Its really sad that pan-South Asian cooperation seems so low; I’m not only mentioned Indo-Pak relations but just generally. I like the Gujral doctrine; thinks its a great way forward.

Perhaps reform of servitude rather than outright (and impractical abolishment). I remember the practice of child servants in Islamabad. To be fair our chattering classes were more enlightened, they wouldn’t hire them, but it was the middle classes who did.

It has to be a shift in attitude; domestic help is a great boon but perhaps training and apprenticeships is what’s needed. A nudge in the right direction, I remember that the idea of an “Academy for Servants”, which would increase their market value.

Like most things in South Asia; I think reform is going to be the way forward not drastic changes (which our collective inefficient govts. can’t do). We need a strong civil and unified South Asia; chattering classes unite!

litany |ˈlitn-ē| noun ( pl. -nies) a series of petitions for use in church services or processions, usually recited by the clergy and responded to in a recurring formula by the people. • a tedious recital or repetitive series : a litany of complaints. ORIGIN Middle English : from Old French letanie, via ecclesiastical Latin from Greek litaneia ‘prayer,’ from litē ‘supplication.’

PG,

do not attempt to spam this thread. I will be watching.

I feel a strong solidarity with women everywhere, and a deep concern for women’s issues, wherever I go.

Do we have to check out humanity in at customs once we land at Indira Gandhi International airport?

Unless the whole world, regardless of gender, color or nationality, decides to do something to HELP each other, guess what is going to happen?

More of this

As far as paying people more, it seems to be on a sliding scale. Everyone has a bai and maybe she is supporting a drunk husband or living in an extended family situation that requires extra financial assistance. Whatever the situation one should pay what they can, but as SP says, lets not pretend we haven’t tried to pay as little as possible for products or services elsewhere. I think the most jarring part of the experience is the extreme deference of domestic help to the “client”.

Lastly, as far as this being a continuing situation leading to patronage, again anecdotally, one side of my family has had the same “driver”/ guy who runs every random errand ever for my entire life. I have never met his wife or kids and to be honest I hope I never do…not within the confines of my family’s home because I’d like to assume that his kids will have a better life. That all his work and running of random errands and being treated as just a kid to be told what to do will pay off for the next generation. The majority of the world’s wealth is generational, drastic movement in one’s lifetime is quite difficult. I’d at least like to see it in two.