Hyderabad: Over a century ago, the British elite did not allow an Indian to travel the first class compartment of a train. This discrimination set off a process that ended the mighty British empire.
Similar discrimination is being meted out for low-wage working class people such as delivery agents, domestic servants and small vendors at some apartments in Hyderabad, where they are not allowed to use lifts.
“If you are a delivery agent or maid, take the staircase or pay Rs 500,” read a notice stuck near the lift at a gate community that has several eight-storied apartments at Hitec City.
The notice leaves just two options for the discriminated people — either climb up eight floors or use the lift and pay their entire day’s wage as a fine.
While the picture of this notice went viral on X (formerly known as Twitter) and has drawn backlash from netizens, this is the hard reality that house helps and delivery agents face every day.
A Rapido delivery agent narrated his ordeal to Deccan Chronicle.
“When I visited a gated community at Manikonda to deliver a parcel, the watchman asked me to park my vehicle 200 metres away from the building, citing security reasons. I did that and walked up to the building only to be told that I cannot use the lift. I was asked to use the stairs though I had to deliver the package on the fourth floor.”
“There are times when my friends climbed over eight floors — Sometimes, with heavy parcels. Sometimes, the customers themselves come down to collect the parcels near the security. Or they are asked to drop it at the security officer.”
A resident of a gated community, Surya Kumar, however, denies discrimination but adds that the house helps and delivery agents will have to prove their identification by submitting government identity cards.
“We do not have a separate lift or entrance for house helps or delivery agents, but we do have a verification process. The process includes submitting their Aadhaar card, after which we receive a notification on an app. If we know them, we approve their request, and then the delivery agent or the house help or the tenants are allowed to walk into the building. This does not happen everyday for the regular house helps and tenants.”
Another resident, however, sought to justify the reports of disallowing delivery agents from using the lift, saying, “During the pandemic, neither delivery agents nor house helps were allowed to use the elevator because they visited several places.”
