Opinion Working poor By Douglas Lummis	フレームで見る  英文をプリントする  脚注をプリントする
働く貧しい人々 欧米人や日本人がインドで歩いていると、物ごいに囲まれてしまうという話をよく聞くが、デリーに滞在中の筆者にはそんな経験はない。現地の人々は通りを生活の場とし、さまざまな商売をして働いている。

I had always heard that if someone who looks American, European or Japanese walks through a marketplace or tourist spot in India, that person will be surrounded by clamoring beggars. Maybe things have changed, or maybe I haven't been to the right places, but after two months in Delhi I have not yet had that experience.

On the contrary, I can testify that if I walk around a marketplace here for an afternoon I will be asked for a handout fewer times (generally once or twice) than I would if I were walking around the downtown of my native city of San Francisco (where I would be asked generally 10 or 15 times).

This doesn't mean there aren't lots of people living in the street in Delhi. There are, but almost all of them have some kind of work.

The sidewalks are lined with shops, not only selling food and merchandise, but also offering services.

There are, of course, shoeshine/shoe repair shops (as in Japan), but there are also, for example, open-air barbershops. The barber hangs a mirror from a tree or fence, sets up a stool in front of it, opens up his supply case and brings out scissors, razors, soap, towels, etc., and opens up for business. There are people who bring out hand-powered sewing machines and set up tailor shops. There are also bicycle and motorcycle repair shops, consisting of a man with a bag of tools and spare parts, waiting by the road.

I also saw a row of men each sitting behind a canvas bag stuffed with carpenters' tools, including what looked like some fine antique planes, squares and saws. Near them was another row of men whose bags were filled with housepainters' brushes and scrapers. I think I also saw a bag filled with electricians' tools, but I'm not sure. Probably there are plumbers and other craftsmen too. Apparently these skilled workers gather on certain street corners and wait for customers.

Because Delhi has so many people living and working in the street, there are many public toilets. There are also big tanks of water set up along the sides of the streets. These are used both for drinking and for washing. I was told that the tanks are not provided by the city water department, but rather by wealthy people who put them in front of their houses.

It is nothing new to say that the streets of India are not simply a way to get from one place to another, but also a place to live. But for me it was fascinating to see that the streets have not only their society, but also their economy. The streets are a market, a service center and a factory, where things are repaired and even manufactured. The people there are not poor because they have no work. They work, and are poor.

Shukan ST: Nov. 5, 2004

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