Keonjhar: Coronavirus outbreak and subsequent lockdowns and shutdowns have dealt a body blow to several small businesses across the country. While stories as that of Kanta Prasad and his wife Badami Devi — owners of ‘Baba Ka Dhaba’ in New Delhi’s Malviya Nagar — exist where support of fellow denizens made a difference, a vast majority of small business owners continue to struggle to make ends meet.
Bidyadhar Sahoo is a case in point.
Life was smooth for Bidyadhar — a sexagenarian — until the outbreak of the pandemic. Originally from Nayagarh, Bidyadhar has settled with his family in Keonjhar town for over ten years. He used to have a tiffin stall at Mining Road. Whatever he would earn from this stall was enough to run his family comprising of his wife and two sons. His sons would help him at the stall as well.
Then COVID-19 came, bringing misfortune for Bidyadhar and many others along with it. While students of Mining Engineering College consisted of a major chunk of his customers, closure of educational institutions meant that Bidyadhar had to close down his shop.
Bidyadhar presently sells ‘Dahibara-Aludam’ on his bicycle in lanes and bylanes of Keonjhar. “With no option left, my younger son left for Cuttack few months back and he is also selling ‘Dahibara-Aludum’ there. My elder son is with me, helping me in preparation,” says Bidyadhar.
Bidyadhar says his ‘never say die’ attitude keeps him going. “With two huge pots, moving on bicycle is a difficult task for me. And the earning is also comparatively less. But I have no other option than this,” he claims.
Like many, Bidyadhar also lives with hope that ‘this time shall pass and better days will come’. He waits for opening of educational institutions.
PNN
