Who is saheb e Alam

Saheb is a rag-picker from Seemapuri whose parents migrated from Bangladesh in the year 1971. The writer encounters him every morning with barefoot in her neighbourhood. He is scrounging for gold in the garbage dumps.

He is unable to go to school because there is none in his neighbourhood. Saheb-e-Alam is his full name though he does not know its exact meaning. It means ‘Lord of the universe.’ It is ironical on his part that a poor fellow roams in the streets picking up the rags.

For the rag-pickers of Seemapuri, Garbage is wrapped in wonder. Sometimes one can find a rupee, more of a silver coin and they always hope to find more. They live in squatters with roofs of tin and tarpaulin. They have no identity except a ration card for voting and buying grain. They are devoid of sewages, drainage and running water. Survival in Seemapuri means rag-picking. At present Saheb is working at some tea stall. The writer sees him with a steel canister. He has lost his carefree look of his early days. He is not happy with his work because he is no longer his own master.