Rickshaw pullers in the Kathmandu Valley are among those people who earn more during bandas and strikes than on normal days. They happily say that they can pull their rickshaw freely only during bandas and strikes. [break]
“I earned Rs 1,000 on Sunday which is far more than Rs 400 that I used to earn on normal days,” Anil Shrestha, a rickshaw puller, said. He further said the rickshaw pullers could even earn more if tourist shuttle vehicles didn´t ply on the streets.
Tika Ghimire of Ramechhap, who has been pulling rickshaw for the last ten years, said his earning doubles during banda days.
“We don´t have to kill time by playing cadres during bandas, as people have not option but to ride rickshaws during bandas and strikes,” Ganga Bahadur Tamang, a rickshaw puller, said.
Rickshaw pullers increase their fare during bandas and strikes. “During bandas and strikes, we charge Rs 100 for a ride that we generally charge Rs 65 on normal days. But like other people, we also want to end the culture of banda and strikes as many people are affected by these forms of protest,” Tamang added.
But the story is always not pleasing. Most of the people winning their bread and butter on daily wage basis are adversely affected by bandas and strikes. The increasing frequency of bandas and strikes has further worsened their woes.
Street vendors in different parts of the country said bandas and strikes were directly affecting in their daily livelihood. Though street vendors get respite from municipality officers during bandas and strikes, their daily income during bandas is lower that what they earn on normal days.
Anil Shrestha, a street vendor, said he could make just Rs 200 on Sunday, down from his average daily income of Rs 1,200. “If there is bandas for five days in a month, it will be really difficult for us to survive,” he added.
Parvati Khatrai, who has been selling plastic flowers in front of Nepal Airlines Corporation office in New Road, she got only a few customers on Sunday. “Banda organizers should be serious as there are many people like us who don´t have any alternative for their livelihood,” she added.
Political leadership should be serious as most of the people get nothing out of their bandas and strikes. A day´s windfall for rickshaw pullers does not make up for the loss of millions of rupees that the nation faces due to bandas and strikes.
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