Vikas Kumar
Funding editor
“Unless the deer itself writes its story, the hunter will always be glorified in history” — this well-known quote resonates deeply with me, and I firmly believe in its truth. In the world of cinema and literature, the voices of laborers are inadequately represented. Therefore, I attempt to capture it through short stories, poems, comedy, and other audio-visual content to amplify the voices of labour. I used to do all this under the name City of Laborer Speaks. The initiative Labour Lens has now evolved from the personal blog City of Laborer Speaks.
“Funding editor” — this position holds significant weight, and I am not sure if I am a good editor. However, coming from a laborer background, I felt the need to start somewhere and claim my agency. That is why I hold this position next to my name.
But why me? Why did I take the initiative, and why am I the funding editor of this space for labor? You might not have asked, but I feel obliged to justify my position here. Because I have been a laborer myself for many years. I have not only observed the different aspects of laborers’ lives in the city but also experienced and lived them firsthand while working in various factories in Delhi. I come from a migrant family that moved from Bihar to Surat and occasionally to Delhi in search of work. Sometimes my parents worked in steel factories; at other times, they labored in malls. This initiative, Labour Lens, is grounded in a deeply personal and emotional connection to laborers.
Why am I sharing my past as a laborer openly for the first time? For the last 15 years, I was afraid to confront it, running away from the bitter realities of my past. Growing up, people around me often made me feel ashamed of my roots in Bihar and my laborer family, refusing to accept me culturally. Now, after obtaining an education and experiencing life in different cities, I have realized that being a laborer and coming from Bihar is not a crime but a reality — and I accept it.
I am here to reclaim and assert my identity as a laborer. By writing and sharing my story publicly, I aim to challenge societal biases. For me, the personal is political, and the political is deeply personal.
Vikas Kumar is currently based in Bengaluru and belongs to the OBC community.
Arpita
Art Editor
Arpita is an artist, architect, urban planner, and researcher. She says her interest and motivation for work are a perpetuation of her lived experiences and reflections on urban and rural lives.
Deeply agonized by the existing inequalities, she often voices her deeper reflections through art, poetry, and music. Access to affordable and adequate urban housing remains her core subject of research interest which she has explored by working with diverse organizations starting from domestic worker unions to international bilateral agencies. Arpita is currently based in Ranchi working as a housing management specialist with ShelterSquare Foundation, and research associate with Aajeevika Bureau, and Swastik Harish and Associates.
Friends of Labour
As mentioned earlier, the project at Labour Lens was initially conceived as a personal initiative to express and celebrate the lives of laborers. Over time, the need was felt to transform this personal endeavor into a political and public project centered on laborers.
This transformation could not have been achieved alone. It was made possible through the invaluable support and mentorship of the friends of labor—individuals who believed in this vision, agreed with its purpose, and offered all the assistance they could provide.
A public project cannot be carried out by one person alone. It requires the involvement and participation of the public itself to truly become a collective and inclusive initiative.
Friends
- Anant Maringanti
- Gautam Bhan
- Meera
- Ram
- Teja