Sir — It is most horrifying that a couple, and that includes a politician, has allegedly tortured servants and caused the death of one maid. There are cases of maid servants kept as slaves. Brazil has capped working hours for maids, but in India the issue is different. There are no working hours for domestic workers. There are no safeguards to protect them from exploitation, despite existing laws.
It is a fact that one cannot underestimate the importance of a maid servant, popularly known as a bai in Mumbai, as housewives depend on them. Once a domestic servant in Mumbai told the housewife who had engaged her, “You can live without your babuji but not without a bai! This is also true of other towns and cities, with the trend of both spouses working to supplement the family income gaining ground.
Also, we talk of the poor domestic helps and the unorganised sector, but well-off employees too are exploited. Why cannot we have a maximum limit of eight hours of office work, and penalise those who do not follow such regulationsIJ