Remember how the administration literally built a wall to prevent the visiting Donald Trump from seeing India’s ‘ugly’ slums? This has always been our attitude to the poor, the marginalised: we don’t want to see them, we would rather pretend they don’t exist. We see our own privilege as earned and their lack of privilege as something they probably deserve. What else could explain the classist, exclusionary policies we see in some housing societies – policies that are nothing but a new form of untouchability?
Firstly, this is an attempt to segregate - the server and the served and possibly denies a common facility to some people (facility taken for granted, which, if not working for a few hours would prompt huge outcry). Secondly, there is the assumption that segregation based on class (and in Indian inevitably caste as well) is OK, even justifiable. Thirdly there is an attempt to penalise those who are poorest with a fine that they can least afford… I could go on.
Reasons of hygiene and contagion are routinely given for discriminatory practices like this. The little but an excuse to guard privilege, and refuse to treat other human beings as equals. As this tweet rightly points out, if residents have such issues, they should stop using the services of these people who make life infinitely easier and more convenient.
Predictably, there were many justifications for the appalling notice put up: it is easier to sanitise one lift than two or three, suggests this tweet.
If workers are discriminated against, well, that’s just too bad. Apparently the privileged cannot become infected or pass on an infection. It is only ‘those people’ who have the unique ability to do so, suggested a lot of tweets.
‘Especially for maids’, ‘Best measure’ are some of the terms this tweet uses. This is to indicate that it is OK for workers to clean utensils, sweep and swab floors, clean the furniture in the house, but not to use the same lift. Pretty sure this person will have separate utensils for domestic workers as well - for the same facile reasons of 'hygiene'.
So what if domestic workers and delivery persons are prevented from using the ‘better’ lift, they have the other smaller one to use, suggests this tweet. Calling out the discriminatory practice for what it is, apparently is just virtue signalling according to this tweet.
Some argued that such behaviour stems from our colonial hangover. I would argue that it has its roots in the caste system which has always made ours a stratified, hierarchical and profoundly unequal society.
In offices we see juniors kowtowing to seniors. Those in power feel entitled to special privileges and there are minions around to ensure this. The problem is that we feel that certain inequality is natural and that authority must be feared and obeyed. It is that same mentality that carries over into other aspects of our social interactions.
People are excluded for their marital status, the kind of job they do, their caste, their religion, sexual orientation, food preferences… there are always ‘reasons’ but basically it’s all lipstick on a pig.
The fact is that social divisions in our society seem to be solidifying, not easing in recent times. We could blame COVID for it – because a lot of people seem to have embraced the pandemic as just another excuse to exclude, otherise and discriminate.
Such discrimination reflects poorly on us as a society. We appear discriminatory and regressive in our mindsets.
When we see a sign such as this, where only some people are allowed into a lift, this is like the new untouchability. If we have hopes of becoming a modern, inclusive, progressive society, this mindset does nothing to further those aspirations.
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