Notes from a two week study on the vegetable hawkers on Indian Railways. Study done in Kuppam, Andhra Pradesh.

1. FIELD NOTES - II
Team Gold Miners
Kuppam, Andhra Pradesh
Oct 1-11, 2012

2. Gangamma at work & at home
Gangamma, her mother, her daughter Gangamma’s sister in law and
at work – in Kuppam station her daughters at home

3. Visit to Gangamma’s house
After a few casual interactions at work and on the railway platform the apprehensions about
our teams ‘intention’ was easily shed off. She has been hawking vegetables for 4 years.
Before that she was a casual labourer in Bangalore.
We tagged along with Tulasi (Gangamma’s sister-in-law, as they happen to live together) and
walked to her house, which was about 3 km from the railway station. Noticed that Tulasi was
instructed to pick up a sachet of coffee powder and a pack of milk on the way, so that she
could be a good host to us.
Gangamma’s house is located in a panchayat, under Kuppam mandal. Small farms all around.
They have a pakka house (two rooms) with a spacious courtyard. Appeared clean and toilet
located outside the house. A TV in the front room. Gangamma’s brother built it.
Tulasi & Gangamma’s children – 2 & 1 respectively, go to the govt. school which is located
within the village.

4. Gangamma (cont.)
One daughter of Tulasi goes to the anganwadi which is located next door to the school. The
eldest daugher- Sarita (16) of Gangamma also works as a hawker.
Our relationship with Gangamma improved over the last 4-5 days of our stay. Her daughter
too would easily smile at us towards the later days.
While Gangamma takes the 7.30 pm train, her daughter takes the 5.45 pm trains. They both
go hawking on different trains. At the end of the day they meet in Krishnarajpuram and
return to Kuppam together by the 9.30 pm Tirupati passenger.
Individually, Sarita and Gangamma manage to earn about Rs 300/day. (as they indicated).
That makes about 20-25,000/- that the mother and daughter make in a month!

5. Visiting the school and the anganwadi
We visited the school where Serving the mid day meal to a child in
Gangamma’s daughters study. the anganwadi in the nearby building.

6. School and Anganwadi (which Gangamma’s children attend)
School- 2 multigrade classrooms. About 75 children on roll, with about 70 in attendance.
Headmaster very willing to show us the attendance register and talk to us. 3 teachers on roll
including headmaster, with a volunteer teacher (from an NGO). Both the teachers were
absent on the day we visited. We were told they are tending to some personal work.
Headmaster couldn’t place who Gangamma’s kids were, but then recognized by their faces.
Said, the kids were regular to school.
Anganwadi next door – 1 room. Mid day meal was being served. We tasted the nutrition
formula (‘sattu maav’ /a multi cereal mixture) which is made into a porridge and served.
Mid day meal for the school was also ready in the kitchen. Looked very delicious- rice and
vegetable sambar. The kitchen too appeared clean.

7. Ramesh at work
Ramesh packing his vegetables in his Ramesh waiting for his 4.45 train to
market shop for evening sale in trains Jolarpet.

8. Ramesh & his shop in the town
Ramesh, has been hawking on trains for over 20 years. Apart from hawking vegetables on the
train, also runs a shop in the market. When he is away his father runs it. He procures the
vegetables from the mandi in the morning (both for the shop and for hawking on train). The
stock meant for hawking on train is packed in the shop, which he then packs into large gunny
bags and brings it to the railway station.
As it appears, there is a fair amount of hardwork in terms of number of hours spent at work-
from procuring the stock from mandi to returning home after hawking on the train.
Ramesh has an easy and a content air. Much of what he expresses about their social, health
and financial situation is with a sense of ‘matter of fact’ and didn’t appear like complaining or
dissatisfaction.
We met him several times over the course of our stay. It was usually when he turns up 30—
40 mins early, before taking the 4.45 pm train towards Chennai.

9. Mahalakshmi at work
Son helping the mother to pack the One of the dangers in this profession-
flowers, a morning ritual. the risk of being run over a train.

