No shade, no security: The crisis at Delhi’s labour chowks

No shade, no security: The crisis at Delhi’s labour chowks

On a rainy October morning in 2025, a team from Indus Action visited one of New Delhi’s labour chowks—an informal gathering point where workers seek daily wage employment. At the chowk, the team noticed black streaks running down a worker’s beard. When asked about it, he explained that he dyes his beard with ink because contractors prefer younger-looking men. Workers with white hair often get passed over or receive lower wages. This quiet act of…