To make a living....

It is not uncommon to see people bargaining with roadside vendors selling fruits and vegetables. It is the usual way in which the vast majority of Indians would do their daily/weekly shopping until recent times, when the malls and departmental stores have permeated the upper middle class existence to its core. However, what I find particularly unsettling is the vigor with which people proceed to bargain with these sellers, even if a reasonable price has been quoted, simply because the option to bargain exists. These same people would not think twice before paying twice or thrice the reasonable amount, for the same stuff; only if it came from the cool interiors of a fancy store. So many of us are willing to pay an extra price where there is a lot of profit already, and are yet reluctant to go away without the smug feeling of having struck a good deal, where the vendor probably has no margin of profit. He/She agrees to the 'deal' only because they want to earn whatever possible rather than see their wares spoiling for lack of  buyers, even if it means selling at a loss. In any case, the mushrooming of malls and stores have already taken away a sizeable amount of their customers, so they have to make the best of whatever comes their way. I feel the worst about this scenario especially when i see wizened old people (or even malnourished children and adults) clutching their tiny stash of produce (often rather obscure items that most city people especially the current generation, may not even be familiar with) and just waiting with a look of complete despair. It amazes me to think that they might manage to earn something by the end of the day that would allow them to be able to afford  food to feed multiple mouths and also sustain the cost and effort of coming back to the city once again with the same hope.

A rather similar emotion is evoked when I see another group of people: hawkers selling various miscellaneous small items; say in trains, by the roadside, and at fairs. I have been wondering since many years about how they manage to make ends meet and feed their families by these means. The price of such items is usually minimal and I have my doubts about the demand.  Of course, I am probably judging them by my 'city standards' of both quality and requirements, when I think whether they do really sell enough at the end of the day to justify it. Of course, there is a huge section of the Indian society who can afford to buy toys, knick-knacks and small goodies only from these hawkers; and especially people who are not exposed to the frills of city life. But still, sometimes when I see these hawkers with their varied wares ranging from crude hand made toys and handicrafts to dried food stuffs, and to cheap household utility items; I silently hope that they do find enough takers. I remember in my childhood, before my apparent 'urbanization', the multiple occasions when my father brought me many such goodies from his train journeys; and how excited I used to be with most. But clearly now I see how tastes and needs are changing, not just in adults but also children of all ages... whose purchases are defined only based on brand value and cost.