Death of Two civil soldiers in Varanasi
PM Modi is roaming the country, doling out the numbers of dead soldiers on the border. He is also trying to get people to attend the election rallies while quoting the sacrifice, lives lost and the bravery of departed soldiers.
At the same time, two people have been martyred in Varanasi which is represented by Modi. It has been two days since the incident happened, and doesn’t even look like Modi is aware of it. These martyrs for soldiers have a big history. About a week ago, the PM had sat down five people who represent this ‘soldier’ community and washed their feet before the camera. He had said to the people of the nation that this was somewhat a compensation for all the excreta and urine they cleared at the Kumbh Mela.
Unfortunately, it hasn’t been even a month since he washed their feet, two dalits in his own constituency Varanasi, have fallen into the manhole and died.
All along his administration, Modi has been emphasizing on Swachata Andolan. He has not only taxed people separately for this, but also told people that they had to celebrate cleanliness like a movement. He has spent thousands of crores on this. The real soldiers of this movement are Pourakarmikas. Advertisements, speeches and events do not clean up the city. Cities open up to life only after the Pourakarmikas sweep clean the roads and bylanes.
If the cities are clean in the morning, it is not because of Modiji’s speeches; but because of these sanitation soldiers having done their duty diligently. Cleanliness is health. Just the way as our soldier in high altitude suffer health complications while guarding the country, Pourakarmikas have been sacrificing their health so that the country remains clean. Their average lifespan is merely 40 years, this is somewhat a startling truth revealed by experts.
The practice of getting Pourakarmikas to get into the manholes and clean them up has continued unabated, despite the fact that the government has spent thousands of crores on Swachata Andolan. It could have been a big revolution if Modi had brought in sewer cleaning machines to change and revolutionalise the way Pourakarmikas work.
Thousands have died getting down into the crap holes. There is hardly any difference between the soldiers who march ahead despite a threat to life, and these Pourakarmikas who get into manholes clearly understanding the implications. But when a soldier dies, he becomes a martyr and a Pourakarmika dying in a manhole does not even become a news item. His life is worthless. Human dignity would have died along with him.
Getting any special compensation is a far cry because his children come to occupy the space of their dead father.
When he was the CM of Gujarat, Modi had said the labourers performing the role of Bhangis or cleaners, was spiritually elevating for them. The same mindset continued in Kumbh Mela when he washed their feet in an emotional drama. He seems to have given a message that the Pourakarmikas should continue performing the same duty. This is the gift he gave to those who had cleaned the excreta of lakhs of people who had come together in Kumbh mela.
If he had some gratitude towards the Pourakarmikas, he would have announced some really special schemes for them. He could have regularized their jobs since most of them live on temporary employment. He could have given them benefits and upheld their dignity through that.
He could have extended same facilities to their children as he does to the army kids. Their lives would have been some bit better if not totally. But he used the entire opportunity of those Pourakarmikas to play for votes before the camera.
The tragedy that happened in Varanasi somehow makes one feel very devastated about the future. One wonders if there will ever be a day in the future when the Pourakarmikas won’t be sent down the manhole.
Till such things happen, the Pourakarmikas have to be accorded all respects by PM Modi as that of a soldier who dies on duty. Their final rites will have to be conducted with the same respect as that of soldiers. Their relief amount has to be increased. Swachata Andolan can get meaningful only with such measures. This is the duty of PM Modi who washed the feet of Pourakarmikas. But will Modi even notice these things while he is busy counting bodies of soldiers ahead of elections?
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Informing Pakistan ahead of Operation Sindoor was a crime: Rahul Gandhi on Jaishankar's 'admission'
New Delhi, May 17 (PTI): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday hit out at the government for "informing" Pakistan about targeting terror infrastructure as part of Operation Sindoor, saying it was a crime and asking who had authorised it.
In a post on X, Gandhi questioned External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar for publicly admitting that the government of India (GOI) had informed Pakistan of the action and asked how many aircraft the Indian Air Force lost as a result.
"Informing Pakistan at the start of our attack was a crime. EAM has publicly admitted that GOI did it. Who authorised it? How many aircraft did our air force lose as a result?" said Gandhi, the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha.
He also shared an undated video of Jaishankar saying India had informed Pakistan of the action against terror infrastructure on its soil.
Jaishankar can be heard saying in the video, "At the start of the operation, we had sent a message to Pakistan, saying, 'We are striking at terrorist infrastructure and we are not striking at the military.'"
"So the military has the option of standing out and not interfering in this process. They chose not to take that good advice," the minister can be heard saying in the clip.
The Press Information Bureau (PIB), however, has debunked claims that Jaishankar had said India informed Pakistan ahead of Operation Sindoor. In a post on X, the PIB's Fact Check Unit said the minister had not made any such statement and that he was being misquoted.
Operation Sindoor was the Indian offensive against terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) following the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam.
Informing Pakistan at the start of our attack was a crime.
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) May 17, 2025
EAM has publicly admitted that GOI did it.
1. Who authorised it?
2. How many aircraft did our airforce lose as a result? pic.twitter.com/KmawLLf4yW
