Author: Tripti Lahiri
Publisher: Rupa Publications
ISBN: 9789384067335
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 328
Book Description
We eat first, they later, often out of food portioned out for them; we live in the front, they in the back; we sit on chairs and they on the floor; we drink from glasses and ceramic plates and they from ones made of steel set aside for them; we call them by their names, and they address us by titles: sir/ma'am, sahib/memsahib... Every year, thousands of poor, illiterate, unskilled women flock to Delhi from villages across the country to work as domestic help. This is how Fullin from Athgama in rural Jharkhand, Lovely from a tiny settlement in Malda, Golbanu bibi from Doparia, Mae from Kokrajhar and a Santhali girl from Annabiri, in the heart of Maoist country-find themselves in the nation's most powerful city, working for its richest people. This is how tycoons and refugees, politicians and orphans-India's one per cent and her 99 per cent-rub shoulders every day, under the same roof. In the not so distant past, everyone's place- whether maid, ayah or cook, sahib or memsahib- was well understood. There were clear rules for negotiating (and maintaining) the vast chasm between the two sides. Today, it's a little different. There are housekeepers who are part of the middle class who ensure their children join white-collar India. There are teenage girls brought to the city by 'aunts' and 'uncles' to serve as '24-hour' help, who find themselves virtually, and sometimes literally, caged. There are employers who wrestle with the guilt of spending more on an Italian meal in a fancy hotel than on those who clean their homes- and other employers who insist 'these people' are all thieves. With in-depth reporting in the villages from where women make their way to upper-class homes in Delhi and Gurgaon, courtrooms where the worst allegations of abuse get an airing, and homes up and down the class ladder, Maid in India is an illuminating and sobering account of the complex and troubling relations between the help and those they serve.
Maid in India
Author: Tripti Lahiri
Publisher: Rupa Publications
ISBN: 9789384067335
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 328
Book Description
We eat first, they later, often out of food portioned out for them; we live in the front, they in the back; we sit on chairs and they on the floor; we drink from glasses and ceramic plates and they from ones made of steel set aside for them; we call them by their names, and they address us by titles: sir/ma'am, sahib/memsahib... Every year, thousands of poor, illiterate, unskilled women flock to Delhi from villages across the country to work as domestic help. This is how Fullin from Athgama in rural Jharkhand, Lovely from a tiny settlement in Malda, Golbanu bibi from Doparia, Mae from Kokrajhar and a Santhali girl from Annabiri, in the heart of Maoist country-find themselves in the nation's most powerful city, working for its richest people. This is how tycoons and refugees, politicians and orphans-India's one per cent and her 99 per cent-rub shoulders every day, under the same roof. In the not so distant past, everyone's place- whether maid, ayah or cook, sahib or memsahib- was well understood. There were clear rules for negotiating (and maintaining) the vast chasm between the two sides. Today, it's a little different. There are housekeepers who are part of the middle class who ensure their children join white-collar India. There are teenage girls brought to the city by 'aunts' and 'uncles' to serve as '24-hour' help, who find themselves virtually, and sometimes literally, caged. There are employers who wrestle with the guilt of spending more on an Italian meal in a fancy hotel than on those who clean their homes- and other employers who insist 'these people' are all thieves. With in-depth reporting in the villages from where women make their way to upper-class homes in Delhi and Gurgaon, courtrooms where the worst allegations of abuse get an airing, and homes up and down the class ladder, Maid in India is an illuminating and sobering account of the complex and troubling relations between the help and those they serve.
Publisher: Rupa Publications
ISBN: 9789384067335
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 328
Book Description
We eat first, they later, often out of food portioned out for them; we live in the front, they in the back; we sit on chairs and they on the floor; we drink from glasses and ceramic plates and they from ones made of steel set aside for them; we call them by their names, and they address us by titles: sir/ma'am, sahib/memsahib... Every year, thousands of poor, illiterate, unskilled women flock to Delhi from villages across the country to work as domestic help. This is how Fullin from Athgama in rural Jharkhand, Lovely from a tiny settlement in Malda, Golbanu bibi from Doparia, Mae from Kokrajhar and a Santhali girl from Annabiri, in the heart of Maoist country-find themselves in the nation's most powerful city, working for its richest people. This is how tycoons and refugees, politicians and orphans-India's one per cent and her 99 per cent-rub shoulders every day, under the same roof. In the not so distant past, everyone's place- whether maid, ayah or cook, sahib or memsahib- was well understood. There were clear rules for negotiating (and maintaining) the vast chasm between the two sides. Today, it's a little different. There are housekeepers who are part of the middle class who ensure their children join white-collar India. There are teenage girls brought to the city by 'aunts' and 'uncles' to serve as '24-hour' help, who find themselves virtually, and sometimes literally, caged. There are employers who wrestle with the guilt of spending more on an Italian meal in a fancy hotel than on those who clean their homes- and other employers who insist 'these people' are all thieves. With in-depth reporting in the villages from where women make their way to upper-class homes in Delhi and Gurgaon, courtrooms where the worst allegations of abuse get an airing, and homes up and down the class ladder, Maid in India is an illuminating and sobering account of the complex and troubling relations between the help and those they serve.
