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Condos feel pinch as turnout of housekeeping staff and helps falls in Gurgaon

Condos feel pinch as turnout of housekeeping staff and helps falls in Gurgaon

Time of India23-07-2025
Gurgaon: A large number of domestic helpers, car cleaners and housekeeping staff have stopped reporting to work in several upscale condominiums in the city, with employers claiming many of them have left fearing detention during the police verification drive to identify "illegals".
Residents from societies along Southern Peripheral Road (SPR) and Dwarka Expressway said there has been a decline in presence of support staff over the last seven days. In several cases, workers — particularly Bengali-speaking Muslims — have packed up and left for their hometowns.
The fear of detention has become so pervasive that some workers have requested financial assistance to leave, while others have ceased leaving their homes.
Priyanka Srivastava, a resident of Sector 70A, said her domestic help didn't show up for the past two days. "She asked for some money, saying she is leaving the city. Our block used to have around 40 domestic helps. Now, barely 14 or 15 are reporting to work. Most of those who left were Bengali Muslims — they were terrified.
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In housing societies like Tulip Ivory in Sector 70, the atmosphere is similarly tense. Reeta Sharma, a resident, said her domestic help is too frightened to venture outside.
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"She is panicking. Even though she has an Aadhaar and has been working here for years, she is afraid she will be picked up and labelled an illegal immigrant. She has stopped going to work altogether."
Fear has deepened among workers living in illegal settlements, with reports of night-time detentions further stoking their anxiety. Arbeena Khatun, 25, who works as a cook in South City 2, said she is planning to leave the city.
"My cousin and other relatives have already left. I will also leave soon. How can one live like this? The police are picking up anyone. Even last night, four people were taken away from our settlement.
They said this is against Bangladeshis. But we are Indian. I was working in the city for 12 years," Arbeena added.
With support staff missing, many condominiums are now grappling with piling up garbage mounds, dirty stairwells, and mounting chores. Sunil Sareen, RWA Vice-President of Imperial Gardens in Sector 102, said the situation has begun to affect basic services. "Waste is piling up in the society as sanitation staffers haven't turned up. Most are migrants, and they've either left or are staying away due to fear," he said.
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Centre withdrawing order granting nod to release of film 'Udaipur files', Delhi HC told
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Time of India

time27 minutes ago

  • Time of India

Centre withdrawing order granting nod to release of film 'Udaipur files', Delhi HC told

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The court was informed by the counsel for the film's producer that the movie is scheduled to be released on August 8 and they would take some time for making arrangements for releasing it by engaging the theatres. Live Events Earlier in the day, the court questioned the Central government as to under what authority it ordered six cuts in the film while exercising its revisional powers. The court asked the Centre's counsel to take instructions from the authorities, and heard the matter again in the post-lunch session. In the second round of the hearing, the Centre's counsel informed the court that they will withdraw their order, revisit the decision and pass a fresh order in accordance with the law. Noting the submissions, the court disposed of the two petitions filed by Mohammed Javed, one of the accused in the Kanhaiya Lal murder case, and Jamiat Ulema-i-Hind president Maulana Arshad Madani. The court earlier said the Centre has to exercise the powers within the four corners of the statute and cannot go beyond that. The court was informed that while exercising its revisional powers under the Cinematograph Act, the Centre had suggested six cuts to the producers of the movie in addition to a disclaimer. The petitioner's counsel had contended before the court that the Central government exercised its revisional powers in a manner that contravened the statutory scheme of the Cinematograph Act. Section 6 of the Act grants the Central government revisional powers over film certification. The Centre's counsel had said the film has undergone a two-step filter, first by the censor board, which suggested 55 cuts, and second by the committee, which further asked for six cuts, totalling 61 cuts. "There is a body of experts and so it happens in this case that it has undergone a two-stage filter test -- first by the board which suggested 55 cuts. 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Bangladesh fishers risk abduction in Myanmar border tensions
Bangladesh fishers risk abduction in Myanmar border tensions

