Young Indian

“I'd rather die my way than live yours.”  Lauren Oliver, Delirium

                                                                                                                                                                     Manoj Keer is a young Indian adult, so inconspicuous that he can easily be missed out in mob. This average single built man visits us once in 2-3 months on a motorbike. His signature attire is a dark coloured terelyne trouser with once-a-white shirt; either lines or checks. The worn out socks are hidden beneath old and mended shoes. The bag-pack has a water-bottle and many sets of rope bundles in it.  

In the first visit I was about to shoo him away considering him as one of the MBA- Marketing students from a third-grade college mushroomed in the city . Many times I had fallen prey to their educational needs.

‘I am not here to sell anything. Rather, I am here to make you part of my entrepreneurship.’

His sophisticated and clear communication made an instant impression. And so did his pearly white teeth against the dusky complexion.  

Manoj is an arts graduate and resident of Raisen district. He collects, rather buys, old newspapers, books, notebooks, magazines and make envelops out of them. He along with 3 more friends have identified groups of women in slums.  The raw material is supplied to them to make envelopes for ½ and 1 kg quantity. The women are paid per 100 envelopes made.  

‘I am earning more than any job that a person with my education will get. Moreover, I am independent. The biggest satisfaction is I am providing livelihood to many others. As a citizen I am also able to work towards environment conservation.’ He is professional-satisfaction and self-pride personified.  

During our chat he revealed that recently he got a huge order from a Pune based company. Motivated by this, he is now thinking of making envelopes of other sizes including paper shopping bags. He is also exploring diversifying  into collection of e-waste .

In a recent address on Start-up India , PM Modi had aptly said ‘Government should stop interfering and the Indian youth will do fabulously well.’