India Maids Speak Out on Diplomat's Arrest

[JI7]

Source: usa today

"I don't know about what's happened in America, but it would be good if we had some local authority here who we could complain to if employers did not pay us on time, or paid us too little," said Manju, saying she has to run off to work.

Or for that matter there has been little said by the politicians going after the U.S. attorney about how maids are treated in India.

In November 2013, Indian lawmaker Dhananjay Singh and his wife were arrested for the alleged murder of their 35-year-old maid Rakhi. An autopsy suggested Rakhi had died of a severe beating – she was also found with burn marks on her body.

Last year, a 13-year-old maid Munni – employed despite laws against child labor – was rescued from a house in New Delhi. She had been locked up in the house by her affluent employers – both of whom are doctors – while they vacationed in Thailand. She had been warned not to touch any food in the house, and was near starvation when rescued.

"There are many people who mistreat maids," Manju said. "It's pointless to go to the police. Instead we just keep each other updated, and if a maid quits her job because of abuse or exploitation, none of us take a job in that house."

Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2013/12/20/india-diplomat-maid/4140775/

[secondwind]

1. they are "invisible".... :-(

[Tarheel_Dem]

2. I take India's "outrage" on this with a huge grain of salt. It's India, ferchrissake. Bastion of..

gender equality & women's rights.

[JI7]

3. much of it has to do with elections coming up

the same ones outraged over this were ones who attacked those protesting against the rape and other violence against women .

[Tarheel_Dem]

4. It figures. Running against the big bad US seems to play well the world over, for certain groups.

[FreedRadical]

10. I know...

Like Megyn, humorless countries just picking on US.

[Tarheel_Dem]

12. We've always been a big, ripe target for trash talk. We'll live through it.

[FreedRadical]

14. Yes we will

Me thinks this maid should be granted asylum. That will give um something to bitch about.

[Beacool]

6. Yeah, and gang rapes..........

[notadmblnd]

7. Not to mention the exploitation of human beings in general.

[Tarheel_Dem]

11. Tell me about it. Their conviction rate for rapists is appalling. I wish I could find the stats...

I heard on NPR this morning, but it's damn near impossible to convict these assholes for taking any & all liberties with women in that country. I'm not saying woman in question should've been strip searched, but what about the poor cleaning woman? Who was protecting her rights to a fair day's pay?

[Beacool]

5. They are invisible because they are of a lower caste and therefore no one cares.

Why aren't Indians protesting the abuse of these people over there?

[JI7]

8. no, they are not lower caste, the diplomat came from what was low caste, the "untouchables"

it's more about class. the diplomat who came from the lower caste is wealthy and connected like her father , that's how she got the job she has.

while india has made some improvements in the economy the wealth gap has widened and people just ignore those who are the poorest.

they seem to be stuck on the US Republican thinking of anyone who is poor is poor because they just aren't working as hard or whateve rreason. and think anyone who has more worked harder for it. when that is not the case as seen with that diplomat who got the job through her father and are involved in some illegal activity involving taking homes that were supposed to go to military families.

[Beacool]

9. Yes, I know that the diplomat is not of a higher caste, but that's not the norm.

The majority of people who do menial jobs are of lower castes.

[geek tragedy]

13. Yeah, India can go fuck themselves over this. One of their upper class princesses

gets treated like a commoner and held accountable, and they lose their shit.

[okaawhatever]

15. What's not being reported much here is the Indian gov't charging the mail with blackmailing her

employer. The judge's decision basically was: because the maid was demanding what she was owed and threatening legal action by going to the US authorities, she was "blackmailing" her employer.
It also seems there were two contracts. A few outlets have reported that now so it's likely true. It was pre-meditated so there wasn't a question regarding the visa. She knew she wasn't going to pay her what she showed the state dept.

When the state dept; contacted the Indian Embassy after the maid make the claim of not being paid, the Indian gov't responded with an arrest warrant for the maid and revoked her passport. The US flew her family out of India within days of that and instead of agreeing to turn over the maid for the "blackmail" charges they issued the warrant for the deputy envoy.

[Starry Messenger]

16. Wow, that's a lot of CIA agents.