The photograph
of the officer harassing Kishan Kumar, who makes a living as a streetside
typist in the northern city of Lucknow, provoked an outpouring of sympathy from
Indians outraged at his treatment.
Local
authorities reacted swiftly, suspending the officer who destroyed his
typewriter and promising compensation of 100,000 rupees (US$1,500) as well as a
new machine.
But Kumar, who
is in his 60s but does not know his exact age, said he was “fed up” with his
new-found celebrity, which had made it impossible for him to work. “I just
can’t work with so many people surrounding me.
Image above: Images of the Police abuse 'caught in action'.
I haven’t
earned a single penny for the past two days,” he told AFP outside the Lucknow
post office, where he plies his trade. "What will I feed my family if I do not get to earn? I came here to work, not to give media interviews."
Although
typewriters have largely disappeared from many countries, streetside typists
remain a common sight in many Indian cities. They can be seen hunched over
often ancient machines, tapping out affidavits, family title deeds and court
applications for around 10 rupees per page.
Kumar said he
had received an anonymous threat of violence since the incident on Saturday,
while promises of money from well-wishers had failed to materialize. “I have
received a couple of calls from people asking for my bank details… (but) I
haven’t received any money from anybody,” he said.
The old typist says
he is fed up with all the attention — and just wants to go back to typing
letters.
I hope things will soon resume as normal for this poor old man who has not been able to get his daily quota of business to support his family.
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