Question

compare the character Stick of Ankita satputa in the article sole alone lonely warrior with that of saroj chawla in the short story of a mother decision
​

Answer 1

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....

compare the character Stick of Ankita satputa in the article sole alone lonely warrior with that of saroj chawla in the short story of a mother decision