THE TIMES OF INDIA piece “Beware of the Maid” (18 June, 2009) is a contemptible piece of writing that not only displays a complete lack of sensitivity and basic decency, but also shows up the standards of journalism in the Times of India group. It trivializes serious issues such as the abuse and ill-treatment faced by thousands of domestic workers — who are compelled by circumstance to be mute sufferers — by turning the focus of blame squarely on the victims.

Starting off with a note on Hollywood celebrities who have had affairs with nannies and various other types of domestic help, Sharma shifts the focus to India. Her opening point itself is completely off target as she says how “the issue that was till now the domain of the West has come closer home”. Wrong, so wrong.

It is no secret that class and gender distinctions plague everyday life in our society, and that the brunt of it is borne by those in the margins, including domestic workers, who have no recourse to redressal for the sort of ill-treatment meted out to them on a daily basis. Sharma’s bizarre display of ignorance only reinforces the prejudices faced by these women. [Read More]