SRINAGAR: Amid growing unemployment, a PhD scholar with double BEd hailing from J&K Pulwama district is selling dry fruits and spices on a cart in a market at Shopian district in south Kashmir to earn a living.
Dr Manzoor-ul- Hasan, a PhD scholar and lecturer in political science, has done his Master’s in Public Administration, is a double BEd and has PG diplomas in Computer Application and Disaster Management.
Due to being highly qualified, he should have been most sought after luminary in the field of higher education and academics but shockingly he is a seller of dry fruits on a roadside near Hospital Road, Shopian in south Kashmir.
“I have worked as a contractual lecturer for 13 years in different degree colleges. I taught in Degree College Pattan, Degree College Anantnag, Degree College Sumbal, Degree College Gool, Jammu, Degree College Tangmarg, etc,” said Manzoor, a father of two daughters. “My specialisation is in International Relations and I am an approved counsellor of 38 subjects in IGNOU,” he said.
However, despite teaching students and possessing high qualifications, he chose a cart to sell dry fruit to manage his family expenses.
“Despite being a lecturer for 13 years, there was no job security. My economic situation did not improve as we were not getting our wages. Adding to our woes was the government order in 2020 on hiring the contractual lecturers on need basis, which ended our hopes of being regularized after serving as contractual lecturers for over a decade,” Manzoor said.
He said in order to ensure livelihood for his family, he opened a coaching centre with his friend but it had to be closed down after a year due to losses. “I thought it is better to do business. Since I had very meager resources, I started with a cart and am selling dry fruits and spices now,” Manzoor said. “I am selling the items at a low price with very little margin.”
Both his daughters are unaware about him selling dry fruits on a cart. “Everyday they tell me to take them along. But everyday I make pretexts so that they don’t see the real picture of their father sitting on a cart and selling items. It will shock them,” Manzoor said.
Asked how his former colleagues and students react when they see him selling dry fruits on the cart, Manzoor said, “They come here and buy dry fruits and spices. They feel sad and avoid making eye contact. Sometimes they leave money; it could be a thousand, or two hundred just as a token. I feel they probably visit my cart as an act of kindness.”