A fair moved into the open ground 3 blocks from our apartment complex. Our understanding was that they'd leave in a fortnight. Not only did they stay, they played very loud music (on a loud speaker) all the way till 10:30pm.. FOR A MONTH.
People at home started to get irritable in the evenings because there was no room in the house that the noise did not pervade. Everyone being Indian here also meant there was also a lot of whining, complaining & negativity about the loud music everyday (with no initiative being taken about solving the problem). I knew I had to do something when my old father started to hum 'Sheila ki jawani' (one of the songs repeated 10 times a day on the fair ground loud-speaker) in a very out-of-tune manner.
10pm the next day I called the local police precinct and informed the officer (operator) that we were having a huge noise pollution problem because of a neighboring fair. He asked my name & I told him. I asked if they would keep it confidential & he said they would. He then asked me the address of the location where the sound was emanating from & I gave it to him. I was very polite all the way through & addressed him as 'sir'. Once he had all the details he'd asked, for he said he would inform a patrol officer about the problem. I thanked him and hung up. 20 minutes later they cut the music. It was that simple. The next day the music started up again but I didn't wait for it to be 10pm. I placed pretty much the same complaint, supplied pretty much the same information and got pretty much the same response. Once again - 20 minutes later they cut the music. The key word I used was "loud speaker" which apparently is grounds for immediate action.
My advice to those that suffer from noise pollution:
1. Call the local Police Control Room (justdial or the yellow pages will have this info).
2. Find out the phone number of your local police precinct (chowki) from the Police Control Room.
3. Call your local police precinct (chowki) and inform them of the problem.
5. Be sure you have the address of the 'problem location'. The police will not go by general directions and they are not authorised to act on their own.
6. If the problem persists, go to the police station in person & lodge a complaint. At least you'll have something to go by if you later have to invoke the RTI act.
7. Be polite to the police officers you talk to. They make it a point to ignore the rude.
And above all: Ask and ye shall receive!
I was extremely impressed at the speed with which the Ramwadi Police Station in Pune acted on my behest. Not even the local council in London (where I lived for some years) moved that quickly when called about noise issues!
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Unlikely power for domestic workers.
Two people I've known (husband & wife) and respected since childhood deeply disappointed me by the way they spoke to their house maid (let's call her Laxmi). There was no physical abuse involved but lots of emotional distress from what I could see.
The man would heap insults on her liberally for not cutting his salad right, making his tea too strong and going to her room when she had nothing else to do in the kitchen. The woman would constantly nag her for not doing things just so and wake her up at ungodly hours in the night to make her some tea. The yelling and nagging started at 7am and stopped at 10:30pm.
What made this especially hard to stomach was that the maid had left an abusive home to escape beatings and inhuman treatment. Although she was semi-literate in a regional language, she knew knew how to punch in numbers into her cell phone (the card of which belonged to the owners of the house she worked in). She didn't have a bank account because she didn't even have a voter ID card or a ration card. There was nothing on record to even show that she existed.
I had heard of folks calling house-maid & domestic servant placement bureaus/agencies to fill positions for domestic staff. The bureaus sent them the required help & collected a fee from the employer. They are also required (by law) to collect other information from the employer to protect the safety of the placed staff. Laxmi had never heard of these bureaus. I promptly called one I found on justdial and asked if they'd be willing to place a maid I was calling on behalf of. They said they could & got to work. I sincerely beleived that it made a difference that I called on behalf of Laxmi. Perhaps they took this placement a tad seriously when they found that the girl had support from a middle class individual.
Several phone calls & a couple of interviews later Laxmi had a position available at another household where she felt she would be treated better and she left for her new job. She also had the phone number of the placement agency. The agency had requested that the new owner help her fill out an application for a voter ID card & also get her a SIM card for her cell phone (for which she would pay him). I called to find out how she was doing a couple of weeks later & learnt that although the people she worked for were nice, they'd not communicated correctly to her the amount of work she was expected to do. She'd called the maid placement agency & asked to me moved to a new position since she wasn't able to deal with the amount of house-work. The agency in turn called her employer & worked out a better system where her work load was reduced.