Time of India

timean hour ago

  • Time of India

Bangladesh fishers risk abduction in Myanmar border tensions

Bangladesh fishers risk abduction in Myanmar border tensions The trickling sound of the Naf River, which separates Bangladesh from Myanmar, echoes through the verdant lanes leading to Mohammad Siddiqui's hut. Just opposite his quarters in the Bangladeshi border town of Teknaf, the mountains of Rakhine state in Myanmar are visible. Siddiqui earns his livelihood as a fisherman in the river. "I head out to fish on my wooden boat at around 7 a.m. and come back home around 1 pm," the 24-year-old told DW. "I love it and earn between 500-600 taka ($4-$5) a month, which helps me tend to the needs of my family of eight people, including two children," he added. However, fishing in the Naf has now become dangerous, with the Arakan Army (AA), a rebel group in Myanmar, operating in the region. In May, a group of AA fighters abducted Siddiqui and two other fishermen. "In early May, I went to the Naf River as I always have and hauled my fishing nets into the water. I was with two other fishermen. 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Dangerous tensions across Myanmar border The AA, one of Myanmar's most powerful ethnic armed groups, has been fighting against the country's military since 2015. While there have been a couple of temporary ceasefires for humanitarian reasons or natural disasters like earthquakes, the fighting has intensified since 2023. Currently, the AA controls 14 of Rakhine state's 17 townships, as well as Paletwa Township in neighboring Chin State. In December, the AA also captured Maungdaw Township in Rakhine state, which is a key military stronghold and region in western Myanmar, bordering Bangladesh. Myanmar's military previously controlled the 270-kilometer (170-mile) maritime border between Myanmar and Bangladesh. But with the AA gaining power in Maungdaw, the control of the border fell into their hands. Since then, reports of Bangladeshi fishermen being abducted by the AA have become relatively common. Around 15 were captured and later rescued in February, and another 56 were kidnapped and rescued in March. "These incidents are causing significant frustration for both Dhaka and the Arakan," Thomas Kean, senior consultant for Myanmar and Bangladesh at International Crisis Group, an NGO, told DW. "From the AA's perspective, illegal fishermen are encroaching on their territory without permission, and they think the problem is increasing and Dhaka and the local authorities are not doing enough to prevent it," he said. Kean added that the AA view itself as the legitimate authority in these areas, and would contend that their actions amount to law enforcement, not abduction. "On the other hand, it is hard for Dhaka to consider the detentions as legitimate since AA is a non-state actor," he said. DW reached out to the AA to understand why they are abducting Bangladeshi fishermen, but did not get a response at the time of publishing. After fishermen were abducted in March, SK Ahsan Uddin, a Bangladesh government official, told the Turkish news agency Anadolu that Bangladeshi fishermen have occasionally drifted into Myanmar's territory to fish but have been repeatedly warned against it for their own safety. 'AA is threatening our livelihood' Sipping on a cup of tea near the Naf, Mohammad Hussain, a fisherman who was also abducted by the AA with Siddiqui in May, said the river being closed for fishing in Bangladesh had resulted in some fishermen working very close or crossing the Myanmar maritime border. "Fishing is our livelihood, and since there was a ban in one part of the river on Bangladeshi territory, some fishermen would cross the border. When the junta was in charge, they would question them briefly, but with AA currently in charge, it is dangerous and fishermen have been careful," he said. At the height of the Rohingya crisis in August 2017, the Bangladeshi government banned fishing in the Naf River to prevent drug trafficking and stop the Rohingya from entering the country on fishing boats, according to local media reports. The Rohingya are a mostly Muslim ethnic minority based in Rakhine state that were persecuted and driven out of their homes by Myanmar's military. Hundreds of thousands fled and continue to live in crowded camps across the border in Bangladesh. Bangladesh's interim government lifted the ban in February, allowing fishing within Bangladesh's waters between 8 a.m. and 4 pm local time. Lifting the ban brought fishermen in the area a lot of relief, but the presence of the AA across Bangladesh's maritime border with Myanmar has made them nervous and scared. "I have been a fisherman all my life and a good catch is a win I cherish. But the AA fired at us and kidnapped us and now I am scared to fish," Hussain said. "Every time we go fishing now, we recognize the sound of their boat's fuel-powered engine patrolling the border and we freeze," he said. Robiul Hassan, 22, who has been fishing since he was 6 years old and was also abducted by the AA in May, shares a similar fear. "The AA is threatening our livelihood for no fault of our own, and our community does not feel safe. The village leaders have no money to buy us weapons to protect ourselves, so our families just pray for our safety when we go fishing. The government should help us out," he told DW. Can Bangladesh engage with Myanmar rebels? So far, the Bangladesh Coast Guard and Border Guard officials have been rescuing the fishermen abducted by the AA. DW reached out to Bangladesh's Coast Guard to understand what safety measures they are taking to help the fishermen, but did not get a response at the time of publishing. Khandakar Tahmid Rejwan, an analyst at the Centre for Alternatives, a Dhaka-based think tank, said the ongoing abductions and harassment of fishermen by a non-state armed group like the AA highlight a lack of proactive measures from Bangladesh's interim government. "It also reveals Dhaka's inability or unwillingness to pragmatically engage with a provocative foreign insurgent group, which employs gray zone warfare tactics to breach maritime boundaries, violate sovereignty and instill psychological fear," he told DW. "This incident might have been acceptable if it had been isolated and exceptional. Instead, these events happen regularly, accompanied by arbitrary shootings, torture and inhumane treatment of fishermen by the AA over the past several months," he added. "The AA is the de facto ruler of Rakhine and has become Bangladesh's new neighbor. It has battle-hardened troops, popular support, geostrategic depth and strong alliances with major rebel groups in Myanmar," he said, adding that Dhaka should begin an informal but strong understanding and engagement with the AA to ensure the safety of its people along the border. According to local media reports, Bangladeshi authorities began an unofficial engagement with the AA in December 2024. With tensions also mounting between Dhaka and Myanmar's military, Bangladesh's interim government defended this engagement with the AA and said it was a "necessity" in the country's interest. Rejwan said Dhaka should also involve think tanks, civil society members and local administrative representatives to foster dialogue with the AA and build mutual understanding on cross-border security issues.

