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New Delhi: Indira Gandhi National Open University's (IGNOU) organized a lecture on "Inhuman Practices of Manual Scavenging: Cleaning up shit" in the IGNOU's Main Campus today.
The lecture was delivered by Dr Berzada Wilson, President, Safai Karamchari Sanghatana(SKA). The lecture was followed by screening of Documentary on" Lesser Humans". Dr Wilson is involved in a movement to eradicate manual scavenging since 1986,which was later formalized as the SKA in 1996.
The lecture was coordinated by IGNOU's 'Dr Ambedkar Chair on Social Change and Development', a part of the School of Social Science and convened by Prof Vimal Thorat, IGNOU.
The lecture emphasized the social basis behind the practice of manual Scavenging in the country, the reality of the life of a manual scavenger and the response by SKA.
Dr Wilson remarked that manual scavengers fall at the very lowest category of sanitation workers in the country, after sweepers, sewerage workers and septic tank cleaners. There are 6.76 lakh manual safai karamcharis (manual scavengers) in India, though unofficial figures put the figure at 13 lakhs, he said.
He further remarked that the practice of manual scavenging has been banned in the country since 1993, but still continues, in few government institutions.
Delineating the ideological basis of this inhuman practice, Dr Wilson said," Manual scavenging is considered one of the lowest, polluted and most degrading occupations. The caste system dictates that those born into particular Dalit sub-castes should enagage in manual scavenging , and should remain doing so throughout their lives."
Dr Wilson was born into a Dalit community in Karnataka. His family was engaged in traditional manual scavenging. He is a post graduate in Political Science and was elected in alternative '25 people who will never make it to the power list' by Outlook magazine . He was also elected as Ashoka Senior Fellow in the Year 2009 from India.
Some of the other main achievements of Dr Wilson's SKA include a PIL petition filed by it in 2003, which resulted in the Supreme Court demanding affidavits from various states. Most states were in denial mode about manual scavenging , but SKA proved the existence of dry latrines with video and photographic evidence , and they were later forced to demolish them.
Dr Wilson is dedicated to total eradication of manual scavenging from India. SKA has made a planning call 'Action 2010' for the purpose to eradicate manual scavenging by 31st December, 2010. |
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