For the first time in their 120-year-old history, Mumbai’s famous dabbawalas, who deliver tiffins to over two lakh customers daily, today took a break to support social activist Anna Hazare in his fight against corruption.
“We don’t have any demands of our own. We are here for Anna,” a dabbawala told reporters at Azad Maidan. “Anna ji, we will be with your forever,” he said.
“In the last 120 years, we have been on the job, come rain or shine. We never stop work. But we decided to back Hazare’s agitation as it is for a just cause,” said Mr Sopan Mare of the Nutan Mumbai Tiffin Box Suppliers Association.
The 5,000 dabbawalas moved in a procession from Churchgate to Azad Maidan.
Asked if their customers were inconvenienced, Mr Mare said: “They know we are supporting a just cause.”