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Watchmen - who rule the roost in several buildings

ABU DHABI - With the majority of the UAE expatriates spending a better part of their lives in the multi-storey building apartments, the 'nathurs' or the watchmen are deemed to be an indispensable element in our system. Overseeing the security, maintenance and day to day management of the more than a few dozen apartments daily, they more or less rule the roost in several buildings.

From getting a suitable housemaid to arranging a part time cleaner or washing your car to receiving the children when they come back from school, the services offered by a watchman is multi-fold. As Sibi Mathew, an engineer form Kerala puts it, "our nathur is an administrator, manager, receptionist, messenger and cleaner - all rolled into one."

And most of the tenants try to keep them in good humour by occasional tips or even a monthly buksheesh that count a lot to these low income group. A watchman in the UAE, on an average, earns something between Dh800 to 1,000 monthly. Asheesh Mishra, a marketing executive, says that he feels obliged to pay some tips to his nathur considering the services that he does, especially in emergency situations. "Once when my wife started a false labour pain during midnight, it was our watchman who attended to our three-year-old son who was fast asleep. when I requested him, he immediately agreed to sleep in our couch so that I could take my wife to the hospital, leaving my son at home," he says.

At the same time, some residents are irked by the way some watchmen demand something as if it is their right. "Giving a tip is up to you and you will do that if you are impressed by his work or as a token of thanks for a special service he renders to you," says Shehnaz, a housewife from Syria.

So also there are complaints galore that the watchmen abet illegal activities of some of the bachelor tenants who bring in girls and liquor to their apartments. "For a small amount of money that these miscreants stuff into their pockets, they coolly turn a blind eye to these nefarious activities. We families feel uncomfortable but the nathur just ignores our complaints saying that he is not aware of anything,' adds Shehnaz.

There are cases where watchmen themselves have been caught red-handed muddling in shameful actions like the nathur at Rema Ranjeev's residence in Dubai, who was involved in an illicit relationship with her Sri Lankan housemaid. Kunjippa from Kerala whose uncle is working as a watchman in Abu Dhabi is of the opinion that nathurs as such is a privileged class as not many in their income group can afford to have a single room apartment. "And it is quite true that many of them have some hanky panky going on in their rooms. A few weeks back, there was a midnight raid at many of their rooms and it was heard that some were arrested and cassettes and CDs of pornographic movies confiscated from their rooms."

But he is quick to add that one can't dub all of them as trouble makers for the mischief committed by a few. According to him he knows many well-qualified nathurs who maintain a good reputation both among their friends and the tenants.

The watchmen on their part have their own grievances. Low salaries, round the clock working hours, mistreatment by the tenants and lack of gratuity or other end of service benefits, they say make them an unhappy lot. "Ours is a thankless job. Though we are an integral part in the day to day running of a building, shouldering important responsibilities, we are often treated as third class employees, complains Mohammed Hussein. He says that on many occasions when there is an emergency in the building, nathurs are the first to be on the spot trying to bring the situation under control before the police or the fire brigade is called.

"But often we are the first ones who are cornered by the authorities in case of a fire, accident, suicide, theft or even murder in the building. Some of my nathur friends have been in jail for a few days for no fault of theirs. You can't keep your eyes and ears open twenty four hours a day. We also want some rest," said Hussein.

"The lack of training in operating the safety equipment and dealing with emergency situations," says Ajith Babu, "is a major concern and real estate companies should take some initiative on this regard, which will definitely improve their efficiency and performance."

The watchmen also complain that unlike other professions, which have definite working hours, they have to be on call twenty four hours a day and seven days a week. "Even Fridays are not for us. To go window shopping or gaff about with friends are an unknown luxury for us. And some tenants, without a least concern immediately complain to the building owner, if they can't spot us as and when they need," said Mohammed Kutty, another watchman. According to many watchmen in Abu Dhabi they are a lot destined to confine themselves within the building of which they keep vigil day and night.