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* From Jharkhand to JorBagh *
Published: 13 Apr 2003, TNN
Flyovers are meant to speed up journeys. But for Delhi's domestic help, the
Def Col one is a destination. On Sundays, maids, cooks and gardeners from
all over the city gather on the adjacent road. In a mini-mela, it turns into
a place where sweethearts meet and relatives catch up with each other.
Most of these workers are Christians from the tribal areas of Jharkhand and
Orissa. And prayer service at the Defence Colony church offers a good
opportunity.''We meet at the church, but space is limited. So we all collect
near the flyover,'' said Lolanti (45), who works as a cook nearby..
On two Sundays in a month, she is free to do whatever she wishes to. In an
alien city, this becomes a means to reinforce roots. Lolanti found a job in
the city through an agency supplying domestic help. Often prospective
employers visit the area to look for recruits. But most prefer to go through
agencies or acquaintances.
The 100-odd agencies in the city send scouts to tribal areas in Jharkhand,
Orissa and northeastern states like Arunachal Pradesh to find fresh
recruits.
While many claim they provide trained personnel, they mostly '' get trained
on the job,'' said B S Chaudhry, who runs an agency from South Extension.
While a fresher who is not too fluent in Hindi can expect about Rs 1,200 a
month, ''trained'' workers can earn up to Rs 3,000. ''Fresh recruits are
only expected to assist,'' he said.
There is another category — those in supervisory positions. These girls are
fluent in English and often head a retinue of servants. ''Most of these
girls are from the northeastern states,'' said Shankar Singh, an agency
owner. They earn anything between Rs 5,000 and Rs 7,000.
Job security, however, is still far away. ''I may lose a job even for
breaking a plate,'' said Taramani (20), who has been working here for the
past seven years.
But the good part is that one job is easily replaced by another. And, it
works both ways. Maids can, and do, simply walk out on small disagreements.
It's a sellers' market. ''Money is not a problem here,'' said Manju, from
Nadia in West Bengal.
*Jharkhand Blog => Jharkhand.blog.com <http://www.JHARKHAND.BLOG.COM>*
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