No deaths have been reported in India due to manual scavenging in the last five years, Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale stated on 28 July.
Dignity in death seems like an aloof concept in today’s India. On technicalities, through loopholes, or through the lack of data, the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government has time and again unburdened itself of accountability and failed to show compassion. The latest statement on deaths of manual scavengers shows just that.