Author: Hemali Chhapia & TNN
Publication: The Times of India
Date: November 13, 2011
URL: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Dabbawalas-delivering-lunch-love-notes/articleshow/10709518.cms
The same face under the crisp white topi,
at the appointed hour, every day at our doors. We have known our dabbawalas
for years as carriers of lunches to offices, with rarely any mix-up. Now,
in a gradual expansion of their role, they are lugging a lot more than just
that.
Over time, they've become delivery boys for
all kinds of things, besides the packed lunch. Mobile phones forgotten in
the morning rush is one of the most common things they carry at mid-day, followed
by files, suddenly demanded by the office.
Sometimes, dabbawalas are even agents of
blossoming love - with some people sending love notes, scented cards and a
tiny something with lunch boxes.
"We often have requests from housewives
to carry several things like cell phones, money or wallets, some confidential
corporate documents," said Kiran Gawande, secretary of Nutan Mumbai Tiffin
Box Suppliers' Association. "We don't encourage it as one dabba changes
four to five hands, but we don't even refuse a request because we realize
that the home and the office are really far away in most cases."
It's the credence that the tiffinwala has
earned over time, neither has someone else's lunch landed up on somebody else's
table, nor has there been any police case against them. Explained Gawande,
"Most people have seen their drivers or maids or cooks leave. But in
our case, they have seen the same man going to the same home for years together."
This 120-year-old institution has close to
5,000 semi-literate men on its rolls. They are tested on their capacity to
carry approximately 70 kilos before they are initiated. Dabbawalas deliver
lunch, and now even more, to close to 2 lakh Mumbaiites daily. In fact, the
Harvard Business School has produced a case study on their error-free, six
sigma record.
The business school prods its students to
learn from the dabbawalas' unique, simple and efficient logistics system,
which relies entirely on human endeavour and doesn't employ any technology.
Thanks to this combination of trust and efficiency,
several housewives have not thought twice before handing over wads of notes
to Shahi Raikar, a dabbawala who works in the Ghatkopar area. "I often
carry important papers, thousands of rupees, fancy gadgets and cell phones.
But most of us carry them with us, we don't squeeze all those things in the
tiffin bag," added Raikar, who has been a dabbawala for nine years and
earns Rs 9,000 per month.
In fact, realizing that their evening hours
are relatively free, they now also supply organic vegetables to several homes,
a service that comes at an additional cost.
But the rest- the love notes, the tiny surprise
gift - can be enjoyed free with lunch.
