82-Year-Old Mumbai Vendor Sells Homemade Snacks on Streets to Earn a Livelihood, Story of Resilience and Inspiration Wins Hearts Online

Key Points

IN THE ABSENCE of a retirement plan or a monetary safety net, old people are often left with no other choice to take up work even when their health and physique are not well. Such is the story of Mansukh Kaka, a 82-year-old vendor who earns his livelihood by selling homemade snacks to support himself and his family on the streets of Mumbai.

A Mumbai-based content creator, Aradhana Chatterjee, shared Mansukh Kaka’s story online, which has prompted much love and appreciation from users online. 

In an Instagram post, Aradhana shared a story of how she came across an old man quietly arranging plastic packets filled with Farsan, a type of crunchy salty snack that is popular in Gujarati and Marwadi culture, on his roadside stall. While chatting with the content-creator, Mansukh Kaka revealed he had worked all his life as a salesperson at a saree shop. However, like many, he lost his job due to the Covid-19 pandemic after he contacted the virus. His illness took a toll on his family too, as his son had to quit his job to care for him.

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After recovering from his illness, instead of sitting at home cursing his luck and lamenting his woes, Mansukh decided to start a small homemade business. He set up a small stall near his house on the roadside, selling a variety of homemade snacks that his sister makes fresh at home every day. 20 varieties of chakli, khakras, and much more are packed in boxes and brought to his stall for sale. 

Even though his roadside business is small in scale, Mansukh Kaka shows up to work every day in his neatly tucked clothes with diligence, manning his stall for over 12 hours daily. On a good day, he makes around Rs.300, and notes every sale and expense he made in a little diary he keeps with him. His actions reveal the discipline and dedication he has even at this old age.

The video clip which has gone viral on social media shows the gentle old man arranging the snack packets in an orderly manner. Dressed sharply in a professional manner, with his neat shirt tucked into pants, Mansukh Kaka sits beside his stall every day, greeting the customers with a smile. 

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Sharing the video and his story, Aradhana urged her audience to come support the old man’s small business. “Even at this age, Mansukh Kaka is trying his best to run his stall with so much passion and hard work, let’s all come together to support him,” she wrote in the post’s caption.

Social media users have shown their appreciation for the video in the comment section, noting Mansukh Kaka’s resilience and his disciplined approach towards his work. Many users who have met and interacted with him in real life have described him as having a warm personality and define him as a “sweet” man, and encouraged other Mumbaikars to buy snacks from him too. 

Even though Mansukh Kaka's story starts with despair, his journey is a wonderful reminder of how it is your resilience and your determination that saves you in the end. Mansukh Kaka did not let his job loss and illness discourage him, and started afresh with a small business. Even though his earnings are modest, he still makes a respectful living for himself and his family, and lives a dignified life.

[Edited by: Harsh Pandey]

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