It turns out that the fee rendered to placement agencies upon the placement of a domentic worker is almost always non-refundable. This puts the agency (and indirectly the domestic worker) in a position to bargain. Although the middle class constantly complains about this factor & claims it is mis-used by agaencies & maids to 'gouge' them, the situation is not entirely without merit.
Laxmi continues to work for her new employers & is much happier there. The phone number of the maid placement bureau gives her some power. And it is only with power that any of us can have dignity.
This is a true story.
The man would heap insults on her liberally for not cutting his salad right, making his tea too strong and going to her room when she had nothing else to do in the kitchen. The woman would constantly nag her for not doing things just so and wake her up at ungodly hours in the night to make her some tea. The yelling and nagging started at 7am and stopped at 10:30pm.
What made this especially hard to stomach was that the maid had left an abusive home to escape beatings and inhuman treatment. Although she was semi-literate in a regional language, she knew knew how to punch in numbers into her cell phone (the card of which belonged to the owners of the house she worked in). She didn't have a bank account because she didn't even have a voter ID card or a ration card. There was nothing on record to even show that she existed.
I had heard of folks calling house-maid & domestic servant placement bureaus/agencies to fill positions for domestic staff. The bureaus sent them the required help & collected a fee from the employer. They are also required (by law) to collect other information from the employer to protect the safety of the placed staff. Laxmi had never heard of these bureaus. I promptly called one I found on justdial and asked if they'd be willing to place a maid I was calling on behalf of. They said they could & got to work. I sincerely beleived that it made a difference that I called on behalf of Laxmi. Perhaps they took this placement a tad seriously when they found that the girl had support from a middle class individual.
Several phone calls & a couple of interviews later Laxmi had a position available at another household where she felt she would be treated better and she left for her new job. She also had the phone number of the placement agency. The agency had requested that the new owner help her fill out an application for a voter ID card & also get her a SIM card for her cell phone (for which she would pay him). I called to find out how she was doing a couple of weeks later & learnt that although the people she worked for were nice, they'd not communicated correctly to her the amount of work she was expected to do. She'd called the maid placement agency & asked to me moved to a new position since she wasn't able to deal with the amount of house-work. The agency in turn called her employer & worked out a better system where her work load was reduced.
It turns out that the fee rendered to placement agencies upon the placement of a domentic worker is almost always non-refundable. This puts the agency (and indirectly the domestic worker) in a position to bargain. Although the middle class constantly complains about this factor & claims it is mis-used by agaencies & maids to 'gouge' them, the situation is not entirely without merit.
Laxmi continues to work for her new employers & is much happier there. The phone number of the maid placement bureau gives her some power. And it is only with power that any of us can have dignity.
This is a true story.
Friday, December 24, 2010
My first RTI form and a kind, internet savvy lawyer. The journal continues.
Night 4 and the dogs are howling full force. My eyes are blood shot from lack of sleep and my breathing is strained. Needless to say, I'm awake. The heavy duty Bose headphones I'm wearing aren't doing much to keep the noise out. I'm sure most poor Indians can't afford these in the first place.
I'm up at 6 o'clock reading up on all on-going RTI classes in Pune and come across something at YASHDA at Baner Road. I find the contact information of one of the instructors and call him. He's a lawyer and his profile says he has extensive experience in the realm of RTI. "Please," I say, "I have to get into this class". I tell him about the problem with noisy stray dogs in my area and also tell him that I'm a willing learner and want to resolve the problem within the law. I'm obviously incredibly persuasive because he says I'm in. An hour later he sends me some very helpful information on the RTI (see the end of this post for the links and what they are about).
