2021-06-30 : 15 Months of Pandemic and Women Mess Workers of IIT Kanpur

Friends,

It has been 15 months since the Institute and the entire country went into the first lockdown. There have been two waves of the virus and most of us witnessed extreme health contingencies, both personal and among relatives, close friends, and the community. The ferocity of the pandemic has taken a serious toll on all of us, and it would take a long while to get over it. Those of us who have been lucky to survive these catastrophic times know how much we owe it to the various kinds of essential workers who have been providing tireless services at great personal peril in the campus. Hamara Manch has been trying to bring out short reports on their situation to the community, and here is a new update:

15 Months of Pandemic and Women Mess Workers of IIT Kanpur

Hamara Manch Update: June 2021

The present report tries to capture the situation of one of the most vulnerable section of workers of the Institute whose voices are so muffled that they rarely get the attention they deserve – the women workers of Hall messes in IIT Kanpur. There are 74 women mess workers spread across the halls. The primary task of these workers is to sift and clean grains and pulses which are cooked in the Halls.

The following report is based on the notes of sessions where 32 women workers shared their situation with each other and us. We at Hamara Manch knew things were extremely difficult but these sessions made us realise how dire it actually is. Each of their accounts probably deserve a full report but we are attempting to present a summary of their current situation.

Please read the attached pdf for the full report and also forward it to other concerned members of the community.

Attachment : Women Mess Workers June 2021.pdf