“Main isliye kama rahi hu, taaki maa ko mehnat na karni pade (I am earning, so that my mother doesn’t have to),” said Prerna, who is the daughter of a domestic worker and has been working ever since she was 10. She is based out of Mumbai and did go to school. However, her circumstances were … More “I Work So My Mother Doesn’t Have To”: Tackling Child Labour In India
“Ekhane kaaj nei, khawa nei, ki korbo…. Jete toh hobei” (There is no food, no work here, what else can we do? We will have to go”) This quote sums up the plight of millions of migrant workers returning to West Bengal. While many of us work from the comfort of our homes there are … More Migrant Workers: A Journey of Reflection To Realise Their Significance And Their Rights
Migrant workers form a very large part of India’s vast unorganized sector which constitutes about 93% percent of the country’s total workforce according to the Ministry of Labour and Employment (MOLE). Their entry into the labour market is marked with several challenges including a lack of critical skills, knowledge of their rights and bargaining power that results in exploitative labour arrangements that … More Violence Against Migrant Workers: Invisible No More
“We have the best culture. In our culture there is no place for a woman,” says the Defendant lawyer of Nirbhaya’s case. 1 in 3 women globally is beaten, forced into sex or abused. 1 in 5 will become a victim of rape or attempted rape. Sexual violence is in some way ubiquitous. It is … More Not just charity, justice begins at home
It’s different now. As we grow, our minds start becoming more receptive to the world around us. We tend to change how we look around. Every person starts to look different, every character seems new. Behaviors which earlier seemed to be slights, now appear to be meditated actions. The mind starts taking its turns and … More It’s different now.
Writer became finer than Carver Thinker higher than Doer And Speaker more than Thinker Stories that salaries tell The Great one gave a piece of Self to All You are All equal, unique and precious This Piece Holder and That Piece Holder…still racing to hell 9to5 pays, more work more pay Those making lunch boxes … More Somehow
A few days ago, I happened to visit an ATM to withdraw some cash. The ATM was located in a busy marketplace and in a narrow space between two shops. The machine had to be accessed by climbing a short flight of steps. At the glass fronted entrance there was a notice which referred to … More The Disabled: The invisible among us
Trigger warning: This story contains physical assault, harassment, and suicidal thoughts that readers may find disturbing. “I was barely eight years old when I touched those silk threads for the first time, so it is ironic that I have never owned a silk sari in my life… they were always more expensive than I could afford,” says … More Bonded labor: The ugly reality of modern India
On 11th July 2020, during a national webinar on ‘Entitlement of Minimum Wages- A Fundamental Right’, former Chief Justice Hon’ble P. Sathasivam reiterated that “the states have a constitutional responsibility and employers have statutory responsibilities in the issue of minimum wage” Non-payment of minimum wages or reluctance on the part of the employer in paying … More Minimum Wages- Our Fundamental Right
In this column, I would like to reflect with the readers on addressing a few causative factors that lead to communities and families remaining in bonded labour sometimes for generations and illustrate a few factors that lead to it and highlight possible directions on how we can work together to end the system of bonded … More We could together abolish human slavery
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