During the biting cold wave in Delhi-NCR this December, Brut spent a night with the homeless near Vinobapuri and Moolchand to understand how they cope with freezing nights.
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00:00We have no place to go to, if we go under the bridge, the police will chase us away.
00:12Why don't you sleep in the bus stop?
00:14We have a bus stop, but there are kids and girls with me.
00:18Times are very bad these days.
00:25Doctors are telling us not to sleep outside.
00:28If we don't have a place to sleep, we will sleep outside.
00:58What is your name?
01:04Aakesh.
01:05How long have you been living in Delhi?
01:07I have been living here for 25 years.
01:09We used to live inside this wall.
01:13When this wall was built, we left for Punjab.
01:16When we came here, no one allowed us to live here.
01:22What do we do now?
01:24We polish our clothes and feed our children.
01:28We earn Rs. 200-300 a day.
01:31What is your name?
01:32Chetan.
01:33Do you live here?
01:35Can you tell us where you live?
01:37Mohalchand.
01:38What do you do for a living?
01:40I sell toys.
01:42Where do you sell them?
01:43Here at Red Light.
01:44What is the price of those toys?
01:46We sell them for Rs. 100 for Rs. 70-80.
01:49How much do you earn a day by selling toys?
01:51We earn Rs. 150-200 a day.
01:55If we don't sell them, we don't earn anything.
01:58Where do you live?
01:59Rajasthan.
02:00Where in Rajasthan?
02:01Sawai Madhukot.
02:02Why did you come to Delhi?
02:04We are helpless.
02:06We have 4-5 children.
02:10How long have you been living in Delhi?
02:14We have been living here for 3 months.
02:17We came to Delhi on Diwali.
02:22We have been living here since then.
02:24Why do you sleep on the bus stop?
02:27We don't have a place to sleep.
02:31If we go under the bridge, the police will chase us away.
02:34The guard will chase us away.
02:36We sleep on the bus stop.
02:38The kids are sleeping on the bus stop.
02:40It is very cold.
02:41That is why we sleep on the bus stop.
02:43How long have you been living under this flyover?
02:46It has been 10-12 years.
02:49You came to Delhi from Rajasthan 10-12 years ago.
02:53Why did you come to Delhi?
02:55How did you come here?
02:57We are helpless.
02:59If we are alone, we can beg for food.
03:05But we have 4-5 children.
03:07Where will we go?
03:09We have to feed them.
03:12Why don't you sleep in a bus stop?
03:18We don't know where to sleep.
03:20There is a bus stop in Kalaikha.
03:22But there are no places to sleep.
03:25All the passengers are sleeping there.
03:27With their children.
03:29That is why we sleep on the road.
03:31Doctors are telling us not to sleep outside.
03:34We sleep at home.
03:35If we don't have a home, we sleep outside.
03:37There is no safety there.
03:40I have small children with me.
03:43Have you ever lived in a bus stop?
03:45I have seen it many times.
03:47Different people come there.
03:49Like what?
03:51They do drugs.
03:53Different people come there.
03:55Different people come there.
03:59That is why we don't want to live there.
04:02There is no safety for me.
04:05I don't have anything.
04:06What will I do?
04:08I have small children with me.
04:11I am worried about my children.
04:14If they get admission in a school.
04:17If they hear about our poverty.
04:20If they get admission,
04:22they will take us to a room for 1500 rupees.
04:25People from all over the world have come to Delhi.
04:29They have told us that we will get a house.
04:31But we haven't got a house yet.
04:33What time do you start your day?
04:36We leave for work at 10 in the morning.
04:40When the market opens,
04:42we drink tea and go to the market.
04:45When the market opens,
04:47we go to the central market.
04:49We come home at 2 or 4 in the morning.
04:52Where do you take a bath?
04:54In the toilet.
04:56Is it free?
04:58The toilet is free.
05:01But we charge for the bath.
05:03How much do you charge?
05:0520 rupees per person.
05:08Is this your mattress?
05:11Yes, it is.
05:13The car drivers give it to us.
05:15Someone helps you.
05:17What do you do for food?
05:19Where do you get the ration from?
05:21The car drivers give it to us.
05:23If we don't get it,
05:25we get flour.
05:27We make roti and eat it.
05:29Where do you make roti?
05:31We make it here.
05:33You make it here?
05:35Yes.
05:36Where do you get drinking water from?
05:38We get drinking water from wherever we find it.
05:40Whether it is good or bad.
05:42We get it from wherever we find a tap.
05:45We have a temple here.
05:47You have a temple?
05:49Yes.
05:51Don't you have a place to sleep?
05:53No.
05:57There is a Gurudwara in Kotla.
06:00You can stay there.
06:02Or you can eat food there.
06:04You can see the situation there.
06:07You will see it for yourself.
06:10A man can stay there.
06:14You can't stay with a woman.
06:17Will you go back to Punjab?
06:20Yes, we will go to Punjab.
06:22There is no facility to stay in Delhi.
06:24What facilities are there in Punjab?
06:26We have a Juggi in Punjab.
06:28We can sleep there.
06:31Then why don't you stay there?
06:33Why do you come to Delhi?
06:35There are a lot of people there.
06:38That's why we tell them to come to Delhi.
06:41We have a lot of work to do.
06:43We have a lot of work to do.
06:45How many months do you stay in Punjab?
06:47How many months do you stay in Delhi?
06:49We stay in Punjab for 6 months.
06:51We stay in Delhi for 4 months.
06:53We don't have a house.
07:01We don't have a house.
07:02We don't have a house.