Manual scavengers met the press in Delhi to announce the continuation of the outdated practice. Former judges of the Supreme Court and human rights activists expressed their dismay that the eradication of manual scavenging is not the government’s priority.

Rubishing the government’s claims on eradicating manual scavenging across the country, four women manual scavengers told mediapersons at the Press Club of India to boldly declare that manual scavenging and dry latrines still exist.

They questioned “How can the government say there is no manual scavenging, when we are still forced to clean dry latrines everyday. When are we going to get freedom from this untouchability and slavery?” 

Safai Karmachari Andolan declared the launch of a year-long campaign INDIA@80 to free India from the national shame of manual scavenging. The women manual scavengers, along with Justice Madan Lokur, Justice Sudhesansu Dhulia, Justice Anjana Prakash and many eminent citizens launched the India@80 campaign. 

The women, among many other manual scavengers, were assembled at the Press Club of India by the Safai Karamchari Andolan.

What They Said

Mussi Devi, 70 years from Uttar Pradesh’s Sitapur district said she has spent her entire life cleaning others’ feces. “I want to see the end of the practice before I die.” 

Mussi Devi complained: “The Government is completely against us and practicing untouchability and not even giving us ration cards.” 

Muzzafar Ahmed Sheikh from Jammu and Kashmir said that manual scavenging is rampant across Kashmir and hidden because nobody feels free to speak about it. “Because of this practice of manual scavenging our community carries stigma and we are prohibited from marrying anyone outside our caste (inherited or hereditary profession).”

Anguri Bai said her mother-in-law took her to clean dry latrines soon after her marriage at the age of 14 – and she has been cleaning dry latrines since then. She said that the government must hear her voice: that she does not want to do manual scavenging any longer. 

Narayanamma, a board member of Safai Karmachari Andolan said that she was cleaning dry latrines with 600 seats when she got liberated. Now she said she is dedicating her entire life to end manual scavenging. 

Chanjotiya Devi From Bihar said, “I am working since I was 15 years old and am still cleaning dry latrines.” She said that she does not want the next generation to continue doing any form of manual scavenging. She called for others like her to “be liberated from this atrocity.” 

Parliament Is Being Told Lies

Deepthi Sukumar, national core member of the Safai Karamchari Andolan, stated that the first law to prohibit manual scavenging and dry latrines came only 45 years after independence in 1993.  Repeated laws, supreme court orders and policies have not ended this practice which is rooted in caste, patriarchy, untouchability and slavery. 

She said that women have come to Delhi to give living proof that manual scavenging exists – “If the government does not act even now then this government is not fit to rule this country.”

Human rights activist Usha Ramanathan stated that the government must approach manual scavenging as an act of untouchability to end it. 

Justice Madan Lokur stated that SKA and the community are continuously fighting the legal battle to end manual scavenging. They approached the Supreme Court to implement the 1993 Act. Then the 2013 Act came and said that there should be a central monitoring committee to monitor the status of manual scavenging. 

Justice Lokur alluded to the Supreme Court’s recent observation that there was not a single meeting of the CMC over the last three years. Lamenting the state of affairs, Justice Lokur said no schemes for rehabilitation of manual scavengers have been implemented – eradication of manual scavenging is not a priority of the Indian government. He said that everything is only on paper and the government is not doing anything and the Parliament is being told lies. 

Justice Sudhenshu Dhulia stated being shocked to hear from Wilson that manual scavenging and dry latrines still exist in more than 40 districts. He said that every Indian must feel ashamed hearing the women say that they are still cleaning dry latrines – they are carrying feces on their heads. He narrated that as a Supreme Court Judge he was told by everyone that manual scavenging did not exist. 

Too Complicated to be Eradicated Just By Law

Justice Anjana Prakash said this problem is too complicated and cannot be eradicated just by law. The government of India must change the mindset and so also the society from the casteist attitude. It is a shame, she said, that the country is more concerned about the national anthem and songs but do not give any thought to ending this national shame of manual scavenging. 

Bezwada Wilson, national convenor of the Safai Karamchari Andolan said that coming to Delhi to prove that manual scavenging exists even 80 years since independence shows the casteist mindset of the government. He said that he started the fight when he was 16 years old and now he is 60 years old and many things have changed but manual scavenging in dry latrines still remains. 

Wilson stated that he has given many photographic evidence to courts, but the courts did not want to see pictures of dry latrines and manual scavenging. “This is the status of our courts,” he said, giving an ultimatum to the government of India to end manual scavenging within this year. He said that there is an action plan ready, and this cannot be tolerated anymore.  

The press conference ended with the call to action – India@80 – End Manual Scavenging.