By Khushwant Singh

ONCE fiercely independent and a smart dresser, Abdul Hamid Jabar is today a shadow of himself.

The 69-year-old hawker is unable to walk or talk, and is totally dependent on his younger sister and a maid to look after him.

Instead of the smart long-sleeved shirts and well-ironed pants he wore as a hawker assistant, he is now always in a T-shirt and track pants.

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