Attabira: For Dukhishyam Mahananda, a resident of Manpur village in the Bheden block of Bargarh district, the saying ‘labour never goes in vain’ has come true.
Dukhishyam’s day begins early in the morning. After getting up he has something for breakfast, and goes out on his Luna loaded with stacks of leaf plates and bowls.
He sells it for a living. Dukhi has been in the business of selling leaf plates and bowls by the side of State Highway-54 near Godbhoga-Turum for the last 19 years.
Initially, he moved from village to village on a bicycle, carrying bundles of leaf plates and bowls on both sides of the carrier. With his daily earnings, he could meet the expenses of his family comprising wife Ketaki and two sons Rohit and Rajib.
However, as days passed, his earnings became inadequate to run the family. He started saving to buy a Luna in order to expand his business.
“At one point, I could not afford the education of my children and finally they had to stop after Plus II,” says Dukhishyam.
After that he started investing more time and labour on his business. Now he goes to areas in Ulunda and Metakani in Sonepur district and buys leaf plates and bowls for around Rs 1,500 a day. He then sells them in the villages of Bargarh, Bheden and Atabira.
While a bundle of bowls and plates cost him Rs 8 to 10, during seasons like the present picnic one, he sells a bundle of bowls for Rs 15 and a plate bundle for Rs 20 to 25.
“Now I am happy. Even after deducting costs and petrol expenses, I make Rs 500 to 600 a day,” says Dukhishyam.
His dedication and hard work has enabled him to ruin his family and meet the cost of his sons’ higher education.
PNN
