The Logical Indian Crew

Classist Or Precautionary? Hyderabad Housing Society's Notice For Domestic & Delivery Workers Divides Netizens

The photo was shared on Twitter by a photojournalist named Harsha Vadlamani, stating that the maids and delivery agents will be fined Rs 300 for using the main elevator in the apartment complex.

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The pandemic has brought complete change to our lifestyle and our professional setup, and the 'new normal' effects are evident. However, it also sheds light on the glaring disparities that would otherwise be absent in our society.

An unfortunate example of it left Twitter appalled. In Hyderabad, a housing society put up a notice stating that housemaids and delivery agents cannot use the main lift to go to work. If they violate the rule, they will be fined ₹300.

'Discriminatory and In Bad Taste'

The photo was shared by a journalist named Harsha Vadlamani on the microblogging site on Wednesday, January 12. The comments section buzzed with activity as netizens flocked there to give their two cents as it went viral.


A majority of them found the notice discriminatory. "The way this notice reads is discriminatory, in bad taste and not consistent with a forward-looking IT hub, where future leaders work," a user said and tagged Telangana's Urban Development Minister, KT Rama Rao.

Many users called the housing society out for their blatant racism against the workers. A user even tagged food delivery aggregators like Swiggy and Zomato to 'blacklist' the apartment complexes that treat the delivery agents in this way. "Why discriminate? Why can't they use the same lift? These maids cook, clean and serve you food too. This has been going on way before Covid, unfortunately," another user tweeted.


Precaution As Justification

In major Indian cities, several housing societies enforce the discriminatory rule about domestic workers using a different elevator. The practice gained momentum once COVID-19 began to wreak havoc. Some netizens defended this notice calling it a precautionary measure.


"It's mentioned 'Main Lift'; there must be another lift. Also, in Covid times many societies have banned the entrance of maids/milkmen/vendors, the reason being exposure to the virus," said a user. Another tweet said, "But it's good for the security and comfort for the People residing there. Isn't?"


It is no surprise that this is a common practice among many apartment complexes in India. Classism and Discrimination reared their ugly head during COVID-19, where social distancing was seen as a safety measure and to express their narrow mindset.

Domestic workers and delivery agents are human too, and they deserve the same respect as the urban class does. They risked their lives during the pandemic by being at our every beck and call. It is high time that the upper-middle-class regard them for the respect they deserve and not treat them as second class citizens.

Also Read: As COVID Forces Households To Slash Budgets, Domestic Workers Feel The Pinch

Contributors Suggest Correction
Writer : Akanksha Saxena
,
Editor : Ankita Singh
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Creatives : Akanksha Saxena

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