Goa has two classes of women; those that have a maid and those that don't. Those that don't belong to the "I have a maid" Club, live on the fringes of society, the periphery so to speak of all that is considered "delicade and descent" in Goa. They will give their eye teeth to join the club. The moment their husbands take up a job in the Gulf, onboard a ship or in an unlit, windowless government office, that is their cue to apply for membership of the exclusive Club.

Once you join the Club, you have to take a quick course in what I call maid-speak.

"Oh how terrible these girls are..."

"All they do is eat and sleep. Mine wakes up at 9 o'clock and steals everything in the fridge."

"And mine, my God. Wants to wear the best salwaar kameez. Puts on Ponds cream you know."

Stories have to be cleverly embellished to ensure no shred of humanity can ever permeate into these conversation for somehow in our convoluted consciousness, the more inhuman we sound the more elevated it makes us feel in the presence of our peers. These girls after all are not creatures with real emotions, they are not human beings who might have real needs such rest-breaks, a day off, a good meal, time to sleep and recuperate. No, these people are invisible to us. Heaven forbid, we should care for them as human beings.

The most common complaint in Goa, is that we can't find Goan maids. I wonder why? Why would Goan girls want to work in households that grudge them a simple meal, expect them to carry sacks or anything else that catches our fancy on their head? Never mind that many will be mere children or aged between sixteen to eighteen when they start working for us. Our own girls have heads, backs, legs and ovaries that need to be protected but these girls can be treated like beasts of burden. Then there are the men about the house, who view these defenceless creatures as part of a concubinage; they won't mind a grope here and there. Their sleeping arrangements usually leave a lot to be desired as well. Most will sleep in the kitchen, but I've known girls who've been made to sleep in the storeroom and worse still near the chicken coup. This is not the odd, depraved households, I am talking about. These are our good, decent, educated Goan families, who will think nothing of spending lavishly on some inane Lions' Club function but will be crib and cringe before parting with a fistful of rupees for their maids. So our girls work in factories and tiny retail shops in Margao. They earn less but they have their dignity and respect intact.

Now we bring our maids from the interiors of Bihar and Orissa. Young girls who will work through anything and suffer anything because life back home is even more insufferable. This situation works out quite well because we can further anaesthetise any need to actually improve the working conditions we offer them. See, how better off they are in Goa; they get two huge meals, a roof over their heads plus a salary. Well, I have news for Goans. You aren't doing anyone favours. These girls earn those meals, the shelter and their salary. In fact, we pay them a pittance and we should be ashamed of ourselves.

As a final thought I leave you with an article on the recent case of a young maid, just ten years old who was cruelly burnt and tortured for seven whole months before she escaped. In our Indian system of justice her tormentors will not be brought to justice but it is time we stoke our own conscience and accord our caretakers the dignity they deserve. For the article, click here.

Do leave your feedback at carvalho_sel@yahoo.com