Nothing but hard work can weave him through this rough patch

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF EMBROIDERY MACHINE MECHANIC

PK Jaiswar

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, November 8

Sunil Ansari, an embroidery machine mechanic, travels to different parts of the city daily to attend complaints for repairing units. He isn’t moving around alone — the thoughts of his family’s future accompany him, always.

He has three daughters and a son. “Earlier, they used to study in private schools. But as they started for higher classes it became unaffordable to run family and continue studying in reputed private schools. Therefore, I shifted them to government schools for further studies,” he said. His eldest daughter is a Class XII student, while the youngest girl is in Class VI. The boy studies in Class XI. He has to shoulder their needs, apart from his elderly father’s well-being.

Going by the current time, the shrinking of industries has definitely made it tough for many a worker. But he’s giving his all to smooth the road ahead for his four kids. Ansari starts his day at 8.30 am. He caters to around five embroidery workshops who summon him whenever their machines need repair. Forget the working hours, there is no such thing for him. “Sometimes I get call from all the units and I work till late in the night,” he said. It takes around three-four hours for repairing one. “Whatever I earn, all is spent on running daily expenses and children’s education. I have nothing in the name of savings,” he added.

In order to provide some leverage to his income, he also procured a second hand embroidery machine and started his own small business near his place. Due to the lockdown, many industrial units had reduced their production in view of lesser demand and many were laid off. “It was people like me who were among those hit hard by this pandemic. Though slowly, but steadily the things are coming back to normalcy,” Ansari said.

He was born here as his father had moved from Deoriya town located at the border of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar decades ago. The old man used to work at Dayalbagh Spinning and Weaving Mill in Putlighar area, closed down way back in 2003. Earlier, he started learning repairing machines after observing other mechanics. But later did a certificate course in the same. “I have to keep abreast with the advancements in the machines,” he told.