If you want to understand how to become better allies to people with disabilities, then join us at Embracing All Abilities: Including People with Disabilities at Work.
The 2019 elections are half done, the rest of the country waiting to cast its vote. But do you know that the well oiled machinery of the polls runs on the labours of some "invisible" personnel, a large number of whom are women?
The 2019 elections are half done, the rest of the country waiting to cast its vote. But do you know that the well oiled machinery of the polls runs on the labours of some “invisible” personnel, a large number of whom are women?
Wondering who I’m talking about? Think – what are the exact steps you go through when you walk into a polling station to cast your vote?
There are a few tables in a line. You step up to the first one and get your voter ID verified. Then you go on to the next table where you need to check your name in a register, and sign against it for polling records, and the person there marks your left index finger with indelible ink. Then you go on and cast your vote. There may a couple of other personnel, who ensure that the voting process runs smoothly.
These personnel can be both men and women – remember the movie Newton in which a tribal Naxalite area needs to have a polling booth set up?
Most of the personnel who run the polling machinery are government employees and school teachers. School teachers – that beleaguered group of people who have these duties piled on top of their other duties, especially when elections or the Census comes along. And they have no way to get out of the election duty without being penalised.
I spoke to a few friends and relatives this time, among teachers. So the procedure works thus
In an increasingly digitally connected world, I see no reason why they could not be given their assignments by a mail or an sms, especially as almost everyone has a mobile phone these days; I do not understand the need for them to take half a day off work to go to some place to be just ‘given’ their assignment.
The place they are assigned is a not a convenient place nearby – no. I know 4 such teachers personally, and they have always needed to travel at least 2 hours in backbreaking crowds and traffic to reach the place.
They need to be there at the allotted venue the day before the polls are due, to set up the place, and ensure that the whole process is working fine. They are then required to stay over at the place. Women are “permitted” to go back home, and have to come back the next day before 6 am. Polls open at 7 am, and before that, they have to check that the whole contraption is working by casting 50 dummy votes, a process that begins at 6 am. After that, it is a long, hot day, given that most elections are in the summer. And they need to stay back to wrap up the whole thing long after the last voter has cast their vote.
Now even through the day, one would think that they were given some basic facilities, like a working, fairly clean toilet, drinking water, and food through the day. But no one is permitted to get them this, as they are out of social bounds for the day, and rarely, if at all, are they fortunate enough to be given a posting where these three necessities are in working order. I was told that “at least the women are permitted to go home the day before while as the men are expected to stay over”. Small mercies, but as I mentioned earlier, these places are the back of beyond from anyone’s home – no-one I know has ever got a placement nearer where they stay. This means a long commute on both days.
And you’ll say – but so many of them can be men too, it isn’t as if they single out women for this. Agree. But in our country, whether you like it or not, men find ways to get things done even in a strange place – think of toilet facilities – the most basic of them. Men can, and do go behind walls or buildings to do their business, and no one thinks any less of them. But women? And what if they are on their periods or pregnant or something similar? How do they manage?
And all of this is just in the day’s work, considering that nothing untoward happens. Where do they go for redressal if anyone misbehaves with them while they are executing this responsibility? Especially as it is highly unlikely that they already know one of the others on duty, in a place where emotions might run high?
These invisible women do a large chunk of the labour that runs our election machinery, contributing in a huge way to our democratic process. Isn’t it the government’s responsibility to see that they get basic necessities taken care of while they do their duty as citizens? Is it too much to ask when so much of money is poured into the whole process, so much of which goes into unmeasurable, unaccounted for expenditures? After all, these are human beings, not robots. Time to re-think how we (mis)use this (wo)manpower?
Image source: YouTube
In her role as the Senior Editor & Community Manager at Women's Web, Sandhya Renukamba is fortunate to associate every day with a whole lot of smart and fabulous writers and readers. A doctor read more...
Women's Web is an open platform that publishes a diversity of views, individual posts do not necessarily represent the platform's views and opinions at all times.
Stay updated with our Weekly Newsletter or Daily Summary - or both!
What I loved was how there is so much in the movie of the SRK we have known, and also a totally new star. The gestures, the smile, the wit and the charisma are all too familiar, but you also witness a rawness, an edginess.
When a movie that got the entire nation in a twist – for the right and wrong reasons – hits the theatres, there is bound to be noise. From ‘I am going to watch it – first day first show’ to ‘Boycott the movie and make it a flop’, social media has been a furore of posts.
Let me get one thing straight here – I did not watch Pathaan to make a statement or to simply rebel as people would put it. I went to watch it for the sheer pleasure of witnessing my favourite superstar in all his glory being what he is best at being – his magnificent self. Because when it comes to screen presence, he burns it, melts it and then resurrects it as well like no other. Because when it comes to style and passion, he owns it like a boss. Because SRK is, in a way, my last connecting point to the girl that I once was. Though I have evolved into so many more things over the years, I don’t think I am ready to let go of that girl fully yet.
There is no elephant in the room really here because it’s a fact that Bollywood has a lot of cleaning up to do. Calling out on all the problematic aspects of the industry is important and in doing that, maintaining objectivity is also equally imperative. I went for Pathaan for entertainment and got more than I had hoped for. It is a clever, slick, witty, brilliantly packaged action movie that delivers what it promises to. Logic definitely goes flying out of the window at times and some scenes will make you go ‘kuch bhi’ , but the screenplay clearly reminds you that you knew all along what you were in for. The action sequences are lavish and someone like me who is not exactly a fan of this genre was also mind blown.
Recent footage of her coming out of an airport had comments preaching karma and its cruel ways, that Samantha "deserved her illness" because she filed for divorce.
Samantha Ruth Prabhu fell from being the public’s sweetheart to a villain overnight because she filed for divorce. The actress was struck with myositis post divorce, much to the joy of certain groups (read sexist) in our society.
A troll responded to Samantha’s tweet, “Women Rising!!” by adding to it “just to fall”. She replied, “Getting back up makes it all the more sweeter, my friend.”
Here’s another insensitive tweet by BuzZ Basket showing fake concern for her autoimmune disease. “Feeling sad for Samantha, she lost all her charm and glow. When everyone thought she came out of divorce strongly and her professional life was seeing heights, myositis hit her badly, making her weak again.” Samantha responded, “I pray you never have to go through months of treatment and medication like I did. And here’s some love from me to add to your glow.”
Please enter your email address