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Journalism of Courage
To better understand the daily grind of gig workers, Salman Saleem, Creative Head at the Delhi-based influencer marketing firm Vibes Network, spent a day working as a Blinkit delivery partner. Saleem’s goal was simple: to experience firsthand what delivery workers endure every day.
What he walked away with was a new perspective and a sobering realisation — that the dignity of labour is still a distant dream for many in India. “Untouchability isn’t only limited to caste. This profession is still struggling to earn its rightful dignity,” Saleem wrote in a now-viral LinkedIn post.
Saleem said his day on the road was marked by traffic chaos, the unforgiving Delhi heat, and something far worse — the subtle, everyday discrimination that many delivery workers face. From being stopped at building entrances to being denied access to the main lifts, his experience highlighted just how invisible these workers often become in the very society they serve.
“I was either asked to take the stairs, sometimes up to the 4th floor, or use the service lift. These are the same so-called rich and educated people who vocalise their opinions against all forms of discrimination on social media,” he said.
“As a society, we need to understand that delivery executives are just as human as everyone else. We must stop making assumptions about someone’s character, status, or worth based on their uniform or appearance. Everyone deserves respect, regardless of their profession,” he wrote.
Saleem also called on grocery delivery companies like Zepto and Blinkit to take the initiative. “It’s high time grocery delivery companies…run awareness campaigns about the discrimination delivery workers face. These campaigns can help promote kindness and dignity,” he urged.
The post got the attention of thousands. A user wrote, “Discrimination is so deeply ingrained in our blessed country that I don’t see anything changing ever. The way I see it, the only way to fight back is to unionize. People respect what they fear. And the filthy rich fear unions.”
Another user shared, “Something similar I encountered, I had a moment recently that really stuck with me–a Zepto delivery guy got into the lift, and within seconds, a lady asked, “Aap delivery wale ho na?” She questioned him twice and told him he should’ve used the other lift. He calmly said it wasn’t working, and the guard had asked him to use this one. Her expression after that was so dismissive—it made me uncomfortable. Why can’t he share the lift with us? We’re all just people trying to make a living. I mean, we are all humans, breathing the same air, No one deserves to be treated differently because of their job. Let’s change that mindset–starting today.”
A third person wrote, “Mindsets won’t change, at least not fast enough. A degree of strong arming and coercion is required. Governments won’t do it…there are anti-discriminination laws present yet zero enforcement. So it has to be the companies who must lead this by blacklisting such societies. The companies ofcourse won’t do this unless riders unite and organise. Fat chance of that happening, but boy will I be happy if I am proven wrong.”
This isn’t a one-off for Saleem. He has driven an e-rickshaw and worked as a daily wage labourer in his quest to understand the lives of those often overlooked.
