Everybody has to work for livelihood. Work is a great blessing of God on the children of Adam (AS) Had there been no works, something to do; it would have been very difficult to pass time. All low and high, the poor and the rich have to work. The ‘rich work to accumulate wealth and enjoy the luxuries of life. Very few have honest earnings. The commandment of ‘Qasb-e-Halal (honest earnings) in the Holy Quran, is being opened floated by the Muslims.
The poor have to work hard for their livelihood and in order to make the two ends meet. Some even cannot afford two square meals a day. According to the Hadith of the holy prophet (p.b.u.h), ‘Honest earnings are always small. The street hawker is one of the blessed ones, for he earns his bread with the sweat of his ‘brow. The big industrialists, the stockists. and whole-sellers beg huge profits. They have to work or strive little as compared to the street hawker, the poor peddlers. The police is afraid to lay its hands on the big ones and big guns. But the poor, honest and plodding hawker is their victim. They are not ashamed to collect ‘Bhatta’ or extract beat money · from the hawkers. [the_ad id=”17141″]
A hawker is a petty merchant on the street. Those who have no money to start some modest business, take to hawking. It is a poor but honest calling. The poor hawkers move about with baskets or ‘Khuwancha’ on their heads. Some use push-carts (Thaila) or baskets for selling their commodities. They generally sell fruits, snacks, pan, bidi, chana Mumphali or second-hand articles. Many sell Kulfi and Ice-cream on Tricycles. The move about on the streets, footpaths and open spaces in the markets. They.subsist on whatever they can earn during the day. They seldom worry about tomorrow or the future.
The life of a street hawker is very hard and monotonous. H tries to attract customers with funny and strange slogans in changing tones. Other try to sell the goods or simple edibles by singing song Chana-jor-garam, Mazay-dar-Kulfi, garam pakoday, Hazma Churan’ are some common slogans. The common men are generally attracted by these calls of hawkers. The newspaper boy is a typical hawker. He flashes hot news while running on the streets or traveling in the buses. Some times the news may be baseless but catches the customers.
Saddar, Boulton Market, Tariq Road, Hyderi Market, Popish and Gole Market, or Public places like gardens, Park and Cinemas are common resorts of hawkers. As a class, the hawkers render useful services to the people, ladies and children in particular. He earns small profit. He gives the message: Service first and profit afterward’ to the big profiteers and the big shop keepers. Honesty is his trade and contentment is his philosophy of life.