Cops terrorise migrant poor, push them to leave Gurgaon

Thousands of maids, drivers and industrial workers in Gurgaon are being packed off to railway stations and forcibly made to board trains to their native states — all as part of security ‘clean-up’ for the Games, reports Sanjeev K Ahuja.

On Tuesday, Sudhir Dhar (78), from upmarket Richmond Park, went to the shanties of Chakrapur village to persuade his maid not to leave the city. Her husband had bought tickets, under police pressure, and the family was to leave for Bengal that evening. Dhar had to call up the area deputy commissioner of police and get his assurance that the family would not be hounded into leaving.

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But not everyone in Gurgaon knows top cops. And thousands of maids, drivers and industrial workers are being packed off to railway stations and forcibly made to board trains to their native states — all as part of security ‘clean-up’ for the Games.

Residents claim ration and election cards are being torn up and workers being told not to return before the Games get over. “We are dependent on domestic help but the police are scaring them away,” said Dhar.

Col (retd) S. Oberoi of Unitech Uniworld Garden, Sohna Road said the police were refusing to acknowledge police verification certificates and identity cards issued by RWAs.

According to industry reports, 30 per cent of workers have already left Gurgaon.

But DCP (east) Vikas K. Arora said: “We aren’t forcing anyone to leave. We have told the RWAs that even if maids don’t have IDs, we will acknowledge declarations from house owners.”