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| Sunday, 5 December 2004 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Vending their strength by Indira P. Dahanayake
The Pettah Manning Market is the last place one would choose to spend a sunny afternoon. The narrow streets, overflowing drains, the over powering smell of rotting fruits, and vegetables and the constant din of screeching vehicles, make it hell on earth for an outsider. But this is a familiar territory for a unique brand of workers who vend their strength... in order to keep their home fires burning. Called 'Natamis' these veritable human work horses of the busy Pettah market have their own code of honour and work to their own schedules to earn their livelihoods. Their name is derived from the Tamil language, which means one who carries weight. Side......Side... shouted in guttural tones is a familiar sound at the Pettah market scene. The refrain is a request by the Natamis for room to move forward with their heavy loads that can range up to 80 kilograms. Seated near a heap of rotting vegetables is fifteen year old Udaya Krishnan, who looks much older than his age. The sole breadwinner of a family of four, Udaya has studied up to grade seven. "An office job is not for me and fate has deemed that I carry other peoples burdens," he says in resigned tones. Dressed in pair of old kaki shorts, and wearing a friendship band on his bony wrist looks lean and weak. But appearances can often be deceptive, For despite his lean frame, Udaya can carry a maximum weight of 50 kilograms, which though not as high as what other Natamis can carry with ease, is heavy enough for an average person. "When you think of the money you can earn, your mind is strengthened" he grins. Udaya carries a wire hook attached to a small wooden handle. It is an implement used for carrying loads, he says. A Natami can earn up to a thousand rupees per day. Their charges vary from 20/ - 30/ per piece. The Natamis have divided themselves into three categories. According to a spokesman from the Manning Market Common Trade Union, there are those who load goods, those who unload goods from lorries and others who deliver goods to nearby hotels and eating houses with the help of a special kind of push cart with two wheels. The latter suffer most as they have to vend their way through busy streets with the heavy load. Usually two people push the cart. But on rare occasions a single man handles the job purely for the need to earn a few extra bucks. A Natami's life is tough and sometimes even painful. There have been instances where an exhausted Natami had stumbled and dropped his heavy load. Recounting some of the incidents his colleagues had to undergo, Udaya recalls how a Natami carrying a load, accidentally stepped on a heap of rotten vegetables tripped and fell causing his ankle to twist. He was rushed to hospital and his treatment cost was met through a collection made by the vendors. However, after a few weeks, the man returned to work with a limp as he could not afford to take the prescribed period of rest. Udaya, pointing at a limping man says. "That is the man I am referring to... he still complains of a severe pain." Recalling another incident, he describes how a Natami carrying a heavy load was electrocuted and on the spot. Udaya goes on to demonstrate how the heavy load hit an overhead live wire. In this case too, the vegetable sellers had made a hurried collection of Rs. 80,000 to be given to the widowed wife of their dead comrade. 'Incidents such as getting run over by lorries or ending up with broken spines are also common', reveals Udaya. Stockily built Rizvi, is another young Natami for whom a heavy load is part of the daily work. Twenty-nine-year-old Rizvi looks more like a heavy weight champion with his muscular frame. Forced to take up the job as a Natami, Rizvi has had no schooling. He travels from Makola, starts his work at 6. a.m. and earns about 500 for a heavy days work. The sole breadwinner of a family of four, which includes his wife and two sons. Rizvi swears he will not let his children end up as Natamis. Commenting on the plans for his future, he says, he wants to set up a tea kiosk or a vegetable stall adjoining his house which he owns, after he has collected sufficient funds. "I have been a resident at Makola for the past twenty years. I have earned the respect of many people there and I know they will patronise my shop if I start a business on my own," he says. Getting ready to close shop after work is Ranjan. Refreshed after a bath, Ranjan is a man of medium built. Hails from Biyagama, he has his wife and son to support. His regret is his failure to pursue higher studies. Poverty has forced Ranjan to become a Natami after his O'Levels, though he very much wanted to continue his studies. "I have twenty years experience as a Natami," he says proudly." I have bought a house to live, out of my savings. He says he would like to see his family in comfort, if something happens to him. And like most of the Natamis would like to see some form of an insurance scheme being set up to help them when they are sick and unable to earn a living. "My child is still attending school, and I wouldn't like my wife to do odd jobs going from house to house to eke out a living. So it is a good idea if I could contribute a small something say like 100 rupees for a pension scheme through insurance, Ranjan says. The most prosperous out of the whole lot is robust young Vijaya who comes from Wanathamulla. A Natami for the past 20 years. Vijaya's a father of three school going sons who are good at their studies. "I have built a vegetable stall adjoining my house. I buy the vegetables at a very small cost and the balance is sold by my wife keeping a small profit." Speaking of his old age he says "my wife and I are quite safe in our old age. All three sons are also covered under the Ceylinco Insurance scheme. I am confident at least one will look after us." The hopes aspirations and difficult life of the Natamis notwithstanding the police view of them as a bunch who live in debt most of the time. "They make promises to various mudalalies to get their services on contract promise to attend to the work, but once the payments are made they are not to be seen for weeks," says an officer, alleging that most of the Natamis spend their hard earned money on liquor women and drugs, which has become a habit in about ninety per cent of the Natamis. According to one officer some of them do not even have a place to sleep. |
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