HUMAN RIGHTS

Sushant Jare, a gas cylinder delivery worker in Goregaon, Mumbai, was bedridden in late July for two weeks due to a severely pulled muscle (tendinitis). That is a consequence of his job - lifting gas cylinders, which are about 30 kilos, often over several floors.  “I joined the  gas agency about three months ago, when I left my village to come to the city in hopes of earning a better living to support my newborn child. I dropped out of school in 9th grade, so I couldn’t get any office job, hence I had to resort to physical labour” he…

Uyali* was among the 220 garment workers fired by Slam Clothing Private Limited in January 2020. Two months later, the textile manufacturer situated at Mahindra World City in the outskirts of Chennai shut down operations, citing ‘irrecoverable losses due to the COVID-triggered lockdown.’ More than half of the workers haven’t received their dues from the Provident Fund (PF) yet. Like hundreds of her colleagues, Uyali is still waiting. “My salary of two months remains unpaid to this day. I had to hunt for a job in the middle of a pandemic when I did not even have the money to…

 “I don’t even know who my family were,” says Reena Kinnar, a 24-year-old transgender person, living near Delhi Gate, “They never came to see me , they don’t even know whether I am alive or dead. After being rejected by my family, I found solace and refuge with other hijras who were also struggling to survive.” This conversation, a part of a survey that I conducted on trans people in Delhi earning their living on the streets, reflects the realities of many like Reena. The survey was conducted across areas like New Delhi railway station, Rajghat, Barakhamba Road, Connaught Place,…

Bank fraud case furthered by Enforcement Directorate The ED has attached Rs. 166 crore worth properties in the Varron Group fraud case. These 20 immovable properties are located in Mumbai, Pune, and Ratnagiri. Varron Group had allegedly submitted fake bills to banks in order to accrue Letters of Credit. The Group then defaulted on its payment. In 2017, the CBI filed a charge sheet against the company and its director, officials from Bank of India and Canara Bank of forging bills worth Rs. 300 crores. Source: India Today, MoneyLife Read more: The sad story of Mumbai’s first “slum self-development project”…

On January 17th, students of the Purvi Dilli Nagar Nigam Prathmik Vidyalaya in East Delhi, received a voice message on WhatsApp, instead of the usual worksheet or online lessons. “Namaste Bachchon… aap kaise ho?” began Vibha Singh, principal of the school. She went on to tell them that the teachers were not able to send the worksheets because they have not been paid their salaries for many months. “Because the government has not paid us salaries for many months, we are on strike,” added Vibha. “You know, don’t you, that if there is no salary it is difficult to manage…

'Abhi koi Randi ya Dhandhewali nahi bolega, Izzat milega ," says Anita Thapa, a sex worker in Pune’s Budhwar Peth. Anita was reacting to the latest National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) recommendation designating sex workers as 'dignified workers' of society. On October 7th, the NHRC issued a 11-page advisory recognising sex workers as informal workers, making them eligible for the various Central and state benefit schemes. The advisory titled 'Human Rights Advisory on rights of Women Context of COVID-19', includes a recommendation that sex workers facing domestic abuse from partners should be identified and reported. Check the detailed advisory here. The…

“Ab to dus rupaye wala customer bhi chalega, kam se kam chai aur pav to khane ko milenge is lockdown mein (Now, even a customer who can pay ten rupees will do. It can get me some chai and bread at least during this lockdown),” says Beauty Biswas, a sex worker at Kamathipura, Mumbai’s notorious red light district, located virtually at the centre of the city.  The coronavirus pandemic has severely affected the sustenance of these women in Kamathipura. The area is home to about 4500 -5000 sex workers, who have been rendered jobless and penniless since the lockdown was clamped.…

There's much work done in society on a regular basis that remains unrecognised or even taken for granted, until one undertakes to do it in his own hand. That's something each of us has experienced over the last three months of the lockdown, as we have had to do all household work in the absence of our domestic workers. Having washed utensils at least thrice a day, swept floors every day, washed clothes and cleaned toilets, perhaps we will now be goaded into some serious thinking about what we can do for the people who silently perform these chores, almost…

Kumari (name changed), a nurse at a reputed government hospital in Chennai has not been able to feed her child for over 10 days now. She had been exclusively breastfeeding her infant boy till weeks back, but these days she has to leave instructions with her husband on what to feed him and the lullabies to sing in her absence. She then leaves for the hospital, only to come home after 14 days.  A lactating mother, Kumari has a tough and choiceless job ahead: 12-hour long shifts for five days at a stretch, attending to COVID-19 positive patients and to…

COVID is not a worry for Rajamma, a domestic worker living in the quarters given by her employer residing in a high-income neighbourhood of Bengaluru. Wearing a mask, she steps out every evening to buy essentials for the family that has employed her for 15 years now. Her daily shopping is mostly for vegetables and fruits while groceries are bought online and home delivered. Rajamma and her husband take care of the entire household work, which includes sweeping, mopping, folding clothes, drying and arranging washed dishes, cooking two meals and generally ensuring that her employer’s home is running smooth. Her…