and intelligence, Salma's journey has not been easy: she started at the age of seven helping her parents and selling vegetables around the IIT-area with a basket on her head. When she was 15, says Salma, she used a 'haath-gaadi' (trolley) and sold vegetables.
But, by then she had several who envied her and also admired her. But three years ago, when a local corporator joined hands with a builder and harassed her, she was totally reformed.
"One day when the makeshift place from where she used to sell vegetables near IIT-Powai was being demolished, she was at home and sick. But someone informed her of this and she immediately went there and protested. She squatted on the street and cited the Supreme Court order which said that hawkers cannot be touched until and unless they are rehabilitated," said Singh.
However, she was taken into a police van later to be found cooling heels at a lock up. Next, when she was leading a rally at Dadar, she was picked up by police and sent to Byculla jail for seven days.
From the Powai-centric agitation to Mumbai-level rallies, she also reached the national capital a year ago. At a function organised by Patna-based National Association of Street Vendors of India in New Delhi, she made a speech, which was appreciated by one and all. At the functions union ministers – S Jaipal Reddy and Shelja were present.
As far as this conference is concerned, says Salma, since "ferrywallas" from all across the globe are convergence, there would be an exchange of ideas. "We are also part of this society, and this needs to be asserted and that every one has the right to earn livelihood," she said.
हव्किंग तकेस गर्ल टू नैरोबी
BY MRITYUNJAY BOSE
MUMBAI: She is just 21-year-old. She speaks more than seven to eight languages: Hindi, Marathi, Gujarathi, Urdu, to name a few, and of course, English. She had been to jail thrice. She is actually a girl, who used to sell vegetables near the Indian Institute of Technology at Powai.
Anees Fathima Jafar Shaikh or Salma, as she is popularly known, yesterday left for Nairobi, the Kenyan capital, where she would address a session on 'Child Street Vendors' at the World Social Forum on January 22.
An elated Salma, who is the ladies wing chief of Azad Hawkers Union, hours before she left for her first foreign journey told 'The Herald': "I am going to speak on the issue of child labour. I will speak on why one becomes a child labour, what difficulties one faces as child labour. And also what are the advantages or disadvantages of being a child labour."
Azad Hawkers' Union chief Daya Shankar Singh points out: "She is the only one to speak on this subject from whole of Asia at Nairobi. She had been given 10 minutes for this and I and sure she would make her point. This is like crossing seven seas for her."
A girl with good grasping power and intelligence, Salma's journey has not been easy: she started at the age of seven helping her parents and selling vegetables around the IIT-area with a basket on her head. When she was 15, says Salma, she used a 'haath-gaadi' (trolley) and sold vegetables.
But, by then she had several who envied her and also admired her. But three years ago, when a local corporator joined hands with a builder and harassed her, she was totally reformed.
"One day when the makeshift place from where she used to sell vegetables near IIT-Powai was being demolished, she was at home and sick. But someone informed her of this and she immediately went there and protested. She squatted on the street and cited the Supreme Court order which said that hawkers cannot be touched until and unless they are rehabilitated," said Singh.
However, she was taken into a police van later to be found cooling heels at a lock up. Next, when she was leading a rally at Dadar, she was picked up by police and sent to Byculla jail for seven days.
From the Powai-centric agitation to Mumbai-level rallies, she also reached the national capital a year ago. At a function organised by Patna-based National Association of Street Vendors of India in New Delhi, she made a speech, which was appreciated by one and all. At the functions union ministers – S Jaipal Reddy and Shelja were present.
As far as this conference is concerned, says Salma, since "ferrywallas" from all across the globe are convergence, there would be an exchange of ideas. "We are also part of this society, and this needs to be asserted and that every one has the right to earn livelihood," she said.
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