Manasvi Singh week 7

“Of Rasoi ka Kaam/Bathroom ka Kaam” - Perspectives of Women Domestic Workers

Sonal Sharma

When we talk about the workers, we think of lower caste people who are of the lower class as well. These two assumptions fall in together to become a perfect worker. We imagine lower caste people and especially the ones who are needy to come and work for us at our homes as domestic work doing all kinds of work for us and making our lives easier. We sometimes cannot imagine our lives without them but still tend to think of them as someone who is below us and who is a “they” versus “us”. The author tries to first remove our instinct regarding who is the “doer” and their relations with their employer especially the middle class. She then explains what “dirt” and “pollution” means and to whom it is meant for. Then she talks about receiving end and their reactions to those name callings and different treatment. The sample size and the methodology somewhat make the author’s writing believable as its based-on facts based on several interviews and discussions and not assumptions. Some revealing things were that employers always have a preference in caste especially over “jamadar” and “Muslims” when they employ which is true if I observe around me but doesn’t make sense if we think about it. To my surprise, there are ways how people not ask but find out new ways to find out the other person caste which is even more unbelievable than separating utensils of the employer and the employee. In addition, what is astounding but true is that there isn’t just one section defining and redefining the difference, the difference is made between who have differentiated also about who is preferred more to do the “polluting task” and over who. In all the author mentions a lot of examples of people who share their experiences with them through which they made these logical conclusions.