Cooch Behar workers’ ‘vote first, work later’ mantra hits Jaipur restos, households & biz | India News
JAIPUR: With Bengal elections just a fortnight away, an acute staff shortage has gripped households and eateries across Jaipur as migrant workers from Cooch Behar returned home to cast their votes, leaving kitchens short-handed and business reeling.With elections due in nine constituencies in Cooch Behar on April 23, a large number of Bengali domestic workers and daily wage earners are returning to Jaipur, telling employers to “vote first, work later”. The yatra disrupted routine services at homes, hotels, restaurants and construction sites.“More than 80% of the domestic workers and laborers in Jaipur are from villages in Cooch Behar. This is the first time we are seeing such enthusiasm back home to vote. In fact, post-Covid, the enthusiasm is the highest,” said Mewa Bharti, a domestic worker who runs the Rajasthan Mahila Kamaraj Union.The impact is massive. Women mainly work as domestic workers, while men are employed in hotels, wedding gardens, factories and construction.“We cannot think of running a kitchen in Jaipur without Cooch Behar manpower. Currently, there is an acute shortage as almost the entire family has left to vote,” said Tarun Kumar Bansal, president of the Rajasthan Hotel and Restaurant Association. He added that more than 70 of his 240 employees are from Cooch Behar and all have applied for leave.The ripple effect extended to markets, with Bengali Fish Market at Bais Godam and Bengali Anaj Mandi at Shakar Marg likely to remain closed for about a month.Explaining the wave, migrant Usha Burman said: “Our political parties have promised financial help depending on the number of family members who vote. If we don’t vote, there is also the fear that our names may be omitted in the next revision.”With trains full and waiting lists long, many are opting for ordinary coaches or private buses – for these workers, voting takes precedence over livelihood.
