India’s cities, expanding hubs of precarious employment
Abhishek is just 25 years old. He owns a car that he operates under Uber in Delhi, which also links him to the gig economy. This writer recently hired his car and during the trip was told by him that he has not visited his home in Darbhanga, Bihar, for the past three years. He does not have a house in Delhi and so sleeps in his car. For his daily ablutions, he uses the washrooms in petrol pumps. He said, “I drive for 15 hours a day, and the rest of the time is spent resting and taking care of other activities.” Once a week, he finds a place to bathe and hands his clothes over to a dhobi to be washed and ironed. The money he saves is sent back home to support his mother and a younger brother, who is studying.Is Abhishek an exception? Or does his story represent a broader pattern among urban...