The Hindu : Karnataka News : A kiosk on two wheels

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Friday, Mar 14, 2008
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Karnataka

Karnataka

A kiosk on two wheels

T.V. Sivanandan

Sheikh Usman is a familiar figure in Gulbarga

Enterprising: Sheikh Usman with his mobile shop on his bicycle.

GULBARGA: Sheikh Usman’s investment is just a second hand bicycle, a plastic chair, an initial investment of Rs 500 and an FM radio. This is enough for this enterprising youngster to lead an honourable life.

Mr. Usman (29) is a familiar figure with his bicycle stocked with different brands of supari, cigarettes, gutkha moving around Station Bazaar locality selling them for eking out a living.

A non-literate, Mr. Usman is a struggler throughout his life.

Mr. Usman’s experience is a shining example to show that if there is a will there is a way. “I come from a very poor family and had to work for hours together in hotels to earn something during my childhood days,” he said and added that by pooling all the funds available and taking some loan from friends, he first purchased a push cart to begin the business of selling omelette and bread in the evenings.

“When the business was doing well and providing subsistence to me and my small family of my wife and two children, the bird flu attack in Maharashtra two years ago ruined the business here with the people shunning chicken and egg.” This was the end of my venture of selling omelette and bread and after doing nothing for a month, he hit upon the idea of selling cigarettes on the bicycle.

Mr. Usman said that he purchased an old bicycle from his friend and invested around Rs 500 for the initial purchase of cigarettes, gutkha, supari from wholesale merchants and started selling them on the streets and parking places in front of the hotels. “On an average, I earn around Rs. 80 to Rs. 100 a day and that is enough for me and my family. I am contended with whatever I get from this business,” he said.

Asked whether he encountered harassment from the police, Mr. Usman said: “These are the common risks in doing the business and so far the police have been kind with me and I have not experienced any harassment or demand for money from them.”

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