The Complete Indian Housekeeper & Cook
Author: Flora Annie Webster Steel
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Cooking, Indic
Languages : en
Pages : 416
Book Description
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Cooking, Indic
Languages : en
Pages : 416
Book Description
Maid (less) in india
Author: Ritu Gupta
Publisher: Onlinegatha
ISBN: 9386163713
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 212
Book Description
Rashi, a typical young middle class professional woman in India, is constantly and continuously challenged around getting a full time maid, managing and maintaining her over a period of time. The desolation of departing maid, the horror of promiscuous maid, the anger of stealing maid, the nostalgia of the earlier maid…….this book explores various challenges faced and play of emotions, and strategies that follow the with maid and maid(less) status of Rashi!
Publisher: Onlinegatha
ISBN: 9386163713
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 212
Book Description
Rashi, a typical young middle class professional woman in India, is constantly and continuously challenged around getting a full time maid, managing and maintaining her over a period of time. The desolation of departing maid, the horror of promiscuous maid, the anger of stealing maid, the nostalgia of the earlier maid…….this book explores various challenges faced and play of emotions, and strategies that follow the with maid and maid(less) status of Rashi!
Lesser Lives: Stories of Domestic Servants in India
Author: Nitin Sinha
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
ISBN: 9389104084
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 175
Book Description
‘Exemplary’ Ravish Kumar 'A wonderful selection’ Rana Safvi For generations, domestic servants in India have been subjected to neglect, apathy and cruelty. Though they are known nowadays as the domestic ‘help’, ‘aid’ or ‘staff’, often merely to meet the requirements of political correctness, their condition remains unchanged for the most part as the country’s privileged classes have failed to truly address the most pervasive inequalities in their households. In Lesser Lives, Nitin Sinha and Prabhat Kumar collect short fiction from the Hindi heartland that turns the gaze onto these continuing disparities. The eleven stories in the book, including Premchand’s ‘Maidservant’, Mahadevi Varma’s ‘Rama’, Saadat Hasan Manto’s ‘Blouse’, Amarkant’s ‘Bahadur’ and Shekhar Joshi’s ‘Dajyu’, offer both timeless classics and little-known literary gems, some of which have never been published in translation before.
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
ISBN: 9389104084
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 175
Book Description
‘Exemplary’ Ravish Kumar 'A wonderful selection’ Rana Safvi For generations, domestic servants in India have been subjected to neglect, apathy and cruelty. Though they are known nowadays as the domestic ‘help’, ‘aid’ or ‘staff’, often merely to meet the requirements of political correctness, their condition remains unchanged for the most part as the country’s privileged classes have failed to truly address the most pervasive inequalities in their households. In Lesser Lives, Nitin Sinha and Prabhat Kumar collect short fiction from the Hindi heartland that turns the gaze onto these continuing disparities. The eleven stories in the book, including Premchand’s ‘Maidservant’, Mahadevi Varma’s ‘Rama’, Saadat Hasan Manto’s ‘Blouse’, Amarkant’s ‘Bahadur’ and Shekhar Joshi’s ‘Dajyu’, offer both timeless classics and little-known literary gems, some of which have never been published in translation before.
Recasting India
Author: Hindol Sengupta
Publisher: Macmillan
ISBN: 1137279613
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 257
Book Description
The senior editor for Fortune India explains how the world's largest democracy is at risk of falling apart and what's holding it together
Publisher: Macmillan
ISBN: 1137279613
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 257
Book Description
The senior editor for Fortune India explains how the world's largest democracy is at risk of falling apart and what's holding it together
Maidless in Mumbai
Author: Payal Kapadia
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 9386349973
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 167
Book Description
I am on top of things. I have a seriously stuck baby inside me, and a queue of people between my legs. But I am on top of things. Career-driven reporter Anu Narain has a plan for everything till motherhood comes along. The baby poops/cries/pisses/ feeds round the clock. Anu loses her mind/ the plot/ the maid. And cabin fever strikes when her mother-in-law and her mother come over to help ... How does Anu become a working mom when her husband is happy playing the shirking dad? And when her house is a railway station where every maid is a passing train? Will Anu use wile and guile to make the maids stay and The Moms leave? Or will she succumb to that strange Indian malaise called maidomania? Hysterically funny, unapologetically honest, and charming all the way, this is the diary of a maidless Mumbai mom who dreams of only one thing-the perfect maid to live happily forever with.
