WOMEN POWER

PROFFESSION: Domestic Help

RESPONSIBILITIES: Cooking and Cleaning

PART TIME JOB: Fish retail

EXTRA CURRICULAR ACTIVITES: Police Representative for her settlement

Dressed in a crisp saree, rather loud jewellery and sporting a hairdo where not a single hair is EVER out of place, my maid arrives every morning, with a scorn on her face. The minute she steps in though, her frown changes to a pleasant expression as she brisk walks to her work station. She deftly manoeuvres her way around the kitchen making hot chappatis/phulkas and an accompanying sabji with practiced ease and efficiency. Not a single minute is wasted but there is never a compromise on the small talk. We met after a period of...I guess 2 years and I am still a little surprised at her candor as she bluntly narrates all that happens in her neighbourhood. Then the topic moved to why that ‘funny looking’ man from “Aamrika” was getting so much importance. I mean what exactly do we want from him. She pauses a little and creases appear on her brow as she concentrates to remember his name. “OOBAAMA?” She asks. As my grandmum and I discuss world politics she listens keenly and even adds her two cents.

I am already impressed. But she does not stop there. She continues discussing all currents topics from the Aadarsh fiasco to the third airport of Mumbai. Granted she didn’t know there were already two airports but she did know that a third one was close to being sanctioned! All this from an barely educated women who is embarrassed to even sign her name and speak before the public. But I wonder why... cause she can easily put half the so called educated youngsters in India to shame with her opinionated view points. This women is also involved with the locals as she acts as a mediator in an final attempt to settle issues before they are made legal. She sends her sons to college and does her best to keep them invested in their education despite lacking one. The same dedicated woman with a social conscience is not without compassion as she tries her best to support stray animals. Currently she is supporting a dog, a cat, a rabbit, a squirrel and to the best of my knowledge half the dogs in my neighbourhood as well.

This woman my friends is in my opinion an established strong woman with exceptional taste who does not allow social and economic borders to limit her. She transcends beyond them and does her best to give back to the very community she is a part of.