There
are about 40 million construction workers in India — vast majority of them women. The majority are poor migrants, who shift
from site to site, building infrastructure for India’s booming cities. It is
not uncommon to see young children rolling in the sand and mud as their parents
carry bricks or dig for new roads or luxury houses.Sordid living conditions,
poor educational and medical facilities, and lack of childcare inevitably
characterise the lives of construction workers in the country. Sadly the people who facilitate growth would
never be able to reap the benefits of the growth !
Moving away Dr. Radhakrishnan Nagar is a legislative assembly
constituency in the city of Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It has been a traditional ADMK stronghold,
now more famous of TN CM Ms J Jayalalithaa, getting elected from here.
In
2012, I had on an Italian MEP representing People for Freedom, winning a
seat in European Parliament elections and subsequently becoming member of the
Employment and Social Affairs committee
- she is LiciaRonzulli who took her 7 week-old baby to work. Photographs of Ronzulli cradling her
daughter, Vittoria, in a sling as she voted on proposals to improve women's
employment rights were broadcast around the world and published in newspapers
from the US to Vietnam. The woman in news
for attending the Parliament taking her daughter,is married to Renato Cerioli,
who is also a member of the same party. She had earlier worked as a nurse in
Milanand Bangladesh before becoming a hospital director and then turning to
politics.
Executives carry laptops / blackberry / ipads and other gadgets – this executive carrying child made the news. The flexible rule in European Parliament allows mothers to bring their children to work. Licia took multi-tasking to new levels, carrying Victoria as she addressed parliament and voted on important issues. If it happens in Italy, India cannot be left behind ~ perhaps, now read this report from Indian Express, Chennai edition. It was a pleasant surprise to her colleagues when R Sasireka, a 28-year-old first-time councillor representing the AIADMK for Ward 41 in R K Nagar stepped into the council hall for a meeting, with a four-month-old baby in her arms.
this photo credit : New Indian Express
Sasireka’s
father, also an AIADMK functionary said, “Although her daughter is just four
months old, she insisted on attending the council meeting. She normally doesn’t
miss any meeting.” Elected to the corporation council in 2011, Sasireka is an
MPhil from Madras University. When asked how she will manage both motherhood
and councillor’s post, Sasireka said, “I am determined to manage both roles
without compromising either.”
Meanwhile,
all civic works, put on hold owing to the assembly elections, will be carried
out on priority basis, said Mayor SaidaiDuraisamy.Addressing the council
meeting, he said pending works, including the ongoing storm water drain project
in several wards, will be fast tracked. He also asked councillors to submit a
list of roads damaged due to the metro rail within two days. A total of 18
resolutions, including one on provision of LED lights.The mayor promised to
integrate the education and revenue departments in the expanded Alandur and
Ambattur areas with the civic body.
With
regards – S. Sampathkumar
31st May 2016.