Attacks on Indians rise in Ireland: ‘Avoid deserted areas, especially in odd hours,' says Indian embassy after racist assault in Dublin
Attacks on Indians rise in Ireland: ‘Avoid deserted areas, especially in odd hours,' says Indian embassy after racist assault in Dublin

Time of India

timean hour ago

  • Time of India

Attacks on Indians rise in Ireland: ‘Avoid deserted areas, especially in odd hours,' says Indian embassy after racist assault in Dublin

NEW DELHI: The embassy of India in Dublin has issued a security advisory urging Indian citizens in Ireland to exercise caution, following a recent rise in physical attacks targeting members of the Indian community. 'There has been an increase in the instances of physical attacks reported against Indian citizens in Ireland recently,' the embassy said in a post on X. 'The embassy is in touch with the authorities concerned of Ireland in this regard.' Indians in Ireland have been advised to take reasonable precautions for their personal security and to avoid deserted areas, especially at odd hours. The embassy also shared emergency contact information for Indian nationals: Phone: 08994 23734 Email: This comes in the wake of a particularly brutal racist assault in Tallaght, Dublin, on July 19. The incident, in which an Indian national was stabbed multiple times in the face, stripped naked, and left bleeding for over an hour, triggered widespread outrage and a wave of protests across the country. Protesters, including Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, and Irish citizens, gathered in large numbers to denounce the attack and demand justice. Over 800 people marched from Dublin City Hall to the National Gallery, holding signs such as 'Say no to racism' and 'Ireland is home.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Bolivia: New Senior Apartments (Prices May Surprise You) Senior Apartments | Search Ads Search Now Undo The Irish police, An Garda Síochána, have classified the assault as racially motivated. An online petition demanding justice has already gathered over 15,000 signatures. Indians, who form the largest non-EU immigrant group in Ireland, play key roles in the country's IT and healthcare sectors. The embassy's advisory underlines growing concerns about their safety.

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