10. Mahalakshmi, flower hawker
Mahalakshmi has been hawking flowers only, for 20 years. She has a son about 26/27 years
old. He is an entrepreneur himself. Runs a furniture showroom in town since last year.
Mahalakshmi was widowed when her son Arun was 3 months old. Hawking flowers on trains
has been the only source of livelihood. She is one of the 10-12 vegetable hawkers in Kuppam
whom we have come to know of a little more personally (as aquaintance) during our stay.
The ‘connect’ was much profuse & deeper with her. We are invited to her son’s wedding, 3
months from now.
She briefly experimented with dealing in flowers as a trader (than hawking). She would send
flowers to Chennai on the morning express and place it with the local flower traders.
Incurred heavy losses as the trader in the city routinely quoted half the price at which he
actually sold the flowers.

11. Mahalakshmi (cont.)
She manages to make about Rupees 20-25,000/month as her son indicated. She doesn’t
particularly hawk on holidays when the trains are likely to be overcrowded.
Son owns a car and a motorbike. He is a graduate from Kolar (KGF). Worked in Bangalore in
call centers, with Agasthya Foundation in Kuppam and then moved on to his own business.
Says they are well off and he often asks his Mom to stop going on trains to hawk flowers.
They own two houses in the town. One is leased on rent.
Mahalakshmi asks, “what should I do sitting at home all day?”. This is something I know and
this also gives me enough money which she regards as a security during her oldage when she
is likely to be dependent on her son. She anticipates that with the coming of a daugher-in-
law, situation might change. So it is better to have a house and some money as a fall back
measure.

12. Institutions- Tahsildar’s Office
Andhra Pradesh has a local equivalent called “Mandal” for a “Block” in the administrative
hierarchy (District- Block- Village/Panchayat) in India.
Kuppam is a Mandal in Chittoor district of AP. It has 64 revenue villages, 31 panchayats and
151 habitations.
Tahsildar’s office is a nodal center for all the other aspects of block administration-
agriculture, education, health, revenue, land records, women and child welfare etc.
Over 4 days we visited several of these departments to gain a sense of what is the
administration’s take on the town and also as a place for obtaining vital statistics on various
aspects (like demographics) of Kuppam.
We worked our way around the town taking leads from various departments in the
Tahsildar’s office.

13. Office of the Tahsildar
The Tahsildar office - our point of T. John Sundaram, land revenue
contact for exploring the Mandal’s officer explaining the e-governance
institutions initiative- Mee Seva

14. Kuppam’s Health Scenario
Town – 100 % toilet coverage, Villages 20 % Toilet coverage, 80 % Open defecation
Major health problems- HIV-AIDS, Alcoholism.
Visited the State Government Hospital and Community Health and Nutrition Center (CHNC),
4 kms from the town center. There are 4 Public Health Centers in Kuppam Mandal. Near
Gangamma’s home- no PHC, but served by 1 ANM.
CHNC talked about regular door-to-door survey for dengue fever & other epidemics. In an
area reporting more than 10 cases, mobile camp is conducted.
National Rural Health Mission’s schemes grant Rs. 1000/ child birth in hospital to women,
immunization offered twice a week. Schemes like Janani Suraksha Yojana, Janani Shishu
Suraksha Karyakram are reportedly working good & efficient. It seems maternity and child
care is adequately provided but preventive and primary health care facilities not widely
visible.

15. Kuppam’s Ecology
Small farmers with 2-5 acres of cultivable land. Large farmers- stat not checked, but a rough
no of 12 ‘large’ farmers in town.
Crops grown- Raagi, Groundnut, Sugarcane.
Horticulture- Tomato, Beans & other common vegetable varieties; Papaya, Banana, Custard-
Apple.
Heavy reliance on groundwater for irrigation. Use of drip irrigation picking up.
Visited a model farm- a greenhouse used as papaya nursery. There are 29 such greenhouse
farms in Kuppam Mandal where vegetables, fruits and flowers are grown. Funding for
greenhouse- shared by state govt and farmer on 50-50 basis. Avg greenhouse size 100 sq. m.

16. Ecology - Kuppam
A model farm- greenhouse A papaya farm. Banana & Papaya
farms are a common sight around
Kuppam

17. Transect Walks
The challenges of our chosen town made it difficult to conduct some of the initially planned
activities like PRA , social mapping etc.
We had to device a suitable method which could help us with a general understanding of the
town, its resources and patterns of land use, settlements and layout of public facilities.
We conducted two transect walks- on two cross-sectional axis chosen in a manner that it cuts
across the town and ensures a fair chance of encountering ecological, cultural, social
diversity. While doing this, the trail was mapped using a GPS device. The trails indicate the
axis that we took around the town and serve as a verification tool.
The maps plot the GPS logs and indicate the orientation of the two transect walks that we
did. Although referred as walks these were bicycle rides as in each instance we covered 18-
20 kms distance.