I wasn't lying to him when I said I was very motivated to do something about this. I read up on the material he sent me & here's what I did next:
1. I go to the Pune Municipal Corporation website & lodge a complaint under the "Health - Main Building" department and choose "stray dogs nuisance" as the topic. Here's the link to the complaint URL http://www.punecorporation.org/GRS/Complaint/LaunchComplaintCitizen.aspx
My complaint explicitly states that stray dogs have been keeping me awake for weeks and the dog-squad refuses to do anything about the dogs if they've already been neutered. I give them my details & the address of the problem areas. I request them to solve the problem. I submit the request, print the confirmation & save my complaint number.
2. I go to the Xerox shops near the Zilla Parishad in Pune and buy myself a few RTI forms and Rs.10 court stamps. RTI forms are also called "maahitichey adhikaar forms" so don't be surprised if you get blank looks when you say "RTI forms". Unfortunately it's not easy to get the ones printed in English (thank God I took Marathi as a second language in school!)
3. I fill out the form in Marathi, attach my questions to the PIO, Department of Health, PMC in Marathi (translation services are available in Pune but I used my mother's fantastic Marathi/English skills to get my questions translated). Please make sure your questions are very specific and focused (see end of this post for guidelines on writing these questions). If you ramble, are unclear or address various departments in one form, your request for information might be rejected. Keep the questions to a maximum of 5 and one department per form. Once you've completed the form, make a photocopy - the PMC official will need to stamp & date this as proof that you've submitted an RTI request. I will be posting a copy of my questions & the answer I receive (or don't receive) once I get them.
4. I go to the PMC main building in Pune, find the Health Department official on the 3rd floor (not easy, you have to ask around). None of the doors have 'PIO' (Public Information Officer) written on them.
5. I leave with the stamped "proof" and was told that they would contact me within 30 days to tell me the total cost of the request. I would need to pick it up in person.
An RTI form is not a complaint form. Don't seek accountability through it, only answers to specific questions. If you don't know how, seek out the help of an RTI volunteer in your area.
More later...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
External links:
-A Handbook on RTI, 2005. Under GoI-UNDP Project on capacity building on access to information (great, simple to understand information).
-Guidelines on how to write an effective RTI application http://www.rtiindia.org/forum/blogs/jps50/93-how-make-rti-application-effective.html
-Public Commission of Inquiry (Pune) complaint form (this is not an RTI form) https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dEo2ZkpmTmhxTDNROTRwdkZSdUpBM0E6MQ
- PMC complaint portal http://www.punecorporation.org/GRS/Complaint/LaunchComplaintCitizen.aspx (remember to save your confirmation number).
I'm up at 6 o'clock reading up on all on-going RTI classes in Pune and come across something at YASHDA at Baner Road. I find the contact information of one of the instructors and call him. He's a lawyer and his profile says he has extensive experience in the realm of RTI. "Please," I say, "I have to get into this class". I tell him about the problem with noisy stray dogs in my area and also tell him that I'm a willing learner and want to resolve the problem within the law. I'm obviously incredibly persuasive because he says I'm in. An hour later he sends me some very helpful information on the RTI (see the end of this post for the links and what they are about).
I wasn't lying to him when I said I was very motivated to do something about this. I read up on the material he sent me & here's what I did next:
1. I go to the Pune Municipal Corporation website & lodge a complaint under the "Health - Main Building" department and choose "stray dogs nuisance" as the topic. Here's the link to the complaint URL http://www.punecorporation.org/GRS/Complaint/LaunchComplaintCitizen.aspx
My complaint explicitly states that stray dogs have been keeping me awake for weeks and the dog-squad refuses to do anything about the dogs if they've already been neutered. I give them my details & the address of the problem areas. I request them to solve the problem. I submit the request, print the confirmation & save my complaint number.
2. I go to the Xerox shops near the Zilla Parishad in Pune and buy myself a few RTI forms and Rs.10 court stamps. RTI forms are also called "maahitichey adhikaar forms" so don't be surprised if you get blank looks when you say "RTI forms". Unfortunately it's not easy to get the ones printed in English (thank God I took Marathi as a second language in school!)
