Delhi-NCR stares at house help crisis amid exodus of Bengali migrants

India Today

2 days ago

"Cook and maid required urgently". This message popped up on the residents' WhatsApp group of Gaur City 7th Avenue society in Noida. Over the course of the past two weeks, several such messages have flooded the groups of nearby societies as well. The sudden exodus of Bengali migrants has led to a severe crunch of domestic workers in the national capital's satellite cities of Noida and Gurugram, affecting hundreds of households relying on their services. According to some residents, even parts of South Delhi have been hit.advertisementThe reason for the sudden exodus is two-fold — to escape a police crackdown against illegal Bangladeshis that has seen many Bengali-speaking migrants being detained and fears of a Bihar-like special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in poll-bound West Bengal.Noorjahan, who stayed in Noida's Haibatpur and worked in Gaur City households, and her family have booked train tickets to return to West Bengal. She told India Today Digital that dozens of Bangla-speaking people from her slum have left.
Hasan Sheikh fled from Gurugram after he was allegedly taken by police to a 'holding centre' and beaten up. Kasam Miah, another migrant who returned from Gurugram, claimed he was stripped by the police to verify his identity.Infiltration and spread of Bangladeshi illegal immigrants is a national security concern. India has 20 million Bangladeshi illegal immigrants, Kiren Rijiju, then junior Home Minister, told Parliament in 2016.But the crackdown seems to have fuelled a humanitarian crisis.Ahead of West Bengal's Assembly election, Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress head Mamata Banerjee has turned the twin issues into key planks. She has assured all help to the returning migrants."There's no need to stay in Mumbai, UP or Rajasthan. I may not be able to feed you pitha or payas (sweets) but, if we eat one roti, we will ensure you get one too. You can live here [West Bengal] in peace," she said in the last week of July."You have the police helpline number. Let us know when you wish to return. We will bring you back by train," Mamata said. MOVE LIKELY TO HIT NCR'S INFORMAL BACKBONEThe corporate and IT hubs of Noida and Gurugram, which house a large working-class population, are dependent on migrant labour — from sanitation workers, car cleaners, to house help.The crackdown on migrant workers has not only disrupted Delhi-NCR's informal backbone, but its cosmopolitan image has also taken a beating.In fact, as per the Bengal government, nearly 2,500 Bengali migrant workers have returned in recent months. The numbers, however, don't paint the true picture.In Greater Noida's Gaur City, a township of 16 societies, beyond the high-rises and glass facades lie jhuggi-jhopri (slum) clusters across several acres in Haibatpur. It houses the hundreds of migrant labourers, largely from Bengal and Bihar, who keep the corporate households running.advertisementMany of the houses in the slums are now locked. Their occupants have fled the city, leaving behind their hopes of financial freedom, and abandoning rented quarters, belongings, clothes, and children's education.Noorjahan's fears intensified after her relatives were picked up by Gurugram police around 10 days ago and detained in "holding centres". Fearing a similar action, she and around 45-50 domestic helps, residing in Noida, have hurriedly booked train tickets for Bengal."Noida police have asked us to clear the area by August 15. We have been living here for 7-8 years. Just because we speak Bangla, doesn't mean we are Bangladeshis. Even though we have valid documents like Aadhaar, we are leaving as we don't want to get into trouble," Noorjahan, who is from Bengal's Coochbehar, told India Today Digital.
Many of the houses in Bengali migrant colonies in Gurugram are now locked (AFP)
For people like Noorjahan, going back home means leaving behind a monthly income of Rs 30,000 and unemployment for a longer duration. The money accumulated over the years recently helped get her daughter married. Now, she stares at an uncertain future back home.advertisementNoida is feeling the ripple effect of Gurugram, where the verification drive has acquired momentum in the past few months.The police were acting after a directive from the Union Home Ministry in May that asked states to deport Bangladeshi nationals and Rohingya.BENGALI-SPEAKING MIGRANTS COMPLAIN OF POLICE ABUSEHasan Sheikh, who cleaned cars in societies in Gurugram while his wife worked as a domestic help, thought he could weather this storm without leaving their livelihood behind, but he decided otherwise after being picked up by the police from his slum.On July 26, Sheikh and 250 people were taken to a 'holding centre' by the police.He claimed that he was beaten so badly by the police that he could barely walk the next day when he and some others were released."I was brought back on shoulders by my fellow brothers. I didn't waste any time and booked bus tickets and left the next day," Sheikh, who has three daughters, told India Today Digital over phone from Bengal. Together with his wife, he used to earn around Rs 55,000 a month. advertisementKasam Miah, who worked as a daily-waged contract labourer in Gurugram, has also gone back to his village in Bengal.Narrating his ordeal, he claimed that their group were "stripped by the police at a community centre to check if they were Hindus or Muslims" and asked to prove their citizenship. They were eventually let off after two days and directed to leave the city."They are not accepting Aadhaar or voter ID cards as proof and demanding school certificates or residential papers of our grandfather. From where will we get those papers now," Miah told India Today Digital over from Coochbehar.With no means of a stable income back home, Sheikh and Miah said they would work on farms to feed their families. It will fetch them anywhere between Rs 200-250 per day, but not the kind of financial safety a big city like Gurugram often promises.However, Gurugram Police have denied reports of abuse during their drive and maintained that the detainees were let off after their credentials were established.SIR EXERCISE IN BENGAL ADDS TO CONCERNSFor some, the added fear is the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bengal ahead of Assembly polls in 2026 to remove illegal voters.advertisementApruja, who works as a cook in Noida, is among those preparing to return to Bengal to apply for a domicile certificate. However, she plans to return to Noida after a few months as she is the sole breadwinner of her family as her husband is hit by paralysis."I have nothing to fear as our family has been living in Coochbehar for several decades. I will apply for my school-leaving certificate and domicile certificate and return after sorting it out," she said.For hundreds, like Apruja and Noorjahan, Bengal may be their native place, but Noida is home.
Several societies have asked residents to submit a final police verification report.
WORKING CLASS OF DELHI-NCR LIKELY TO BEAR THE BRUNTThe working class, who depend on them for their domestic chores amid their busy lifestyle, have been left struggling for alternatives. Several societies have asked residents to submit a final police verification report of domestic helps.The issue has sparked a heated discussion on social media.A viral Reddit post titled "Maid and Cook vanished suddenly from Gurgaon" recently highlighted how domestic helps were suddenly becoming unreachable."My 'didi' (maid) cried to me today, saying that they have been forcefully picking people up despite them showing their papers that they are from India. And then they've been beating them up and also switching their phones off," one user said."The downside is that these people used to charge less whereas maids from UP charge higher," posted another person.While officials maintain that the drive is only focused on alleged "illegal Bangladeshis", it is the Bengali-speaking migrant workers and the working class in these cities who are bearing the brunt. Delhi-NCR seems to be staring at a humanitarian and house help crisis if the exodus of Bengali-speaking migrants continues.- EndsTune In