Serious question

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blokes

@blokes

Voyager

Posted: 13 years ago

#71

I cant make sweeping statements to include every household- but in our families- be it Maya at my aunt's house or Pandiyan at grandpa's house or Neela at dadi's house (we had part time help- 2 hours a day at the different cities we lived in- we did the rest of the work)- all were treated as a family member- not considered an untouchable. So, frankly to read comments that make sweeping statements that they were treated like untouchable is odd. Technically, an untouchable was one who carried human excrement out of the dry toilets that were the norm before flush toilets came into existence. I have never met an untouchable in my entire life though I have travelled a lot in India- lived in many towns and cities and met with many people- I have met a lot of poor people, farmers, factory workers, municipality street sweepers, garbage collectors- but no untouchable.

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madmaxine

@madmaxine

Inactive

+ 7

Posted: 13 years ago

#72

Originally posted by: blokes
I cant make sweeping statements to include every household- but in our families- be it Maya at my aunt's house or Pandiyan at grandpa's house or Neela at dadi's house (we had part time help- 2 hours a day at the different cities we lived in- we did the rest of the work)- all were treated as a family member- not considered an untouchable. So, frankly to read comments that make sweeping statements that they were treated like untouchable is odd. Technically, an untouchable was one who carried human excrement out of the dry toilets that were the norm before flush toilets came into existence. I have never met an untouchable in my entire life though I have travelled a lot in India- lived in many towns and cities and met with many people- I have met a lot of poor people, farmers, factory workers, municipality street sweepers, garbage collectors- but no untouchable.

Well, you and I may not have met them..they certainly exist. A recent episode of Satyameva Jayate talked about the lives of the people that still carry out human excrement in India. Anyway, that is completely beside the point of this thread. This has nothing to do with Untouchables in the truest sense of the word. The people that have used it, were I think merely referring to Dadi's reaction to Khushi and purifying herself and whatnot.

I was merely pointing out the insensitivity that is so rampant even today when people talk about their domestic help. I hate the false equivalence that we hold so dear in our great and glorious nation is all.

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647669

Suspended

Posted: 13 years ago

#73

Originally posted by: madmaxine
I rarely ask them, but I have one for yougaiz today.

What's wrong with being domestic help man? I have often wished I had their skills. My food would taste better, my clothes would be less creased and my home would be cleaner. Much cleaner.

FYI, this is not about Dadi. ASR has said/done far worse to her than what Dadi said/did today. This is about the general outrage...she compared Khushi to a servant type reaction.

Any thoughts?

Edited: This is NOT about IPK and what they showed today. This is about the reaction to what they showed. I'd ideally like the response to be f**k this nonsense...we don't need this crap. Not, I hate Dadi...she called Khushi a servant. Which brings me to the question. What's wrong with being domestic help? To my mind...absolutely NOTHING. No house in India would function without them. I am aware that I'm getting a little bit on my soapbox here. I'll lay off the high moral grounding for the near future and leave that to KKGSR...she does it so well. 😊

There's nothing wrong with being a domestic help it's a job to them as we all have jobs but theirs is different more valuable as they are taking care of someone or helping someone. I remember whenever we go abroad to Pakistan there's always this one women who comes to help us. We called her aunty as that's how close she was to us. She helps us cook and clean and she even used to eat with us around the table. She was just like the family, whenever we go Pakistan we make sure to have her come around because she makes us laugh. All the children would sit around when she worked and I even made roti with her some days just to help her. Now we're so used to her that the day she didn't come we'd be asking out grandmother how come she wasn't here and when she did come we'd always take clothes for her from England just like we'd take for our other members. Dadi's behaviour was OTT on this because we're all humans regardless of what our working life is like. We should be treated equally and not on the status of job. Thanks Maxine for this post.

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Saba Saifi

@-Saba-

Inactive

+ 6

Posted: 13 years ago

#74

I think its superb topic.!!
but yeah have to think about it..
its very sad because its still exists in india

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CravingKhana

@CravingKhana

Rocker

+ 3

Posted: 13 years ago

#75

Dinity in labour is a beautiful concept...quite an idealistic one...in reality highrachy exists all over the world...in some parts its less open and in others more blatant...

while being domestically capable is one thing but to be "a domestic" is not so welcome...all aim for higher as in the highrachy of life and work it does not rank high...it is unskilled labour...

of all proffessons i have never heard anyone say that they would want their doaughter/son to be a domestic not even those whoa are of that field...

how we see indviduals who work as domestics is often the way we are rared...but even those of us who see them as part of our family do not deem that as a proffession we would aspire at...

in the east (most ly of the south asian areas) caste and monitary superiority are at play...I say that because in some parts even domestics have to be of thier won caste...just poor relatives...but once you pay someone to do your bidding and you are th boss then the difference is created...

in the west...class and monetary and even ethnic differences come inot play...nationality...and we find the "arena of domesstic labor" occupied by immigrants of countries that the employers usually dont hold much value for...and most domestics are those who have not the right paperwork...the right credentials ..etc and not many are proud to openly state they are maids etc...

some how in the west atleast if you fall on hard times it is easier to work a job without having to suffer too much socialy...that is beacause most of us live outside of our social circles...so yes...the automatic reaction to one being wrongly thought of as a maid, a gardner or the many domestic roles one could think of ...is that of incredulity and i see nothing wrong in it...what is wrong is painting all those who are domestics with one brush..making insinuations and even when you have them as part of your lives treating them as something lesseer...than what you are...

Edited by CravingKhana - 13 years ago

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mayabegum

@mayabegum

Dazzler

+ 4

Posted: 13 years ago

#76

Nice post..

servant are cuh a great help and i love them for what they do and i respect them like i do to any other human being :)

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Mandy

@MrDarcyfan

Stunner

+ 6

Posted: 13 years ago

#77

What we saw today was DISGUSTING! There is no other way to describe it! NOT coz she mistook Khushi for a servent! BUT coz of the way that she TREATED Khushi coz she thought she WAS a servant!

WHY this old HAG thinks she can look down on people for earning a living instead of sitting ALL on her butt doing nothing like HER drandaughter does?? I DONT know!

I guess if everyone was like Poojali, then they will live off their brother and get husband to be supported by brother as well! THEN when her husband tries to KILL her brother, cry to DADI to get him back!

DISGUSTING!😡

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3serialfan40

@3serialfan40

Navigator

Posted: 13 years ago

#78

to answer your question, nothing really is wrong with domestic help God bless them! I could not live without them in India, I still cannot live without them in the silicon valley!
I do not believe it is an issue about caste system, If anything there is a reverse caste system in India today...Besides in upper middle class and rich families, maids do everything, in fact up until recently even in the Raizada parivaar with Naani as the boss, HP/JP/OP did everything required for the various pujas, so I am not sure I understand this sudden strange twist to make India/Indians look like idiots!

deleted a part of the post as this is a serious topic and did not want to clutter it with IPKKND whining!

Edited by geetfan38 - 13 years ago

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Pashna

@Pashna

Dazzler

Posted: 13 years ago

#79

Love ur post dear. Few days back Arnav was yelling at HP for apparently no reason and that behaviour is so disgusting and so not sexy😡 today the the whole dadi acting like domestic helps are achoot just showed how backward thinking Indian dramas are😕 Is this what SP ka funda of nayi soch?

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