3. I fill out the form in Marathi, attach my questions to the PIO, Department of Health, PMC in Marathi (translation services are available in Pune but I used my mother's fantastic Marathi/English skills to get my questions translated). Please make sure your questions are very specific and focused (see end of this post for guidelines on writing these questions). If you ramble, are unclear or address various departments in one form, your request for information might be rejected. Keep the questions to a maximum of 5 and one department per form. Once you've completed the form, make a photocopy - the PMC official will need to stamp & date this as proof that you've submitted an RTI request. I will be posting a copy of my questions & the answer I receive (or don't receive) once I get them.
4. I go to the PMC main building in Pune, find the Health Department official on the 3rd floor (not easy, you have to ask around). None of the doors have 'PIO' (Public Information Officer) written on them.
5. I leave with the stamped "proof" and was told that they would contact me within 30 days to tell me the total cost of the request. I would need to pick it up in person.
An RTI form is not a complaint form. Don't seek accountability through it, only answers to specific questions. If you don't know how, seek out the help of an RTI volunteer in your area.
More later...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
External links:
-A Handbook on RTI, 2005. Under GoI-UNDP Project on capacity building on access to information (great, simple to understand information).
-Guidelines on how to write an effective RTI application http://www.rtiindia.org/forum/blogs/jps50/93-how-make-rti-application-effective.html
-Public Commission of Inquiry (Pune) complaint form (this is not an RTI form) https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dEo2ZkpmTmhxTDNROTRwdkZSdUpBM0E6MQ
- PMC complaint portal http://www.punecorporation.org/GRS/Complaint/LaunchComplaintCitizen.aspx (remember to save your confirmation number).
Castrated Indians. The dog's day (and night) have arrived.
The next night I am woken again at 3am by several stray dogs barking loudly on the street right outside my window & think "Am I the only one who's sleep & health are being destroyed by dogs?"
I get online and look up "stray dogs barking" and find several Indians from all over the country whining about the problem (pun intended) on online forums. In case you're one of them - get off your lazy ass and do something you whiny bastard!
Come 9am the next day I call the dog catchers & no one answers the phone. Dog catchers are normally contract employees that the Municipal Corporation hires to capture the dogs and neuter them. By law dogs are re-released in the same locality they were captured from so that they can continue to bite passers-by and torment sleeping citizens at night by their incessant howling. No, no that's not it. They're put back where they belong so that they can raise the real estate value of the neighborhood. No wait. That's not it either. They're put back so that people in the neighborhood who've been taking anti-rabies shots for fun don't miss their omnipotent presence. That must be it.
Where was I? Right, the Pune Municipal Corporation. Somehow I manage to get a call in to the dog-catchers I find on Justdial.com and lodge a complaint. They turn up, say they caught 3 dogs & now want 'chai money' (read bribe). I ask them what they'll do with the dogs. "Neuter them & re-release them right where we found them." Problem not solved. Meanwhile a huge crowd of local residents has collected and is begging the dog catcher to take away more dogs and never bring them back. "Please! Please!" one man shouts, "my kids can't study and my wife can't sleep. I'll pay you whatever you want".
I manage to get hold of the phone number of the official in charge of the dog squad who glibly but politely tells me that neutered dogs cannot be moved and that his hands are tied. Also that their night-van is not operational because their contracts have dried up & they're "working on it". He says he feels my pain but is powerless to do anything worthwhile. I thank him for his valuable time and hang up.
All you tax-paying Indians who stay awake & dream of nights when you could sleep peacefully - you've been castrated. The law favours canine strays over your health and productivity. Unlike pubs, parties and discoes you can't stop a dog from barking after 10:30pm. Still sitting on your sorry asses? Read on.
I get online and look up "stray dogs barking" and find several Indians from all over the country whining about the problem (pun intended) on online forums. In case you're one of them - get off your lazy ass and do something you whiny bastard!
