Gandhi Textile Labour Association, Lal Darwaja

The Gandhi Textile Labour Association has its office at Lal Darwaja, right on Bhadra Road. This is one of the busiest parts of the city, and our building has been here through a lot of history. You can hear the constant honking of rickshaws and the shouts of vendors from the market right outside our windows. The association was started a long time ago to help the people working in the textile mills, and we still keep that spirit going in a very practical way. The office has high ceilings and old wooden desks that look like they have been there since the beginning. We handle a lot of issues for laborers who come in with problems about their jobs or their pay. It is a lot of listening to stories and trying to figure out how to help within the rules. We don't have a polished front desk or a waiting room with magazines. People just come in and sit on the benches until someone can talk to them. The stairs are worn down from years of people walking up and down. Being at Lal Darwaja means we are right in the heart of everything, which is good because the workers can find us easily. It is a busy, slightly messy place full of old records and people trying to make a living in the textile trade.