‘It felt right’: Delivery workers find purpose amid CJP protest

He had just delivered his fifth order at the site from Laxmi Nagar and Karkardooma, both more than eight kilometres away. “We have been running these errands at the spot for the past three days. Customers from as far away as the US and Canada have been sending orders and, in some cases, leaving personal directions, advice, and messages to the couriers,” he added.

‘Realising what I lost in life’

Meanwhile, a few more brought in orders from as far away as Lajpat Nagar.

“The first day I got an order, I was taken aback. I was warned to be careful and was told it was dangerous,” Roshan, 20, who is ready to set out on the next delivery, said.

“When I arrived, I was a bit surprised as I was delivering the food to a faceless customer. People were taken aback by what was happening, and soon more arrived. I don’t know much about the protest, but it felt right doing what I did,” he added.

Mausam Shah, 27, had just completed his fourth trip to the site and was taking a break, eating from a packet of food. Shah, who belongs to Bihar, said he had been a delivery agent for four years and had never been so impelled, both by the contents of the deliveries and by what has been happening in the Capital in the past few days.

“I am an Intermediate pass, I don’t know how, though. I shouldn’t have, and I never liked studies. Our Bihar board was meherbaan on me, perhaps. But today, here I am realising, because of the crowd and the chaos here, what I lost in life,” Shah said.

“All this food has been sent with good intentions, but if not managed, it will all decay. It’s a strange feeling to see the couriers opening boxes and realising what is in store for them. The food is for all and anyone,” he added.

A language of solidarity

A few months ago, gig workers like Shah and Virendra launched a protest against the harsh working hours, low pay, and near-impossible task requisitions across cities.

Food delivery agents from Zomato-owned Blinkit protested a drop in base delivery fees from Rs 50 down to Rs 20, leaving workers with daily take-home earnings of just Rs 150 after accounting for fuel costs.

“Alas, if we had our protest the way this is, probably this job would have felt dearer,” Shah said as he returned to pick his next order.

At Janpath, however, those grievances momentarily receded. Between traffic barricades and police cordons, riders continue to arrive, carrying meals paid for by people they will never meet, many living hundreds—or even thousands—of kilometres away.

For a few days, food has become more than sustenance. It has become a language of solidarity, with delivery workers serving as its quiet, indispensable messengers.