Not Deaths but Killings: Manual Scavengers Protest Govt Apathy

“We are a country which boasts of Rafale but has people employed to go down a sewer to clean waste,” Wilson said.

Manual scavengers from Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab and Delhi-NCR attended the protests, demanding the government end this method of drainage cleaning in the country.

(Photo: Arpan Rai/The Quint)

Demanding a complete end to manual scavenging which has claimed 11 lives in the last one week across the country, a protest led by Safai Karamchari Andolan’s Bezwada Wilson took place in Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on Tuesday, 25 September.

Apart from hundreds of manual scavengers demanding a dignified profession from Central and state government, the protest saw political leaders Yogendra Yadav, Brinda Karat in attendance. Umar Khalid, Arundhati Roy and P Sainath also participated in a show of solidarity with those who have lost lives while cleaning septic tanks.

Manual scavengers from Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab and Delhi-NCR attended the protests and were supported by students in large numbers.

Bezwada Wilson along with those who have lost family members due to sewer cleaning, organised the protest.

“Protest by Safai Karamchari Andolan in Jantar Mantar, New Delhi right now to demand an end to sewer deaths and manual scavenging. For equality, dignity and constitutional rights! In solidarity! Jai Bhim!” tweeted Pinjra Tod.

Wilson, along with those who have lost family members due to sewer cleaning, organised the protest. Manual scavengers from Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab and Delhi-NCR attended the protests, demanding the government end this method of drainage cleaning in the country.

The protests also witnessed support from teachers and students from Delhi University and Jawaharlal Nehru University.

The boy (in blue), whose picture showing him crying next to the 28-year-old manual scavenger Anil recently went viral, also participated in the protest.

Several photos of B R Ambedkar were seen at the site of protest as the crowd routinely roared “Jai Bhim” in union. 

“Eleven people have died in the sewers in the last seven days. Prime minister, chief ministers and district magistrate officers are passing the buck and denying responsibility. These are not deaths but killings for which the government is responsible because manual scavenging is banned in India,” Wilson said, addressing the crowd gathered in central Delhi’s Jantar Mantar.

Several social activists came to mark their solidarity for the cause of ending manual scavenging as a profession. Swami Agnivesh also marked his protest in silence.

"Till when will we lose our youth, till when will our children be orphaned, till when will they stay uneducated,” Bezwada Wilson roared on behalf of those who have lost their lives in sewers.

Angad, elder brother of 20-year-old Vishal who lost his life in a septic tank in West Delhi’s DLF Capital Greens. “My brother died in the most shameful condition that exists. But even more shameful is that none of the officials from DLF have bothered to meet us, forget about compensation,” Angad, who also participated in the protest, said.

Criticising government’s silence on the deaths of manual scavengers, the Safai Karamchari Andolan has demanded formulation and enaction of a time-bound plan to eliminate the practice of manual scavenging.

“We are the country which boasts of Rafale deal but still has people employed to go down a sewer to clean waste,” Wilson said.

Condemning Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s statement that the act of cleaning is spiritual, student leader Umar Khalid said, “There is a man in this country who said that this act of cleaning is a spiritual one. I challenge him, his sangh parivar and his cabinet to come enter the sewer and practise this so called spiritual act once in his life.”

Student leader Umar Khalid addressing the gathering of protestors at Jantar Mantar.