Mystery of how Gurgaon got its unique maid population

 GURGAON: Gurgaon is currently experiencing a shortage of part-time maids, for they have all gone to cast their 'bhotes' in the West Bengal elections. These women bring something unique to Gurgaon that no other Indian city has. Jharkhand, Chattisgarh and Orissa contribute their share of full-time maids across the country — but ask these part-timers with their lively chatter and brightly-coloured cotton saris where they are from, and you will promptly be told from 'Kolkatta'.

When this happened the first time, I showed off my knowledge of Calcutta landmarks — Borro-Bazaar (got a blank look), Alipore, Howrah Bridge (still no flicker of recognition). Same story with three other maids, before I realized that they were not really from Kolkata.

Where then are they from? And how is it that we have no local maids in Gurgaon?

I once asked a local woman why she was carrying huge bundles of grass. It was for her buffalo. I asked her name and she replied, "Rrrmayesh" in a guttural tone. "Not the buffalo's name, what is your name?" I persisted. Ramesh was her name! But the Rameshs, Deepaks and Sandeeps of Haryana do not need to work as maids, for they all own land and/or cattle. They wear imported sneakers with their colourful salwars while walking in Tau Devi Lal park. Their young men folk are drivers who drive for 'time-pass', reaching on their own bikes or even cars sporting 'Gujjar boy' stickers. They call themselves Rocky or Sonny though named Gajraj or Hemraj.

So that is why we need maids from across the border - only the border in question is not that of Haryana but India, for it turns out that our maids are Bangladeshis. Bengali friends helped shed light on the mystery. Apparently, there is a constant inflow over our eastern borders. Their 'red carpet' welcome consists of a ration card and a voter card, their tickets to a better future. In return, they must cast their 'bhootes' during elections, pun intended for they end up as ghost (bhoot) voters. A known secret for decades, I am told.

Bangladesh's census shows a declining population, while West Bengal records a proportionate increase. Probe further and you will find they are from Maldah or Murshidabad - convenient border districts. Apparently, every square foot of land there is insufficient to contain the millions of imported immigrants. At Maldah, one just walks across into India, while Murshidabad has a raging river separating the two countries. But thriving business ensures that human cargo gets across.

Along with voter/ration cards, they are given a critical instruction that we now know is followed religiously: "When asked where you come from, say Kolkata'. From time to time, court orders are passed to deport them but political will is weak. So Gurgaon has its tryst with these women who end up knocking on our doors. Their menfolk take up jobs as construction workers contributing to Gurgaon's skyline, or in 'housepeeking', or drive reskas, tektas or teskis, too low-profile for our local drivers.

I was initially disbelieving of their origins - till my maid asked me for 'aajataka' which I eventually deciphered to mean Rs 1,000 ('hajaar taka'). Her use of 'taka', Bangladeshi currency, was my confirmation. Their language is slightly different from Bengali; it is the Sylheti dialect, so those just arrived from their gaon speak a completely unintelligible language! Fortunately, it improves slightly with each year in Gurgaon as they get acclimatized, eventually passing off as Bengalis.

Most Bangladeshi maids are slightly fairer than their Indian counterparts, with tiny, wiry frames and interesting names: Aasrupee, Ajuba Afiya, Aaslima, Anwara, Feroza, Fooljaan, Jalima, Jahana, Latifa, Machua, Mapuja, Molina, Morjeena, Rangeela, Roopna... Still more interesting: Kohinoor, Kothi, Louki even Bijli! Evolving solutions to religious biases among employers, Sofiya now calls herself Supriya, Sabira is called Savita, Duraiya prefers Deepa.

Most live in jhuggis of metal frames (6X6 cubbyholes) with cardboard for walls. During monsoons, they get soaked - ironically this life is better than the one they have left behind. Before, the 2010 Commonwealth Games, in an attempt to reduce crime, cops thrashed them, demolished their jhuggis and sent them packing home. I had by then got quite fond of them, realizing they were not all criminals as made out to be. They certainly bring a value addition to Gurgaon. I wished that the cops had instead exposed the politicians who gave them their dubious I-cards, and there was a way to make their stay legal with a shot at a better life as against the unfair reality they live in.

Source: http://tinyurl.com/jw998m5