Hubballi: In a field dominated by men, Parvatemma Pattanashetti, 78, and her daughter Neelaganga Naikar, 56, have been distributing newspapers for over two decades. Once walking door-to-door in Vidyanagar, Parvatemma now sorts copies for boys, s age is catching up. Neelaganga continues to go door-to-door delivering copies daily, including TOI and VK.Pattanashetti told TOI that she started with a copy of Times Of India in 2000, when a reader demanded it daily. “As I got some 25 paise, I started bringing it from an agent and delivering it to the subscriber. Seeing my service, five more subscribers came forward to buy copies from us. My daughter Neelaganga and son-in-law Revanasiddappa Naikar joined in. My son-in-law brings copies from the main dealer, and he also intended to do this job. Today, my four grandsons have also joined in, distributing over 900 copies in Vidyanagar, Shirur Park, Prashant Colony, Rambhapuri Kalyan Mantap, Prashant Colony, Ayyappa Swamy Temple, Akshay Colony, Chetan College, Purushottam Nagar, Laxmi Colony, Reddy Colony, Lingaraj Nagar, and many other areas. It has become our family profession,” she stated.Pattanashetti, who was walking to distribute newspapers, has now stopped due to knee pain, but sorts copies on a daily basis. She wakes up at 4:30 am.Neelagangavva asserted that their hobby took a business shape in 2007-08 when they got the agency of many newspapers. “I distribute 100 copies by walking in 2-3 lines of Vidyanagar. We never felt it was a tough job, but we treat it like part of our life. Now our sons Veeresh Naikar, who also operates an auto rickshaw, and Ganesh Naikar have taken up the business to new heights. Apart from the five family members, our relatives Shivaraj and Siddamma have also joined the business,” she shared.When asked about the hurdles they face during newspaper distribution, Neelaganga said dogs bit Shivaraj and Siddamma. “To avoid such hurdles, I am taking a stray dog along with me, and it has been guarding me for the past 7-8 years,” she asserted.Both mother and daughter said that they did not remain at home even during the Covid pandemic. Apart from newspapers, this family sells flowers at Shirur Park in Hubballi.
