Labouring from dawn to dusk and even beyond are countless vendors, cobblers, masons, plumbers, hawkers, monkey charmers, labourers, housemaids and innumerable folks toiling away for a little livelihood. They cannot even afford a day off from work what to talk of a Sunday or May Day.
Whether burning and sweating in hot and humid conditions or shivering and freezing in biting cold weather, they mean no rituals or formalities but sheer hard work for a meagre income to support a large family. In most cases one hand is feeding ten mouths with peanuts of an income in times of soaring inflation.
Whether it is the Chauburjee of Lahore, Kharadar of Karachi, Kalibari of Peshawar, Lalkurti of Rawalpindi, Karachi Company of Islamabad, or for that matter, the tight lanes and bi-lanes of downtown Quetta, life cannot take respite from work for the toiling and sweating souls and even think about what is observed as Labour Day.
Imagine the cart-pulling and pram-pushing poor little boys overshadowed in the pompous fashion parade of the gentry at the Mall in Murree. Think of almost round-the-clock football, hockey and racket finishing little boys of our export-oriented sports industry of Sialkot. Watch cute little skilful girls helplessly engrossed in carrying out instructions without break at the cottage industry of our rural areas. See the sight of our little folks crying their hearts out selling newspapers, cleaning cars and serving at wayside food outlets.
For the toiling souls, so acclimatised and accustomed to work without dignity, it is Labour Day – day after day, week after week and year after year. It is all the more agonising in view of their exploitation but alright when they fetch a little money and struggle amid inflation to feed a large family. Food for thought on Labour Day!
PARVEZ JAMIL
Karachi