CENSUS "preaching" on Woman's Deliverable

I had been blissfully moving around my house doing great jobs (read: nothing). The church- bell rang (my doorbell) and two “localites” stood at the ground floor building gate, wanting to come and fill up my personal details.

A groggy man in his late 50s; and a young guy- maybe in his early twenties stood there. Their attire and look were that of a local villager. White dhoti- kurta and unshaven face; I had not approved of their appearance. Nevermind, I was not to judge anyone by their appearance, I had thought.

The patwari, Mr. Rajpal Singh had come along with his nephew. He wanted him to join over after 3 months when Singh was to retire. Was he officially supposed to come along with?

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As was expected, I was unable to lodge a complaint at their Website

• Objection on my mother’s last name

My mother’s name as I had dictated to him was with her maiden name and not her husband’s last name.

Even Mrs. Indira Gandhi had changed her last name after her marriage; I was told.
A woman should and must change her last name after her marriage; and otherwise it is wrong. He had tried to lecture me.

=> I had told him that whatever Mrs. Gandhi may have done; did they all qualify to be the testimonial?

The younger lad had laughed; the groggy had gone quiet- only for some time.

My mother is dead and so can not give any explanation to what she may have done- if at all wrong.

=> And, do I really need to?

=> Had she been alive, was she required to?

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• His Biography

He had started that from his childhood- on how his family never prepared meals without asking him. Anyday if that had happened, he had skipped food. Further, they never had dared to insist him again; since that had meant yet another day of starving. That’s all I could make out of his grumble; rest I had lost my patience upon.

I wish his family had kept on insisting and made him to starve and eventually disappear.

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• I can read and write Hindi (!!??)

Self Explanatory.

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• How come I didn’t subscribe to a Religion

Now we all know; where from such communal war- fare rises. Shouldn’t we be Indian? Even PMT forms back then -1995 had a column for religion. Hopeless.

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• I may have provided incorrect DOB

After he had filled up the form in Hindi, he had wanted to recheck if I had given my correct Year of Birth. I didn’t want any doubts or ambiguity remaining; so had asked him the reason. I had also offered him to show my Documents. He had denied to see them but had wanted me to check my Year of Birth. I had sternly insisted that I knew what I was dictating him to write- while filling up the form. He had then blatantly expressed his amusement over my SINGLE status at 32 years of age.

No points for guessing that he had tried to share his gyaan about why I or any woman should get and be married.

I had shown him the door..

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After 1 day, he had barged in again- saying, “ye tumne kya kar diya- sab galat bhar diya hai” (what have you done- this is filled up all wrong)

I had retorted that it was him who had filled up that form, despite my offering him to read it and help him fill that up.

This time, I took the form from him saying that I would inspect it myself. He had claimed that there were no details filled up against my address; wherein, only a day before he had filled up all the details against my name.

1)      My details were filled up against 1^st floor- I stay at 2^nd floor.

2)      My GENDER was mentioned as MALE.

3)   He had mentioned that there were 2 MARRIED PEOPLE residing at this house; I am the only occupant. No such indication was at all made to him.

4)      There were 0 NUMBER of ROOMS at my home as mentioned by him in that FORM.

If only he had been more attentive while jotting the details instead of being so concerned about my Marital Status.

He took another 10 minutes- to find out a form- at my place saying that otherwise he would be jailed for 3 years.

I wish if only that happens.

Note that how my Gender is still ambiguous

I did not feel at all comfortable with 2 groggy, uncouth and villager type men asking me such personal questions and then making me hear their expert comments. That was none of their business.

I had tried to lodge a complaint at their website. As was expected of such Government sites, I could not press the final key to submit the Complaint.

This is what I wish to suggest:

• A woman should also be sent along with a man for such surveys.
• Training should be conducted wherein they should be firmly told to retain their personal, political and chauvinist views to themselves.
• Singh should be relieved of his duty as a “patvari” (enumerator) and put to some department where he could work as a family counselor.