Goa, March 23 -- JENIFER FERNANDES

joseph@herald-goa.com

ALDONA: Vasudev Vishnu Naik, now 70, has spent a lifetime navigating hardships, determined to provide for his family through sheer perseverance. From working as a motorcycle taxi pilot to becoming an auto-rickshaw driver, his journey reflects the struggles of the working class, the changing times, and the diminishing viability of traditional occupations.

Looking back on his life, Naik recalls growing up in Aldona, where he spent his childhood and school years. He studied up to the 10th standard, which, at the time, was considered a good qualification for employment. "In those days, even with a 10th standard education, government clerks and officers would come offering jobs," he s...