They did god’s work, now they beg for a meal

Mangal Kalersquos eyes well up as she recalls her familyrsquos struggle for survival despite being what she called so close to god She has reason to believe that for they sell flowers near Siddhivinayak temple the abode of Mumbairsquos favourite god With the pandemic snuffing out their source of income the Kales today are ready to beg to feed their children The heartrending scene mirrors the lives of hawkers near several places of worship including churches and mosques across the cityIqbal Shaikh near Mahim Dargah He had switched to paintingIn the absence of much help from local politicians and the government they now wait for divine interventionmidday met Heerabai Kale 35 outside the famous Prabhadevi Ganpati temple Heerabai has been living on the roadside with her kids husband and sister for over a decade She used to make flower garlands for devotees and would also sell them on local trains ldquoI was born here and I have never been through such a crisis Ab aisa time aagaya hai ki maang ke khana pad raha hai the time is so bad that I have to beg for foodrdquo said Heerabai She said she used to earn Rs 400Rs 500 a day earlier ldquoLekin ab mandir band hai log aate hi nahin Kabhi koi customer aaya for phool bik jata hai the temple is closed so nobody comes here If any customer lands here by any chance we manage to sell some flowersrdquo she saidHer family member Chandu Kale and his wife Mangal who is physically challenged live inside a flower shop with their two children ldquoMany like us have either gone back to their native place or at the mercy of others for sustenance We have no work since there are no devoteesrdquo said ChanduMangal said they have barely got any help from the government ldquoWe donrsquot want to depend on alms but we donrsquot have a choice We are just hoping that Lord Ganesha will soon open his doors and everything will be normal like beforerdquoHeerabairsquos younger sister Latabai too was born near Siddhivinayak temple ldquoIrsquom 27 years old and we have never faced such a challenge This is clearly the worst phase of our life Itrsquos depressing to ask for help to feed ourselves and our kidsrdquo she said Dattu another member of the Kale family used to work in a flower shop and earn R200300 a day ldquoIrsquom ready to do anything to make some moneyrdquo the 25yearold told middayNot far away Anirta John Fernandez narrated how the virus has upended her world She has a small candle and flower shop outside the Mahim church another muchrevered place in Mumbai ldquoMy mother used to run this place until she passed away a few years ago Now I take care of the business along with my 60yearold aunt Agnes Joseph Jamesrdquo said Anirta 45Agnes too was in tears sharing their ordeal ldquoThe business has come to zero We are not even making Rs 100 a day due to the lockdown We have been here for more than 50 years by the blessing of Mother Mary and have never seen such bad times Sometimes we donrsquot even get to eat as we have never begged in our liferdquo she said The family sometimes gets help from their old customers ldquoEarlier I used to save at least Rs 500 a day Now we just think about getting three mealsrdquoAgnes said they have approached local politicians and church authorities but have not got much helpHeerabai her sister consider themselves lucky when customers arriveIn the vicinity of the same church Abdurrehman Shaikhrsquos condition is no different Shaikh too sells flowers and candles ldquoWhat can I say Everyone knows what is happening to the poor Some people have started coming here after relaxations in lockdown We hope these days will pass soonrdquoMohammed Ali an employee at Shaikhrsquos shop had a daily income of Rs 300 before the pandemic arrived ldquoI survived on food distributed among the poor near the Mahim Dargah There were times when I had no option but to seek help from our customers I do not want to even remember that I just hope for normalcyrdquo he saidIqbal Shaikh works at a shop selling flowers and lsquochaadarrsquo near Mahim Dargah ldquoI was working here for the last two years but switched to painting during the lockdown Our shop opened today and I have returned I will be getting half the salary but I have a family to take care of Earlier there used to be 45 workers at every shop Now most have just onerdquo said SheikhWhat trusts saylsquoOur hands are tied due to a PIL filed after we donated Rs 5 crore to the CMrsquos Covid relief fund We hope temples will open soon as the number of cases is dropping As of now we are only providing medical aidrsquoAadesh Bandekar Siddhivinayak trustlsquoWe are focusing more on medical aid Ration kits were provided to those who approached the Dargah There are economic crises and psychological issues which the government needs to addressrsquoSuhail Khandwani MahimHaji Ali trustMahim church authorities refused to comment