Obituary to Hand-Pulled Rickshaws
Rickshaw was the brain child of a Japanese mind. It was invented by the name ‘Jul Rikisha’ meaning ‘man pulled vehicle’, a handy goods transport mode. British introduced it in India as ‘rickshaw’ at Shimla to serve as passenger transport. They went around in rickshaws pulled by Indian coolies. Later, rich Indians also began to use it. Some other hill stations also adopted it. Rickshaw appeared. in Calcutta only around 1900 A.D. ‘But soon it became ubiquitous. The Bengali farmers and Bihari village poor who poured into Calcutta in search of work found ready employment in hand pulled rickshaw. It became the joy of Calcutta (Kolkata).
After independence, the proud Indians felt that a man being used as a beast of burden was shameful. Rickshaw disappeared from other places except Calcutta where it continued to exist as an employer of resource less poor and a pollution free transport. Then, West Bengal government decided to sound death knell for rickshaw by passing a law in 2006 banning the use. of hand pulled rickshaw.
