• Manik Aich Sarkar

Indian train is a big bazar on wheels. Persons who are selling, hawking or vending goods and services in the train or at the platform of a railway station are called Hawkers. They are part and parcel of the railways and everything (safety pin, food, shoe-polishing to CD player) is available from them. The study has been conducted to analyze the socio-economic conditions of railway hawkers of Burdwan (Barddhaman) District in the state of West Bengal. The working life of hawkers is explained in terms of their financial conditions, their working hours, and the issue of valuable services, legal status and contribution to the urban economy. The study is based on primary data collected from field survey during April 2013 to July 2013. 150 hawkers have been randomly selected from two important railway junction stations of Burdwan District for this study. The study shows that hawking is one of the sensitive jobs, always be active and alert with opened eye, ear and mouth and they have extremely a long working hour. It has been further found that hawkers of Barddhaman railway station are comparatively more educated, skilled and more united to establish their rights at workplace than that of Asansol. Now they are facing a lot of problems of opposition from railway authority, passengers and policemen, but their service contribution to the railways can not be ignored.

Socio-Economic conditions of Railway Hawkers of Burdwan District in the state of West Bengal

"Socio-Economic conditions of Railway Hawkers of Burdwan District in the state of West Bengal ", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.1, Issue 1, page no.403-414, June-2014, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1701A54.pdf

"Socio-Economic conditions of Railway Hawkers of Burdwan District in the state of West Bengal ", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.1, Issue 1, page no. pp403-414, June-2014, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1701A54.pdf