RWA's absurd rules see no bound; residents may have a way out

Everyone has heard of strict housing rules, several will raise their hands to share some absurd ones too. While most of us have put up with eccentric entities often making it to Resident Welfare Associations, a tweet by author Shivam Shankar Singh has brought out the so far unsaid, that some rules are inhuman too. Signifying nothing else but moral corruption.

"Indian middle class is honestly the most morally corrupt entity in existence. A group of gardeners, security guards and maintenance staff just came to my house almost crying. A lady in our colony had decided to fulfil her political ambitions by using the power of RWA," tweeted the author of How to Win An Indian Election, before bulleting the rules for everyone.

• Staff can't eat in the Colony (they used to eat lunch in a very out of the way corner park). They must go outside the colony and eat.
• No motorcycle/cycle riding in colony. Get off at the gate and drag it to your destination.
• No children of domestic help allowed to enter any park/green space in colony.

The rules have been, as expected, followed by abuses on violation along with threats of replacements.

While there were many who took offence to the author starting his tweet with a preconceived notion and judgement about Indian middle class, several others came up with suggestions so there's less social abuse and more respectable rules. Shares Badri@badri, "This is so typical. Everyone wants them to work but be invisible at all other times. And their kids are meant to be imprisoned."

The same story, similar rules, different level of weird

It was during lockdown that phobias and eccentricities were probably at their best display. So much so that in the month of April, the Gautam Budh Nagar District Administration and the police had to issue warnings of stern action if any of the rules by RWA's contradicted the guidelines of the government. During the first phase of 21-day nationwide lockdown by the government, messages like, "No milk, no bread, no vegetables," were not uncommon to come across. An unnamed society in Pune, even issued strict, "no newspapers," orders. In the year 2016, a Gurgaon resident was told by the RWA in his colony that his friend from Spain couldn't stay with him as the friend was of opposite gender and they were not married.

Legally speaking

RWA vs a faction of the residents who are opposed to rules and regulations is not unusual. Since the grounds of conflict can be numerous, from moral policing to certain demographics (bachelor's, certain communities) being barred from being tenants to shared clubhouse communities. When RWA's become the villain instead of being the watchdog, legal remedies galore.

The residents at loggerheads, can as a first step, give a written complaint to Managing Committee of RWA, following which matter can be discussed in a General body meeting. If issue is of a more grave nature, resident can approach Registrar of Societies who has the right to cancel registration of the association. Although the latter process can be lengthy.