By Arré Bench Jul. 24, 2020
Indore’s civic officials allegedly overturned an egg cart manned by a young boy after he refused to pay them a bribe of ₹100. In the videos that have now gone viral, the distraught child can be seen shuffling between his knocked-down cart and the officials, attempting to confront them for their actions.
The prolonged lockdown has hit the economically weaker sections of our nation much worse than people like us. While life wasn’t any easier before 2020 went downhill, trying to make ends meet has been far more challenging for the poor in the present times. And through their actions, civic officials in Indore have led to further financial loss for a 14-year-old boy and his family.
On Thursday, Indore’s civic officials allegedly overturned an egg cart manned by a young boy after he refused to pay them a bribe of ₹100.
Indore Egg Seller's Cart Overturned Allegedly Over Rs. 100 Bribe https://t.co/T4krQaLIeZ pic.twitter.com/NL8P9NHLUt
— NDTV (@ndtv) July 24, 2020
According to the boy, the civic officials had warned him to remove the cart or hand over ₹100 as bribe. However, the kid’s refusal to do so led the officials to tip over his cart, destroying all the eggs.
In the videos that have now gone viral, the distraught kid can be seen shuffling between his knocked down cart and the officials, attempting to confront them for their actions.
Civic officials in Indore allegedly overturned egg cart of a small boy. The officials had warned that the egg cart would be seized if he did not leave the spot @ChouhanShivraj @OfficeOfKNath @INCIndia @INCMP @GargiRawat @RajputAditi @ndtvindia @ndtv pic.twitter.com/PnuqeLrbJh
— Anurag Dwary (@Anurag_Dwary) July 23, 2020
Due to the pandemic, the boy was already struggling with his daily sales. The destruction of his stock has now brought him additional financial burden to bear. By selling eggs, the 14-year-old was trying to support his family who live in extreme poverty, at a crematorium.
#Indore: Egg cart vandalised & toppled by Municipal Corporation officials. Vendor, a young boy lives in extreme poverty in a small house at a crematorium. #Indore administration is on an anti-encroachment drive. pic.twitter.com/xNLoImQ6P7
— Mojo Story (@themojo_in) July 23, 2020
The Madhya Pradesh government has introduced the “left-right” rule for shops and vendors as businesses, both big and small, have suffered heavy losses amid the outbreak and lockdown conditions. However, the Indore administration’s anti-encroachment drive is merely adding to the adversity of the poor.
Online, the Indore officials have been slammed for their uncalled-for actions and users have demanded the young boy be compensated for the damage.
This is highly condemnable. People are trying hard to get their livelihood back to normal, it's high time maltreatment of the poor should stop now. government should compensate the loss & take action against such miscreants. @ChouhanShivraj
— Kushal Roy (@itskushalroy) July 23, 2020
Laws are enforced to ease people’s lives, not to cause them further hardships.
@ChouhanShivraj @PMOIndia @AmitShah Is this governance? Shame on MP Govt. Street vendors are already struggling for livelihood. Don't make their life worse. https://t.co/pxGvwHN5nz
— bibhuti (@bibhutirk) July 24, 2020
Very shameful and cruel act. Any law or regulation is made to ease the life of people only, to help them to live peacefully and in harmony, not to harass them. This type of deed shows the failure and ill mentality of those officials.
— Abhishek gourav (@abhishekgourav1) July 24, 2020
Is there no humanity for the less fortunate in these troubling times?
Why do these officials love to harass the poor and vunerable? Is humanity dead? Doesn't their conscious bite? Is earning a livelihood a crime? Shameful incident caught on camera. Praying this boy is compensated. Let us know his bank details if required.
— Jayanti Dey (@jdey63) July 23, 2020
Netizens have stepped forward, expressing their willingness to help the boy.
Why do these officials love to harass the poor and vunerable? Is humanity dead? Doesn't their conscious bite? Is earning a livelihood a crime? Shameful incident caught on camera. Praying this boy is compensated. Let us know his bank details if required.
— Jayanti Dey (@jdey63) July 23, 2020
The incident however raises a pressing question: Would the rich be subjected to a similar behaviour or is this no land for the poor?
It is the poor who easliy get beaten up,thrashed,ill treated by govt. Officials and police are in different level just because they are doing their duty. Not everyone i know, still thats common and what do they get in return i wonder?
— Ebo Mili (@Alvadormili) July 24, 2020
Such cowardic act. Public service people are to serve public. But what’s happening in India is just Gundagiri. Only poor suffer in India. Can those guys pull down shutters of big business people? Never ever. They cannot even question big business people.
— Edward Xavier Month (@EXMonthero) July 23, 2020
While we understand that abiding by the rules, especially amid the corona scare, has added another layer of stress to the work of the officials, we hope that there’s still some room for empathy to be found.
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