His name is Darun Ali. Mo one calls him by that name. In his youth, he loved playing the flute. Since then, everyone calls him simply by the name ‘Bashiwala’ — the flute player.

This correspondent met Darun Ali, better known as Bashiwala, at dawn yesterday, Monday, in the Fakirapool water tank area of the capital — the place where working-class people gather every day in search of work, at what many describe as a ‘labour market’.

Darun Ali is a construction worker by profession and is now around 60 years old. While speaking with him, someone from behind suddenly called out, “Hey, Bashiwala! Coming? There’s a job.” Turning around, he asked, “What kind of work?” The reply came: “Construction work. On the seventh floor.”