NGOs bat for dalits, 'kamdars' in Ahmedabad at NHRC meet

The plight of sewage workers and safai kamdars in the city and across the state figured at the top of the priority list of Non Government Organisations (NGOs) who voiced their grievances and opinion at the open forum organised by National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Monday.

HP Mishra of Kamdar Swasthya Suraksha Mandal said that many sewage workers have died on duty but most states lack data to validate the same.  "I have written to NHRC several times in the matter but there has been no response," said Mishra. Despite court orders and government regulations to ensure safety of sewage workers, Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has washed its hands off the responsibility by allocating the cleaning work to private contractors, he added.

"There is need to bring these workers under the Employee State Insurance (ESI) scheme," said Mishra.

Another activist Purshottam Vaghela, who is fighting for the rights of safai kamdars in Gujarat, said that the state has seen death of 167 sewage workers in last 10 years. "Yet the practice of forcing men into manholes to clean clogged drains continue," said Vaghela.  Kirit Rathore talked of the practice of manual scavenging and how sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) too has failed to investigate the matter, despite several complaints.

Apart from safai kamdars, abuse of rights of Dalits was the other major discussion at the open forum.

Dalit activist Rajesh Solanki accused social welfare department of the state of turning a blind eye to problems of the marginalised. "Fakir Vaghela (minister of social justice and empowerment) also has requested the NCPCR to postpone its hearing in Gujarat as it would expose the situation here," alleged Solanki.

Rathore further spoke of how there were no cooks for midday meal scheme in Gujarat. "In several villages members of the higher castes refused appointment of Dalits as cooks for the midday meal scheme," he said. NHRC members have written down the complaints of all those concerned and promised to look into the matter.