Gurgaon: A large number of domestic helpers, car cleaners and housekeeping staff have stopped reporting to work in several upscale condominiums in the city, with employers claiming many of them have left fearing detention during the police verification drive to identify “illegals”.Residents from societies along Southern Peripheral Road (SPR) and Dwarka Expressway said there has been a decline in presence of support staff over the last seven days. In several cases, workers — particularly Bengali-speaking Muslims — have packed up and left for their hometowns.The fear of detention has become so pervasive that some workers have requested financial assistance to leave, while others have ceased leaving their homes. Priyanka Srivastava, a resident of Sector 70A, said her domestic help didn’t show up for the past two days. “She asked for some money, saying she is leaving the city. Our block used to have around 40 domestic helps. Now, barely 14 or 15 are reporting to work. Most of those who left were Bengali Muslims — they were terrified.“In housing societies like Tulip Ivory in Sector 70, the atmosphere is similarly tense. Reeta Sharma, a resident, said her domestic help is too frightened to venture outside. “She is panicking. Even though she has an Aadhaar and has been working here for years, she is afraid she will be picked up and labelled an illegal immigrant. She has stopped going to work altogether.”Fear has deepened among workers living in illegal settlements, with reports of night-time detentions further stoking their anxiety. Arbeena Khatun, 25, who works as a cook in South City 2, said she is planning to leave the city. “My cousin and other relatives have already left. I will also leave soon. How can one live like this? The police are picking up anyone. Even last night, four people were taken away from our settlement. They said this is against Bangladeshis. But we are Indian. I was working in the city for 12 years,” Arbeena added.With support staff missing, many condominiums are now grappling with piling up garbage mounds, dirty stairwells, and mounting chores. Sunil Sareen, RWA Vice-President of Imperial Gardens in Sector 102, said the situation has begun to affect basic services. “Waste is piling up in the society as sanitation staffers haven’t turned up. Most are migrants, and they’ve either left or are staying away due to fear,” he said.