Come 9am the next day I call the dog catchers & no one answers the phone. Dog catchers are normally contract employees that the Municipal Corporation hires to capture the dogs and neuter them. By law dogs are re-released in the same locality they were captured from so that they can continue to bite passers-by and torment sleeping citizens at night by their incessant howling. No, no that's not it. They're put back where they belong so that they can raise the real estate value of the neighborhood. No wait. That's not it either. They're put back so that people in the neighborhood who've been taking anti-rabies shots for fun don't miss their omnipotent presence. That must be it.
Where was I? Right, the Pune Municipal Corporation. Somehow I manage to get a call in to the dog-catchers I find on Justdial.com and lodge a complaint. They turn up, say they caught 3 dogs & now want 'chai money' (read bribe). I ask them what they'll do with the dogs. "Neuter them & re-release them right where we found them." Problem not solved. Meanwhile a huge crowd of local residents has collected and is begging the dog catcher to take away more dogs and never bring them back. "Please! Please!" one man shouts, "my kids can't study and my wife can't sleep. I'll pay you whatever you want".
I manage to get hold of the phone number of the official in charge of the dog squad who glibly but politely tells me that neutered dogs cannot be moved and that his hands are tied. Also that their night-van is not operational because their contracts have dried up & they're "working on it". He says he feels my pain but is powerless to do anything worthwhile. I thank him for his valuable time and hang up.
All you tax-paying Indians who stay awake & dream of nights when you could sleep peacefully - you've been castrated. The law favours canine strays over your health and productivity. Unlike pubs, parties and discoes you can't stop a dog from barking after 10:30pm. Still sitting on your sorry asses? Read on.
And so it begins with some barking.
I doubt if I would be bothering with any of this if it wasn't for the mild faith I have in the Right To Information act.
I live in Pune. 4 days ago I was woken at 2am by the loudest turf war the stray dogs in our locality have had so far (and they've been at it for months). The noise continued loudly & randomly till 5pm.
For weeks I've tried to ignore the large gangs of barking dogs at night with the result that I'm almost always sleep deprived, grumpy & lack concentration. My health & work have been on a steady downward slide ever since the Indian Supreme Court stayed the elimination of stray dogs by local Municipal Corporations.
Here's how I see it.
1. I pay my taxes.
2. My tax bracket is directly proportional to the amount of my income.
3. If I'm unable to earn what I normally do because I'm constantly sick from sleep deprivation, I pay fewer taxes. There are millions like me being kept awake by stray barking dogs and that's most certainly affecting the nation's productivity & financial resources and short changing the entire country.
4. Your money & my money is what is keeping us safe from hostile occupations, famine and epidemics.
I deserve a peaceful night's sleep and I refuse to piss away what I earn from hard work on a bunch of stray dogs just because some misguided dog-lover bent the will of the Supreme Court.
I'm not sure how I'm going to rectify this situation but I ain't turning back now. Read on to keep track of what I do.
I live in Pune. 4 days ago I was woken at 2am by the loudest turf war the stray dogs in our locality have had so far (and they've been at it for months). The noise continued loudly & randomly till 5pm.
For weeks I've tried to ignore the large gangs of barking dogs at night with the result that I'm almost always sleep deprived, grumpy & lack concentration. My health & work have been on a steady downward slide ever since the Indian Supreme Court stayed the elimination of stray dogs by local Municipal Corporations.
Here's how I see it.
1. I pay my taxes.
2. My tax bracket is directly proportional to the amount of my income.
3. If I'm unable to earn what I normally do because I'm constantly sick from sleep deprivation, I pay fewer taxes. There are millions like me being kept awake by stray barking dogs and that's most certainly affecting the nation's productivity & financial resources and short changing the entire country.
4. Your money & my money is what is keeping us safe from hostile occupations, famine and epidemics.
I deserve a peaceful night's sleep and I refuse to piss away what I earn from hard work on a bunch of stray dogs just because some misguided dog-lover bent the will of the Supreme Court.
I'm not sure how I'm going to rectify this situation but I ain't turning back now. Read on to keep track of what I do.
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