Parth M.N.

Author

Dipanjali Singh

Editor

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<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:&quot;Fira Sans&quot;, &quot;Open Sans&quot;, sans-serif;font-size:17px;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:29px;margin:0px 0px 20px;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;">Syed Khurshid paid little attention to the budget. “I didn't even try to watch a news channel,” says the 72-year-old. “You don't know how much of it is true and how much is propaganda.”<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:&quot;Fira Sans&quot;, &quot;Open Sans&quot;, sans-serif;font-size:17px;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:29px;margin:0px 0px 20px;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;">He has heard about the changes in tax slabs in the current budget because someone had mentioned it in passing. “But I don't know of a single person in my mohalla who will benefit from it,” he says with a laugh. “Hum apna kamate hai aur khate hai [I only work to earn a living].”<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:&quot;Fira Sans&quot;, &quot;Open Sans&quot;, sans-serif;font-size:17px;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:29px;margin:0px 0px 20px;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;">Syed has been a tailor in Gangakhed town in Maharashtra's Parbhani district for over 60 years now. He was only eight years old when he learnt the craft from his father. His business, however, is not as profitable as it used to be. “Younger generations opt for readymade clothes,” he explains.

<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:&quot;Fira Sans&quot;, &quot;Open Sans&quot;, sans-serif;font-size:17px;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:29px;margin:0px 0px 20px;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;">Working out of a one room set-up, Syed earns about Rs. 20,000 a month after paying a couple of labourers who work for him. “Thankfully my father bought this shop so I don't have to pay rent. Otherwise the earnings would not have been even that.” “I haven't studied much, so I can’t read well,” he adds, without taking his eyes off the cloth he is meticulously stitching. &nbsp;<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:&quot;Fira Sans&quot;, &quot;Open Sans&quot;, sans-serif;font-size:17px;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:29px;margin:0px 0px 20px;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;">The government claims to have focussed on low-income earners in the budget, “but it only ends up benefiting a certain class of people,” says Syed. “Workers like us hardly get anything.”

‘Workers like us hardly get anything’

‘અમારા જેવા કારીગરોને ભાગ્યે જ કંઈ મળતું હોય છે'

‘మాలాంటి కార్మికులకు దక్కేదేమీ ఉండదు’

‘எங்களைப் போன்ற தொழிலாளர்களுக்கு எதுவும் கிடைப்பதில்லை’

‘ਸਾਡੇ ਵਰਗੇ ਲੋਕਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਕੁਝ ਨਹੀਂ ਮਿਲਦਾ’

‘ഞങ്ങളെപ്പോലുള്ള തൊഴിലാളികൾക്ക് ഒന്നും കിട്ടാറില്ല’

ʼಸರ್ಕಾರದಿಂದ ನಮ್ಮಂತಹ ಕೆಲಸಗಾರರಿಗೆ ಏನೂ ಸಿಗುವುದಿಲ್ಲʼ

‘हमर जइसने मजूर मन ला मुस्किल ले कुछु मिलथे’

‘हमनी जइसन मजूर के नाम मात्र के फायदा होला’

‘আমাৰ দৰে শ্ৰমিকে কাচিৎহে কিবা পায়’

’ہم جیسے لوگوں کو شاید ہی کچھ ملے‘

‘‘ଆମ ଭଳି ଶ୍ରମିକମାନଙ୍କୁ କିଛି ମିଳିବ ନାହିଁ’

‘हम जैसे मज़दूरों को शायद ही कुछ मिले!’

'আমাদের মতো মজুরদের বরাতে আর কী বা জোটে'

Parbhani

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‘Workers like us hardly get anything’

The Union Budget 2025 has little relevance to the daily life and labour of Syed Khurshid, a third-generation tailor in Maharashtra's Parbhani district

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