Making a Living on India’s Trains

Impoverished families often turn to vending and performing on India’s trains. Railway vendors now seek licensing to legitimize their profession.
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Making a Living on India’s Trains
A young boy collects money from passengers after singing popular Bollywood songs for them on the Kochuveli express train traveling from Bangalore to Kerala, India, on Jan. 27, 2013. Many families turn to railway vending for a livelihood, an easy place to earn a rupee. Venus Upadhayaya/The Epoch Times
Venus Upadhayaya
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<a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/07/IMG_8913.jpg"><img class="size-large wp-image-344800" src="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/07/IMG_8913-675x450.jpg" alt="A mother financially supported by the train performances of her young son sits near the toilets in a compartment of the Kochuveli express traveling from Bangalore to Kerala, India, on Jan. 27 2013. Many families turn to railway vending for a livelihood, an easy place to earn a rupee. (Venus Upadhayaya/Epoch Times)." width="590" height="393"/></a>
A mother financially supported by the train performances of her young son sits near the toilets in a compartment of the Kochuveli express traveling from Bangalore to Kerala, India, on Jan. 27 2013. Many families turn to railway vending for a livelihood, an easy place to earn a rupee. (Venus Upadhayaya/Epoch Times).

Venus Upadhayaya
Venus Upadhayaya
Reporter
Venus Upadhayaya reports on India, China, and the Global South. Her traditional area of expertise is in Indian and South Asian geopolitics. Community media, sustainable development, and leadership remain her other areas of interest.
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