Photo: Prakhar Pandey
There is a large population of domestic workers in Gurgaon serving the people living in posh condominiums as well as those living in kothis - by providing maintenance services and security. However, they themselves do not have a support system. In fact the drivers, maids, malis and security men in Gurgaon are treated more as pariahs by the system, as they are branded as ‘outsiders’ and have no say socially or politically. Regrettably therefore, despite being active members of the City's economy, they continue to remain on the fringe – and are not even issued proper identification documents (such as Aadhaar Card, Voter ID Card or Ration Card). Thankfully for them, Nayi Subah, a Gurgaon-based NGO, has decided to help them get valid identification and residential documents – and thereby feel more empowered. The volunteers help them in the filling of forms, the (police) verification process and the collection of final documents. There are of course challenges. A major obstacle is that the local politicians do not want to include the migrants as voters, as this would change the demographic profile of their wards and constituencies. However, with Nayi Subah’s commitment, things are slowly changing in the City. Last week the Nayi Subah team organised an Aadhaar camp at Ivy, a posh residential complex in DLF. Almost 200 domestic workers applied for their Aadhaar Card. Sureeta Banerjee, who works as a volunteer with the NGO, says that the workers were very upbeat about this, as they feel that this Card will give them a valid identity and make them a part of the ‘system’. The drive has thrown up an unexpected challenge also – in many areas the residents themselves do not have Aadhaar Cards, and want themselves to be prioritised (which is not what the NGO has the resources, or the inclination, for). Vritti, who also works with Nayi Subah, says that almost 5,000 domestic workers have already been covered by their team. The NGO has also tied up with the local police, for helping expedite verification, and police officials have attended some camps at condominiums. Prabhat Agarwal, founder of the NGO, says that unfortunately most govt. social and welfare programmes have largely ignored the migrant workers. He believes that it is time for local civil society as well as the government to help migrant labour/domestic workers get their basic rights, and also recognise their contribution. It is ironical that while we can’t seem to do without them, we have no problem in them remaining ‘outsiders’; we champion our democracy to everyone outside, but do not seem to practise it at home.
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