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 9386349973
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 167
Book Description
I am on top of things. I have a seriously stuck baby inside me, and a queue of people between my legs. But I am on top of things. Career-driven reporter Anu Narain has a plan for everything till motherhood comes along. The baby poops/cries/pisses/ feeds round the clock. Anu loses her mind/ the plot/ the maid. And cabin fever strikes when her mother-in-law and her mother come over to help ... How does Anu become a working mom when her husband is happy playing the shirking dad? And when her house is a railway station where every maid is a passing train? Will Anu use wile and guile to make the maids stay and The Moms leave? Or will she succumb to that strange Indian malaise called maidomania? Hysterically funny, unapologetically honest, and charming all the way, this is the diary of a maidless Mumbai mom who dreams of only one thing-the perfect maid to live happily forever with.
Servants Of India
Author: R K Laxman
Publisher: Penguin UK
ISBN: 9351181081
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 99
Book Description
In Servants of India, R.K. Laxman profiles ten hilariously idiosyncratic people, who are among the countless men and women who run the lives of the middle class in India. The tales are put together by Ganesh, a freelance journalist trying to write a feature article on servants he has known. As his chronicle progresses, what emerges is a richly embellished narrative starring unforgettable characters. There is Swami, the cook, who finds his true vocation as a godman; Kumar, who deserts his household duties to pursue his tinsel-town dreams; Anthony, the driver, who makes money on the side by giving lifts to strangers; the maid Shanti, whose lift is thrown into turmoil by the neighbour's servant who is besotted with her; and Ramaswami, a trusted retainer who reappears mysteriously, much to the consternation of his employer, long after he has been presumed drowned. Marked by Laxman's trademark wit, and including pencil sketches drawn especially for this edition, Servants of India is a delightful read.
Publisher: Penguin UK
ISBN: 9351181081
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 99
Book Description
In Servants of India, R.K. Laxman profiles ten hilariously idiosyncratic people, who are among the countless men and women who run the lives of the middle class in India. The tales are put together by Ganesh, a freelance journalist trying to write a feature article on servants he has known. As his chronicle progresses, what emerges is a richly embellished narrative starring unforgettable characters. There is Swami, the cook, who finds his true vocation as a godman; Kumar, who deserts his household duties to pursue his tinsel-town dreams; Anthony, the driver, who makes money on the side by giving lifts to strangers; the maid Shanti, whose lift is thrown into turmoil by the neighbour's servant who is besotted with her; and Ramaswami, a trusted retainer who reappears mysteriously, much to the consternation of his employer, long after he has been presumed drowned. Marked by Laxman's trademark wit, and including pencil sketches drawn especially for this edition, Servants of India is a delightful read.
A Life Less Ordinary
Author: Baby Halder
Publisher: Zubaan
ISBN: 818901367X
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 164
Book Description
This Is The Story Of Baby Halder, A Young Woman Working As A Domestic Help In A Home In Delhi. Hurriedly Married Off At The Age Of Twelve, A Mother By The Time She Was Fourteen, Baby Writes Movingly And Evocatively Of Her Life As A Young Girl, And Later As A Young Woman. The Long Absences Of Her Father, The Hardships Faced By Her Mother, And Her Decision To Walk Out Of Her Marriage, Leaving Baby And Her Sister To Manage The Household, Were The Realities That Shaped Baby S Early Life. When Marriage Came, Baby, Still A Child, Yearned To Play And Study, But Was Burdened With The Responsibility Of Being Wife And Mother While Facing Considerable Violence From Her Husband. Escape Finally Came Many Years Later, By Which Time The Still Young Baby Was A Mother Of Three, And She Fled To The City In The Hope Of Finding A Job. Working In Delhi As A Domestic Help, Baby Was Lucky Enough To Come Across An Employer Who Encouraged Her To Read Which She Did Voraciously And Then To Write. The Story Of Baby S Life Is A Lesson In Courage And Survival. Since It Was First Published In Hindi, This Book Has Become A Best-Seller, Receiving Accolades From Some Of The Best-Known Writers And Critics In India And Elsewhere. It Has Also Been Translated Into Other Indian Languages.
