“I hail from the Barkas area in Hyderabad. I have seen this city develop in front of me. I started my career as a cycle rickshaw puller when I was a teenager. There were no autorickshaws, motorcycles, or cabs when I started doing this work. Today I am 72 years old and I still chose to work loading and unloading goods in the 10 km range.

Earlier, I used to ferry passengers but now I have remodeled my cycle rickshaw and use it for the transportation of goods. There is no fixed price as such when it comes to my income. It all depends on how much the customer is willing to pay.

Even though I struggle sometimes to catch up with the pace of today’s fast-moving generation, I still want to work hard to provide for my family.

Some of my known mates who have skills and knowledge moved to other professions almost 20 years ago. But for less skilled people like me, the choice is between hard work and hunger. What should I pick?”