Rickshaw Pullers In Kolkata Editorial Image

January 22. 2011 Kolkata, West Bengal, India, Asia-A rickshaw puller taking rest at his rickshaw on the footpath of Kolkata. There are 24, 000 rickshaw pullers in Kolkata, carrying not only customers but also their goods and belongings, hoping for an average daily income of USD 3. 50. The Marxist government in the state has suddenly decided that it was inhuman to allow rickshaws to criss-cross the city. But most of these human horses are from other states, and 93 out of every 100 are homeless. Many are the sole bread earners for their family, have no specialization for any other job - and only 387 of them have licenses. Those who don't will be left out of the government's rehabilitation plan.