We will soon celebrate our 62nd Republic Day. However, there are some villages in the state where members of backward communities have still to struggle for basic amenities like water. In about five villages of Chotila taluka in Surendranagar district, people of backward communities are still facing discrimination and are denied access to potable water.
Kirit Rathod, programme director of Navsarjan trust, an organisation working for the upliftment of the weaker sections of society, has sent a letter on behalf of the villagers to various departments of the state government and to the chief minister complaining about the discrimination. The affected villagers have also registered their grievances in this regard to the SC/ST cell of the government.
In the complaint, the organisation has stated that members of the backward community, especially the women in Kalasar, Nani Moldi, Pajawadi, Dhoklva and Kherana villages of Chotila taluka have been victims of caste based discrimination.
The trust has alleged that when these women go to fetch water from public sources, they are harassed by anti-social elements in the villages. Moreover, the women from the backward communities have to wait to let others fill their pots and by the time their turn comes, there is little water left. In such circumstances, they are forced to use water meant for cattle or have to go far away and buy drinkable water.
The complaint further states that wells in the vicinity of backward class neighbourhoods are unhygienic but these poor people have to compromise. As a result, members of these communities have been facing serious health problems.
The trust, in their letter written to various authorities and also to the SC/ST cell, has urged the state government to take necessary steps to ensure people of these communities get access to clean drinkable water.
"Such a kind of discrimination is unconstitutional and it should stop. We have urged the government to take action against those who indulge in such practice. These are just a few villages but this kind of problem is faced by many others also," Rathod told DNA.
However, RM Rawal, vigilance officer, Ahmedabad zone, said that they have taken serious note of the complaint and have already instructed the district level authorities to take necessary steps to make sure that people get access to water and the problem is being sorted out.
