They learn fast and work hard

BANGALORE: "They are hard working and easily learn the trade. They take leave only once a year to go home. Above all, they are efficient and dependable," said P Chandrashekhar Rao, secretary, Bruhat Bangalore Hotels' Association, citing reasons why workers from the northeast are preferred.
About 2,000 northeasterners are employed in 1,600-odd hotels in Bangalore and 20% are from Assam and in the fine dining sector.About 1,500 of them have already left for home. "We deputed people outside their accommodation on Thursday night but even that didn't help and some left early Friday morning," said Rao.
A few employers said northeastern employees cooking tandoor dishes, roomali rotis and Chinese delicacies have left and their business has taken a beating. "We're struggling," said a manager of three prominent hotels.
They stay in Koramangala, Challaghatta, Indiranagar, Shantinagar, Yeshwantpur, Shivajinagar, Austin Town and Marathahalli, northeastern chefs and waiters earn between Rs 8,000 and Rs 10,000 per month.
Beauty industry
"They're unsure at the moment but plan to leave," said the manager of Fifth Element Spa in Koramangala, which employs 15 persons from the North-East in two of its parlours. A native of Nagaland employed there said she has never felt intimidated in three years of her stay here. "I stay with my sister and feel safe," she said. She moved to Bangalore after finishing her graduation in Nagaland.
With the staff gone, the spa has decided to down shutters on Monday and Tuesday.
"They earn between Rs 30,000 and Rs 40,000 a month and this includes salary and tips," said Isadora Dhkar, manager of the Thai spa Space.
Security is casualty
Of 5.2 lakh private security personnel in Karnataka, 1 lakh are from the northeast. A few thousands have already left and many companies reported a 30% no-show by staffers in the past few days. IT parks, banking, and financial institutions and manufacturing are bearing the brunt.
"Some hotels and malls have placed security officials on double shifts. Since most institutions observe security protocol strictly, services have been affected. We're trying to convince workers to return to work without fear," said KP Nagesh, president, Karnataka Security Services Association. "Recruitment is on across the state and more ex-servicemen are being hired," he added.