Do the privileged among us ever wonder if we value those whose help in our everyday affairs makes our lives easy?

Well, no prizes for guessing, I am talking about our domestic ‘servants’ -- maids, drivers, cooks, security guards, and so on.

Do we show them any attention, if not care, even when we notice them slogging through the daily grind? I doubt if many of us do. I doubt if we think for them beyond the standard wage that we have set for them and which is usually as low as our negotiating skills can bring it.

Often, these people are hired for a 24/7 ‘room service’. They are supposed to be at your beck and call whenever you need them, irrespective of whether it is their time to have some rest after a long day’s work.

We think since we have offered them supplementary accommodation -- however apology of a residential quarter it may be, and not be good enough for the servant’s large family -- we are doing them a favour already.

These people contribute to making our lives comfortable -- oh, wait, do you believe these are among the many ‘comforts’ that money can buy us? That has to be the most insensitive thought that ever crossed your mind.

They aren’t our slaves but they are subjected to insults and humiliation that are often the result of our bad mood swings.

We don’t expect them to raise their voice or speak up for their rights (whatever little they may know about these), do we? And, we snub them, often in mere anticipation of such a situation.

While writing this article I do not attempt to hide that in my own house all this is a common sight. All of us are, to a great extent, involved in such behaviour.

But why does this matter? When we get back home, after an exhausting day at work, and sometimes frustrated because of our own myriad personal and professional issues, our house help gets us tea, coffee or whatever we want to have at that time, as quick as possible. They do the dishes, wipe clean your toilets and take care of all such chores.

This isn’t asking a lot, is it -- making some time for your servants’ problems? Just as we keep an eye on them especially when they are doing our living rooms.

This piece of writing does not claim to make a change in the way we go about things in our day-to-day lives but it is hoped that someone, somewhere shall realise where we are going wrong with our (mostly) low-paid, ‘lowly’ helpers. Do we also help them when they need it? Think about it.