CHENNAI: In a city where supermarkets are fast-replacing the friendly neighbourhood grocery seller, a police officer, out of concern for elderly women street vendors, has presented huge bowler hats to guard from the sun.
About 10 days ago, Inspector S Seetharaman, attached to Triplicane police station, was on his way to work when he noticed a man bargaining with an elderly woman selling vegetables near the Aminjikarai signal.
“She was selling a bundle of greens for Rs 10, but the man wanted it for Rs 5. The women kept yelling Rs 10 a bundle, but the man wouldn’t budge. I was saddened to see the woman struggling to sell something for just Rs 10 with the harsh sun beating down on her,” said Seetharaman.
Moved by the woman’s plight, he went home and ordered huge bowler hats made of palm leaves from Kanniyakumari.
He also pinned the message ‘Let’s Not Bargain, But Respect Them’ along with a badge of the police mobile app, Kavalan SOS. “They don’t want money but I still wanted to help them. So I ordered several hats to guard them from the sun and distributed them to 20 women in Aminjikarai and Kilpauk,” said Seetharaman.