[Reader-list] Maids, Labourers and Arushi Talwars

[Sudeep K S]

Raj Kumar died of shock.

It seems "certain influential people of the area forced him to climb a tree
on Saturday evening and cut a branch that was entangled in a high voltage
wire."

Yet another 'accidental' death of a field laborer. He did not have insurance
policies.

An English newspaper reports it : Cops beaten up by irate
mob.<http://www.indianexpress.com/news/cops-beaten-up-for-refusing-to-lodge-dalit-death-complaint/513773/>Most
probably the first and last newspaper report on this death. [Thanks to
Anu and PSB for sharing this story. I would not have noticed it otherwise.]

Similar was the story of a maid who was apparently butchered by her employer
to please the gods last year, in the luxurious Green Park residential area
in South Delhi. Maids and servants sat in front of that house in protest. It
seems that same person had done this with another maid about an year before
that. Police pacified 'irate mob' and cleared the place. Don't know what
happened after that.

I see Arushi's [see footnote] photograph on the front page of a newspaper
today, once again after a few months.

* * *

[Arushi Talwar : One girl from Noida whose face was on the front pages of
newspapers for months together. Needless to say, she was from a well to do
family. It was interesting : the first day newspapers carried the news of
her death, and said a servant is the main suspect. Next day they figured out
that the 'suspect' was also murdered. Police then said her father killed
them both. Then it became big news. People came out on streat, demanding
justice. TV channels made merry, ran stories one after the other, came with
new theories every day. Finally, one day we heard that some 'Nepali'
servants did it. Everyone was happy. There was no follow-up news in any
newspapers. TV channels turned their camera away from Talwars finally. The
only people to raise a meek voice of protest was some Nepali associations.
End of story, for all practical purpose. There will be some reference once
in a while, some nostalgia. After all, a lot of people -- both storymakers
and followers -- lived on this one story for a very long time.]

[ also posted at
http://sudeepsdiary.blogspot.com/2009/09/irate-mobs-and-arushi.html ]