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Mother of three, Anungla Longkumer, selling vegetable in Dimapur on the eve of Mother's Day. (EM Images)[/caption]
Muzhaba Jamir
Dimapur, May 11(EMN): Motherhood: All love begins and ends there — Robert Browning
There is no arguing with the English poets assertion, and sentiment. Perhaps, in terms of universal adoration, there is no rival to the one reserved for mothers.
Annually, Mother’s Day is celebrated on various days in many parts of the world; most commonly on the second Sunday of May. This year it is celebrated on May 12.
All mothers follow one common goal—to look after her children—each of them going through different obstacles, challenges, and pain in the pursuit of her child’s happiness and wellbeing. Each with their own stories to tell.
On Saturday, Eastern Mirror met some hardworking mothers—more specifically, the women traders in Dimapur’s Super Market area. These mothers sit for hours in the market every day, waiting for the customers to buy their product, which will in turn ensure food on the table.
Among them was a mother of two by the name of Alem Longkumer, who sells second-hand clothes for a living at the Super Market area in Dimapur. She has a daughter aged 13, and an 11-year-old son. Her husband, according to her, “does minor business works.”
The 42-year-old woman, with a graduate degree, was earlier working as a government schoolteacher. But when the infamous ‘bogus teachers’ scandal broke out, Longkumer lost her job. It has been 15 years since she decided to deal in second-hand clothes.
“In the past, second-hand business was profitable. But with the introduction of GST and increase in the number of sellers, this business is starting to decline,” she shared, while adding that she tried different ‘networking businesses’ but without success.
Longkumer said that she started her business “at the veranda of someone else’s shop.” She continued struggling for eight years just to get her shop settled properly. She later found a house adjacent to a shop at Super Market but the rent cost INR 8000 a month. Now she is settled in the market shed along with the vegetable vendors and retailers.
Earlier, her children were made to stay in hostels since they were in nursery. But for the last three years, the school vehicle does the ‘picking and dropping.’ After school, her husband takes care of the children.
Every morning, this mother wakes up at 5 am, packs lunch for her children and herself, moves out from her house around 6.30 am, and reaches her shop at around 8 am. After a day spent at the store, she goes back home at around 6.30 pm during summer and 5 pm in winter. She works five days a week, with breaks on Thursdays and Sundays.
During summer, she shared, the heat is unbearable.
Also during rainy days, she has to cover the entire clothes on display with plastic sheets while she takes cover in ‘some dry’ area nearby.
There are times when she is left without enough money for her children’s school admission. “I borrow money (on interest) from relatives and friends if I don’t earn enough during the business season. Sometimes, the season ends while I am busy clearing debts.
“Sometimes, I feel like giving up. But this is the only way for me to earn and the only thing we have to do is to struggle in this business. I cannot make good budget as business has ‘ups and downs.’ All I want is for my children to be good and I hope the best for them as I love them a lot,” she said.
Another woman by the name of Anungla Longkumer, at the same market, has been selling local vegetables for more than ten years. The vegetables are sourced from Wokha, Mon, Jalukie, Tizit, and Assam; which she buys at wholesale rate and sells them in the market for a living.
This mother has three children—two daughters and a son. The eldest one (20) is doing her B.Sc course while the middle one (17) is in the higher secondary. The youngest one (12) is in high school. She said that her husband occasionally makes handicraft items, but does not do anything on other days.
She sits in her shed from 5 am to 6 pm every day (except Sundays). She earns around INR 500-1000 a day and said that there is no one to help her out except, sometimes, by her husband.
“As vegetables spoil over time, the unsold ones are consumed for dinner. Some are distributed among neighbours and friends,” she explained.
Some costumers, she said, are thrifty while some tend to be more generous. “The thrifty ones bargain for way lesser than the actual wholesale rate.”
“With the money I earn, I pay INR 5400 for house rent, INR 300 for electricity bill, and INR 300 for cable bill, every month. For the marketing shed, I give INR 30 to DMC and also give certain amount of money for lunch to each child every day,” she said, while adding that she borrows money from her relatives and friends if she does not have enough for the children’s admission.
Longkumer said that she has acquired “intestinal problem” from sitting for too long every day. She is currently recuperating and under medication.
On being asked whether she wants to continue her business, she responded, “What can I do? I have no education and no experience. You will find only the poor and the struggling vendors in this bazaar. All I want is for my children to have a better future, so now I am struggling on behalf of them just so that they would not struggle like me.”
Also, another mother by the name of Kiren Dibe sells ‘panipuri’ and ‘jhal chana’ for a living. She can be seen pushing her food cart and selling the snacks around Super Market area.
She has three children—two sons and a daughter. The eldest son (15) is in class 7, the second son (12) is in class 3, and her daughter (10) is in class 2—all of them studying at Government Higher Secondary School in Nagarjan.
The 34-year-old widow told this reporter that she has been doing the business for seven years. Her husband, who was also in the same business, died six years ago. Since then, she is the one taking care of the family.
Dibe starts selling the snacks on the street from 3 am till 7 to 8 pm, every day except on Sundays.
She said that she earns a minimum of INR 200. On a good day, she earns around INR 500. Every night, she prepares by cooking half of the snacks. The other half is cooked in the morning.
Her children occasionally help her after school. But mostly, it’s just her.
“There are times when my earning is not enough for my children’s education. I borrow money from my relatives and friends so that my children can get proper education,” she shared.
“Even if they do not have a father, my children are always happy around me. I love them and they love me too. Their happiness is all I need. So if they are happy, I am happy too,” she said and added that she will continue doing this business for as long as she can.
Indeed, the streets are alive with stories reminding us of the mothers’ unconditional love.