Most people, if they look inside their homes, will find separate cups, plates and bowls for domestic workers. Separate toilets are built for them at the back of houses. Housing complexes have separate lifts for them. The classist behavior of middle and upper-class people in our society towards them is shocking.
Vibin Babuuranjan, a Digital Marketing expert based out of Bengaluru, took to Twitter to share a discriminatory notice against maids working in an apartment complex in the city.
According to the notice, the maids were asked to use the waiting areas in the building in between jobs and for having meals. They were asked not to sit in the park, amphitheatre and gazebos because the residents might feel “uncomfortable”.
It seems like the notice was submitted by the residents of the building because it mentions, “Cooks, carpenters, plumbers sit on the sofa at the building of the reception. Most of us have probably stopped sitting on the sofas by now.”
However, Vibin didn’t mention the exact name of the apartment complex where this took place but here’s a look at the notice:
Have a look at Vibin’s tweet here:
residents of a bangalore society confusing class and being a classist🤮 pic.twitter.com/0pbeBUpDJc
— Vibin Babuurajan 👋 (@vibinbaburajan) June 21, 2023
People online slammed this kind of discriminatory behavior and questioned how some residents can be so inhuman as to not sit on the same sofas as domestic workers, or feel uncomfortable with them around in parks. Don’t they eat the food cooked by the same domestic workers or allow them to make their beds and fold their clothes?
Here’s what some of them said:
Why is it so hard for people to understand that they are humans only
— Mehak Agrawal (@mehakagrawall) June 21, 2023
The same maid roaming in your house, cooking for you, cleaning for you is ok. But seeing them around you in the park is troublesome?
Pathetic!— Shadab Mozaffar (@ShadabMozaffar) June 21, 2023
The solution to not having to see maids everywhere is to do your own mopping and dishwashing.
— the akshay (@theakshay) June 21, 2023
In most of the houses (and since a long time now), you will find a separate set of cups, spoons, plates, bottles for maids and house helps.
— Mohammed Zeeshan Fatmi (@VT_ZEESHAN) June 21, 2023
“Many of us have stopped sitting on the sofas by now”. Good. Remain in your rich-ass homes out of sight of people who labour for you, so they don’t have to see your ugliness every day. Housing societies are the worst violators of human rights. https://t.co/kjHszrpcIE
— Rituparna Chatterjee (@MasalaBai) June 21, 2023
once again, India is still a colonial enterprise where the poor natives are being abused and exploited daily by people who care no more than for the most efficient and expeditious extraction of resources from the poor to them.
indian ‘elite’ hate the poor viscerally. https://t.co/Q0AbsnKBOp
— novichok on the lattice (@mean_free_heart) June 21, 2023
Not uncomfortable when they’re feeding your children, making your beds, cooking your food??
You won’t sit on the sofa but you’ll eat what they cook??
Wow. https://t.co/9BY4HNwjXt— ranjona banerji 🇮🇳 (@ranjona) June 21, 2023
The biggest problem of India is many Indians who discriminate fellow Indians. They do not even treat them as humans. These are so called upper class educated folks with lot of money but do not have enough heart to treat people with respect. https://t.co/qVlmbRVhSK
— Abhishek | अभिषेक | ಅಭಿಷೇಕ್ (@sonuabhi22) June 21, 2023
Wtf is this? Residents feel uncomfortable surrounded by them? Okay then, do your own work and stop hiring help. https://t.co/eiRx5HS8Dv
— Roshni C (@roshnic29) June 21, 2023
What do you have to say about this?