Do We Treat Our Domestic Labour with Respect and Dignity? In earlier times, domestic help was often rendered gratis by tenants to landlords. This unpaid labour was compulsory, unquestioned, and deeply embedded in a feudal barter system. Tenants were expected to serve their landlords without compensation, failing which they faced severe consequences. Attendance to the landlord’s work took absolute priority, even over the tenant’s own urgent needs. None dared to question this unjust practice, which in effect amounted to a form of bonded labour.
Compensation, if any, was meagre and demeaning. Domestic workers were sometimes given only tea powder—without sugar or milk—or a measured quantity of raw rice grains. They had to fend for themselves, burdened by poverty and the absence of alternatives. Even more disturbing was the silent suffering of some domestic helpers who were subjected to sexual exploitation, enduring humiliation and fear without recourse, lest they be exposed to further cruelty. It would, however, be unjust to paint all landlords with the same brush. Some treated their domestic helpers with respect and dignity, providing fair and humane wages, even if these did not always match prevailing market rates. Yet, oppression in various forms continued over generations. The victims were largely uneducated, financially helpless, and lacked legal awareness or support to resist such inhuman practices. Thankfully, change has gradually taken root. Free education, progressive government legislation, tenant protection laws, and the tireless efforts of human rights activists have played a crucial role in safeguarding the dignity and rights of domestic workers and bonded labourers. These measures have empowered the vulnerable and challenged age-old systems of exploitation. One shining example, worthy of recognition and wider publicity, stands out as truly laudable. A landlord family not only supported the education of a domestic worker’s child but encouraged the child to progress from graduation to post-graduation, and eventually aspire to doctoral studies. Such an act of generosity transformed a life, enabling the individual to rise through education, overcome caste barriers, and climb the social ladder with confidence and dignity. This is magnanimity in its truest sense—going beyond obligation to invest in human potential. I salute such families who lead by example Nelson Lopes Chinchinim Nelson Lopes Chinchinim https://lopesnelsonnat.wordpress.com
