Compare the character of anita satpute in the article Sole provider lonely warrior with that of saroj chawla in the short story A mother of decision.
Answers
Answer:
There are an estimated 20 million domestic workers in India but it is a sad fact that
domestic work is still not recognized as labour. Domestic workers don’t have any prescribed
minimum wages, cannot organize as unions or demand any of the benefits like a weekly day
off or medical, maternity or annual leave. Some organizations, like the National Domestic
Workers’ Movement that began in Mumbai in 1985, are striving for the empowerment of
domestic workers by obtaining legal rights for them. With the help of the Human Rights Law
Network, they have filed a Public Interest Litigation in the Supreme Court, resulting in a
Supreme Court order to include domestic work in the Unorganized Sector Workers’ Bill.
Though it has been stalled on a couple of earlier occasions, once it is passed there is hope that
this underclass can hope for a better and dignified life.
The series ‘The Other Half’ aims to highlight the lives of this poor silent half. ‘Sole
Provider, Lonely Warrior’ is the story of one such domestic worker, Anita Satpute. Through
her account the writer attempts to draw our attention to many larger issues—the position of
women, exploitation of domestic workers and their living conditions in Mumbai.
Glossary
chawl : a one room apartment in a building with many such dwellings
drudgery : work that is hard or boring and does not give the person who does it, any
importance in society
faux leather : artificial leather
flip side : the side that can’t be seen
frugality : not eating too much or spending much money on oneself
munificence : generosity
palpable : something so obvious that it can easily be seen or felt
portly : polite word for fat
procurement : (formal word) the act of obtaining something with difficulty
saving grace : a quality that compensates for something that is otherwise unpleasant or
difficult
shackled : tied, as with chains
swarthy : dark-complexioned
wistfully : sadly, wanting something and knowing that you cannot get it
Study-Guide
The title of the feature article refers to the domestic worker, Anita Satpute. She works
every day, from morning till evening, cleaning other people’s homes, to earn Rs. 2,000 per
month that is the main source of income for her family. That is why she is called the ‘sole
provider’. Her husband, a cobbler, does not make any effort to earn more money to supplement
the family income. He is content with whatever little he earns, leaving it to his wife to bear the
burden of providing for their three children. That is why she is called the ‘lonely warrior’, as
there is no one to share her struggle for a better future for her family.