Government data indicates that manual scavenging still prevails in the country, and as per estimation there are more than 11000 manual scavengers in the country. And 86% of them are in Uttar Pradesh alone.
Ghazanfar Abbas, IndiaTomorrow.net,
New Delhi, April 14: Three persons in their thirties died inhaling poisonous gas inside a manhole in Bengaluru last month leaving behind their poor families. They were Yerraiah, Anjaneya Reddy and Dhavathi Naidu but most of the newspapers did not even mention their names in the news reports next day reflecting the mindset of the society towards those who are forced to do manual scavenging.
Despite being declared illegal, manual scavenging is prevailing in the country. The unending plight of manual scavengers has forced a group young boys and girls to run a campaign aiming to abolish this inhuman act. Through a series of street plays, a student’s theater group in Delhi has initiated an awareness campaign so manual scavenging can be completely abolished in the country.
“Our play name is ‘Maila-Kuchaila’ based on the plight and living conditions of manual scavengers. Very few people know that manual scavenging is banned in India. It still prevails in our society. So through this play at various public places, we are creating awareness about this,” Sakshi Jain, a student of Janki Devi Memorial College (JDMC), Delhi University told to IndiaTomorrow.net during the street play at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi.
“We have covered seven schools so far. We have planned to perform this play at various other locations like Rajpath, India Gate, District center Janakpuri,” she informed.
Through the street play, performers demonstrate as to how the prevailing Hindu caste system in the society as prescribed in Manu Smriti is responsible to fix the job of manual scavenging for those who have had been considered inferior to others and that system is still a hurdle in the way of abolishing this inhuman act.
IndiaTomorow.net talked to some students associated with Anubhuti, a street play society of JDMC and the Director of the play – ‘Maila-Kuchaila’ who as theatre artists have initiated this awarness campaign.
“Supreme Court has abolished manual scavenging. It’s illegal. But still it is prevailing as ours is a caste-based society. People who come from backward section are still being suppressed. We found that manual scavengers are more exploited than Dalits,” said Amit Tiwari, director of street play.
“Government agencies are also not implementing rule of law properly. This issue is out of focus from the agenda of government. Swachh Bharat Abhiyan is a good initiative but we also want there should be a proper framework for manual scavengers so this practice should be abolished completely,” Tiwari said.
“As our government talks about Sabka Sath Sabka Vikas; and we are paying service tax for it, so we appeal to the government to bring good plans by which the last man of the society should be benefited,” he appealed.
President of Anubhuti and also a student of JDMC Anisha Bohra said: “People think that manual scavenging is job done by manual scavengers. This is not their job. Rather, this is their insult rather. We want to appeal society not to treat manual scavengers badly. They should not be called as Bhangi or Chamar.”
In March 2014, on a PIL by NGO ‘Safai Karmachari Andolan’, Supreme Court ordered to all state governments and Union Territories to strictly implement the 2013 law for eradicating this practice and ensure efficacious rehabilitation of affected people. As per data given by ‘Safai Karmachari Andolan’, manual scavenging took over 1300 lives between 2014-16.
Government data indicates that manual scavenging still prevails in the country, and as per estimation there are more than 11000 manual scavengers in the country. And 86% of them are in Uttar Pradesh alone.
The Parliament had enacted the ‘Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act 2013′ on 6th Dec 2013 in whole of country, except Jammu & Kashmir. The act intended to eliminate the insanitary latrines, prohibits employment as Manual Scavengers and hazardous manual cleaning of sewers and septic tanks. The law also says that there should be a regular survey of manual scavengers and government agencies should rehabilitate them.