Publisher: Zubaan
ISBN: 818901367X
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 164
Book Description
This Is The Story Of Baby Halder, A Young Woman Working As A Domestic Help In A Home In Delhi. Hurriedly Married Off At The Age Of Twelve, A Mother By The Time She Was Fourteen, Baby Writes Movingly And Evocatively Of Her Life As A Young Girl, And Later As A Young Woman. The Long Absences Of Her Father, The Hardships Faced By Her Mother, And Her Decision To Walk Out Of Her Marriage, Leaving Baby And Her Sister To Manage The Household, Were The Realities That Shaped Baby S Early Life. When Marriage Came, Baby, Still A Child, Yearned To Play And Study, But Was Burdened With The Responsibility Of Being Wife And Mother While Facing Considerable Violence From Her Husband. Escape Finally Came Many Years Later, By Which Time The Still Young Baby Was A Mother Of Three, And She Fled To The City In The Hope Of Finding A Job. Working In Delhi As A Domestic Help, Baby Was Lucky Enough To Come Across An Employer Who Encouraged Her To Read Which She Did Voraciously And Then To Write. The Story Of Baby S Life Is A Lesson In Courage And Survival. Since It Was First Published In Hindi, This Book Has Become A Best-Seller, Receiving Accolades From Some Of The Best-Known Writers And Critics In India And Elsewhere. It Has Also Been Translated Into Other Indian Languages.
The Unusual Maid
Author: Aparna Ramamurthy
Publisher: Notion Press
ISBN: 1639575103
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 129
Book Description
When the well qualified Alisha decides to take a break from her well-paying job to work as a maid in the powerful Scindia household, all she has in mind is a chance to rescue her student Sita from a deep abyss. In her new role, she encounters the majestic, extremely handsome and talented Yash Scindia, the sole heir to the entire Scindia empire and the most eligible bachelor in the country. Little does she know that her vow to help someone selflessly would set her on a path that would change her life forever!
Publisher: Notion Press
ISBN: 1639575103
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 129
Book Description
When the well qualified Alisha decides to take a break from her well-paying job to work as a maid in the powerful Scindia household, all she has in mind is a chance to rescue her student Sita from a deep abyss. In her new role, she encounters the majestic, extremely handsome and talented Yash Scindia, the sole heir to the entire Scindia empire and the most eligible bachelor in the country. Little does she know that her vow to help someone selflessly would set her on a path that would change her life forever!
The Palace Maid
Author: Col Jagadish Kakati
Publisher: Notion Press
ISBN: 1639045643
Category : Drama
Languages : en
Pages : 137
Book Description
The story revolves around Prince Sundar of the Ahom dynasty in Assam in North-East India during the medieval period. Sundar, the crown prince, is seriously searching for the complete liberation of his soul and thereby shuns the company of women. The Queen Mother forces him to get married against his will to Princess Kanchanmoti, who is in love with Ananga, Sundar’s friend. Expectedly, the marriage ends in disaster. Enter Shewali, an innocent maidservant. Shewali is devoted to the service of the prince, and she loves to serve. She becomes a victim of jealousy and deceit of the palace staff. The Queen Mother holds Shewali responsible for Sundar’s actions and wreaks vengeance. One day, Sundar calls for Shewali, and she fails to turn up. Where is Shewali? Now the story moves to the serene, natural surroundings of the Naga Hills where Ananga, in exile, is dwelling in a cave. Sundar arrives there in disguise with a group of Chaodangs. What is his intention? Written in simple language, the story highlights the pure love of a simple maidservant who becomes a victim of palace intrigues. How her ultimate sacrifice leaves a deep impression on the crown prince’s heart is bound to keep the readers engrossed. “The Palace Maid is an engrossing book. The story is told in an uncomplicated manner. It has been translated quite smoothly from the Assamese novel Karengor Ligiri. Brig Ranjit Borthakur (Retd.), eminent writer, TV commentator and former Chairman of Assam Public Service Commission
Publisher: Notion Press
ISBN: 1639045643
Category : Drama
Languages : en
Pages : 137
Book Description
The story revolves around Prince Sundar of the Ahom dynasty in Assam in North-East India during the medieval period. Sundar, the crown prince, is seriously searching for the complete liberation of his soul and thereby shuns the company of women. The Queen Mother forces him to get married against his will to Princess Kanchanmoti, who is in love with Ananga, Sundar’s friend. Expectedly, the marriage ends in disaster. Enter Shewali, an innocent maidservant. Shewali is devoted to the service of the prince, and she loves to serve. She becomes a victim of jealousy and deceit of the palace staff. The Queen Mother holds Shewali responsible for Sundar’s actions and wreaks vengeance. One day, Sundar calls for Shewali, and she fails to turn up. Where is Shewali? Now the story moves to the serene, natural surroundings of the Naga Hills where Ananga, in exile, is dwelling in a cave. Sundar arrives there in disguise with a group of Chaodangs. What is his intention? Written in simple language, the story highlights the pure love of a simple maidservant who becomes a victim of palace intrigues. How her ultimate sacrifice leaves a deep impression on the crown prince’s heart is bound to keep the readers engrossed. “The Palace Maid is an engrossing book. The story is told in an uncomplicated manner. It has been translated quite smoothly from the Assamese novel Karengor Ligiri. Brig Ranjit Borthakur (Retd.), eminent writer, TV commentator and former Chairman of Assam Public Service Commission