18. Transect
Walks
Transect Walk #1
Transect Walk #2

19. Cards, Identities & Schemes - Ration, Voter Identity & UID
Caste composition of Kuppam Mandal include 50% of backward castes and 12 % Muslims.
There is no animosity between castes or religions.
The hawkers posses various ‘citizenship’ cards given by the central and state governments
like the Ration card, Voter identity card and Unique Identification Number Card. The hawkers
don’t possess bank accounts as they say, “they live on hand-to-mouth existence.”
Implementation of various schemes happens through sanctioning by the Mandal officer and
inspection by the panchayat secretary. An online system called Mee Seva is in place through
which citizens apply for the various essential documents.
However there is politics in the entire game wherein schemes’ benefits are given on party
affiliations.

20. Schemes and their benefits
• Free electricity to all farmers
• Rs 2 / kg rice
• 108- free ambulance service
• Aarogya stree –2 lakhs worth free treatment for BPL
families
• 104 – free ‘mobile’ medical camp in villages.
• For women’s development - interest free loans upto 5
lakhs for SHGs
• 130 day employement guarantee work under NREGS.
• Indira jal prabha – free motor pump, free borewell for
c=individual/collective landholdings of atleast 7.5 acres
land for SCs, STs
• Toilet built worth 10000 rs. 900 rs deposit

21. Caste, Community and Relationships
Kuppam has SC, ST & OBC caste majority (as reported by officials & common people)
On religion based composition- 12% Muslims (from official stats), Christian (unknown),
Hindus (predictably majority)
Hawkers, we did not explore on caste basis particularly. For lack of more information we do
not even know if we could term them as “hawkers community”.
The work just appears to be picked up by people based on various considerations, of which
the major reason appears to be that this is an easy means of livelihood in the towns context
and ease of adoption.
However, they do appear close knit and exhibit a high degree of co-operation with other
hawkers as well as with those who hawk vegetables. The tensions in terms of competition
and collusion of strong against the weak was not visible/apparent in our duration of stay.

22. Surplus production of tomatoes in the region
Sorting and packing into large plastic trays and
preparing them for loading on to trucks. The An auto driver opines that the producers
trucks carry about 7 tons of tomatoes and were aren’t even recovering the transport cost
being sent to Pondicherry, Chennai, Coimbatore. from the sale.

23. Legal Landscape of Hawking and Railway Regulation
This aspect of our experience has remained lesser explored. Reasons are largely about not
being able to make necessary connection in the Railways, with the people directly concerned
with the law regarding this.
However, we had conversations with Kuppam Station Master, the Government Railway Police
Post at Kuppam and with an activist working with street hawkers in Bangalore.
In addition to this, the Indian Railways’ Act, 1989 and the National Street Vendors Bill, 2011
was explored from a hawkers on trains perspective.
Section 144, IR Act, 1989 states that hawking of goods on railway property is prohibited
except for licensed vendors.
There however appears to be little “contest” for the space, as our hypothesis suggests.

24. Legal Landscape of Hawking and Railway Regulation
There however appears to be little “contest” for the space, as our hypothesis suggests. This
needs some qualifiers.
• the entire system is well oiled with bribes and favours.
• a hawker on an average spends Rs 1,200 as bribes to a minimum of 4 officials who are
directly responsible for policing and booking hawkers for violation of law.
• the hawkers on occasions have to present themselves in the railway court when a case
has been filed against them, like in case of a stricter divisional squad checking.
• Different opinion/views on how much and where are the bribes and the fines are paid.
Some hawkers suggest that they pay a fixed monthly fine in the courts (250/-) and some
say they forward it to the concerned staff.
• On days there is a checking the GRP/Railway staff themselves tip off the hawkers and ask
them not to go for work that day.
• Railway staff is also seen buying their goods for prices much below what they hawk at.

25. Meanwhile, an interesting development with the Railways
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/onboard-shopping-in-shatabdi-exp-soon/1016595
It couldn’t have come at a more
opportune time for us. While
we explore the reasons that
could make the railways stand
on hawking (as criminal)
justifiable, they come up with
this new idea of allowing sale of
luxury goods on their top of the
line train like this fully air-
conditioned and superfast
Shatabdi train, which ironically
is an intercity train too just like
the ones that hawkers ply their
trade on!