Of Rasoi ka Kaam or Bathroom ka Kaam: Perspectives of Women Domestic Workers
"Ajeeb sa lagta hai...aisa kya hai humaare andar."
This insightful article by Sonal Sharma explores the significance of identity and how it influences the nature of the work done by domestic workers. She interacts with women domestic workers from various backgrounds in order to gather insights about domestic work and the various identities at play, influencing the nature of work as well as the working conditions of these domestic workers. On a structural level, she explains how the notions of 'purity' and 'pollution' as well as the criteria used to evaluate potential workers are internalized by the workers themselves, thereby reifying spatial as well as occupational differences. Further, she delves into practices of employers (such as separate utensils for workers) and their role in perpetuating untouchability and by extension, the dichotomy of 'purity' and 'pollution'.
Upon reflection, it is alarming to arrive at the conclusion that a majority of our households employ these same practices. As a child, I have grown up making tea for a variety of workers, from carpenters to raddiwallas. What has remained a consistent feature is the usage of different cutlery and utensils for these workers (in our household's context, without much regard for caste or creed - just by virtue of the nature of the work being done). I have been conscious of this fact at university, sharing Tang with the Sodexo bhaiya who came to clean our room from the same Nescafe mug that I use for beverages. This is not something that should be paraded as unique and different; it is what should be the normal. However, our realities continue to differ from the Constitutional value of equality.
"Ajeeb sa lagta hai...aisa kya hai humaare andar."
This insightful article by Sonal Sharma explores the significance of identity and how it influences the nature of the work done by domestic workers. She interacts with women domestic workers from various backgrounds in order to gather insights about domestic work and the various identities at play, influencing the nature of work as well as the working conditions of these domestic workers. On a structural level, she explains how the notions of 'purity' and 'pollution' as well as the criteria used to evaluate potential workers are internalized by the workers themselves, thereby reifying spatial as well as occupational differences. Further, she delves into practices of employers (such as separate utensils for workers) and their role in perpetuating untouchability and by extension, the dichotomy of 'purity' and 'pollution'.
Upon reflection, it is alarming to arrive at the conclusion that a majority of our households employ these same practices. As a child, I have grown up making tea for a variety of workers, from carpenters to raddiwallas. What has remained a consistent feature is the usage of different cutlery and utensils for these workers (in our household's context, without much regard for caste or creed - just by virtue of the nature of the work being done). I have been conscious of this fact at university, sharing Tang with the Sodexo bhaiya who came to clean our room from the same Nescafe mug that I use for beverages. This is not something that should be paraded as unique and different; it is what should be the normal. However, our realities continue to differ from the Constitutional value of equality.
No comments:
Post a Comment