Reading the Compounded Vulnerability of Domestic Workers in COVID-19 Pandemic Narratives

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic ravaged the whole world and disturbed all facets of human life. In India, things were not so different, but the experiences of the pandemic had not been the same for all. While some passed through it by staying at home, for others it was a seemingly endless nightmare. Domestic workers are a group whose subject position makes them more vulnerable to the pandemic. The study scrutinizes the experiences of the pandemic among domestic workers in India, as they are in good numbers and contribute economically while being employed at urban households, yet have been unrecognized and, hence, unrepresented. Drawing on three texts, namely, Namita Gokhale’s The Blind Matriarch, Shobha Dé’s “Doctor Doctor”, and Udayan Mukherjee’s “Holidays”, this article explores the inherent and increased vulnerability of Indian domestic workers in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, it also lays bare the lack of representation and invisible presence in the socio-economic and political sphere of Indian urban settings. The article employs the theoretical framework of vulnerability developed by Judith Butler and others to conduct the study.