A Reddit user was left in shock after the maid and the cook had disappeared suddenly from Gurugram. “What’s going on?” the user asked.
“Since Sunday there is a issue we all are facing in Ardee City, the maids and cooks are vanished suddenly and their cells are not reachable as well. The garbage collection guy is not coming though,” add the user while wondering what could have happened.
“It’s all over Gurgaon. The immigration check for the people specifically domestic helps and sanitation workers is making them flee Gurgaon,” replied one Reddit user.
“Not flee, they’re being put in detention centres in Manesar,” countered another.
Another posted, “My didi 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.”
“Police have cracked down on some of the areas where a lot of Bengali helpers live and detained some claiming they are Bangladeshi. Few others have fleed to their villages out of fear of mistreatment and forced nabbing by police,” came from another.
What is going on?
Hundreds of domestic workers and sanitation staff have left Gurugram due to fear of police checks and detention. This sudden exit has severely disrupted waste collection. Garbage has been piling up on streets while door-to-door waste collection systems have literally collapsed.
According to the Hindustan Times, areas like Sector 103, Palam Vihar, Sector 56, 57 and Sector 29 are now facing waste problems. Residents are hiring tractor-trolleys without proper waste separation or trained workers. It is causing random dumping that risks turning into a serious health crisis.
The immigration drive primarily targets suspected undocumented migrants, mostly from Bangladesh and Myanmar.
About 250 people remain held in detention centres set up in four community halls in Gurgaon. Migrant workers say Bengali-speaking people are being unfairly targeted during verification checks.
Around 200 migrants from Sector 58 have already left for Assam. Locals accuse police of randomly arresting and assaulting their family members.
The Times of India spoke to Saminul Islam from Assam. He has lived in Gurgaon for 15 years with his family.
“Suddenly, we are being labelled as illegal Bangladeshis. Several of our relatives have been detained in community centres even though they possess identity proofs of their citizenship. We are Indians, not criminals,” TOI quoted Saminul as saying.