Hope behind the petitions scribed

Coimbatore petition scribes transcribe people's grievances into petitions, facing challenges like weather and digitization, but providing free services to low-income individuals.

Every day, as a stream of people flock to the Coimbatore Collectorate to air their grievances/concerns in anticipation of a resolution, a select few listen attentively to them. Their job is to transcribe these concerns onto paper.

Identifying themselves as ‘petition scribes’, a group of five makes a living out of writing petitions for the past 30 years. “The business is about building trust. If people trust us, they put forth their grievances in a detailed manner so we can write good petitions for them,” said R. Geetha, a former mill supervisor from Tiruchi.

Scribing petitions on issues ranging from family disputes, physical disability assistance, online scams, housing crises, financial assistance and loan sanctions, these individuals sit on the pavements from 10.30 a.m. to 4 p.m. with writing pads, pens, paper and other essentials.

However, like in most jobs, writing petitions comes with its own set of challenges. While they sit outside the collectorate, roadside pavements are their offices during rain or shine. “Since we do not have a functioning workstation or designated space to write, we struggle during rain and are often chased away by the police during protests,” said K. Jyothilakshmi, who is a scribe since 2000.

Additionally, people tend to haggle with the prices, which is ₹25 a page, and criticise us if the copy is not up to their satisfaction. In recent times, the scribes have also diminished in number due to digitisation of applications. “Earlier, there were around 25 scribes. But due to digitisation, most have left this job, leaving us five to do the task,” Shahul Ameer, another scribe, said.

“Since there is a surge in house rent in recent times, our earnings are insufficient to meet our needs,” added Neelaveni, a second-generation scribe.

In spite of all the hardships, the scribes also provide their services free of cost to low-income people. “Based on the stories people narrate, we are often able to identify if they are struggling to make ends meet or if they can afford to pay us,” one of them said.