CPIM MP John Brittas questions govt claim on ending manual scavenging, cites 315 sewer deaths
New Delhi: CPI(M) Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas criticised the Union government’s claim of having eradicated manual scavenging. He pointed to data tabled in Parliament showing that 315 people died while cleaning sewers and manholes over the past five years.
“These are not accidents, these are preventable, repeated, institutional failures,” the Kerala MP wrote on social media platform X on Monday.
In an unstarred question, Brittas requested thorough information on deaths and injuries related to sewage and septic tank cleaning in the last five years. He also wanted a state-by-state and caste-by-caste breakdown (SC/OBC), as well as details on compensation paid and safety measures implemented.
According to Maktoob, Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale stated in Parliament that sanitation labor is occupation-based rather than caste-based, and that caste-specific statistics on sewer deaths is not maintained. He stated that compensation had been paid to the legal heirs or dependents of people who perished during hazardous cleaning procedures.
Alleging that the absence of caste data reflected a reluctance to acknowledge structural realities, Brittas wrote “Manual scavenging and hazardous sanitation work in India are overwhelmingly carried out by marginalised communities and are rooted in historical caste-based occupation discrimination patterns." He also accused the government of avoiding documentation that would “expose the truth.”
Manual scavenging was first outlawed in 1993. A more comprehensive legal framework was introduced through the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013. These acts prohibited the employment of manual scavengers, banned insanitary latrines and mandated rehabilitation of affected workers.
Advocacy groups such as Safai Karmachari Andolan have continued to document cases of hazardous sanitation work across the country. Brittas said seven states accounted for 77.5 per cent of the reported deaths, with Maharashtra recording 53 fatalities since 2021.
To ensure safety and dignity for sewer and septic tank workers, the government had informed Parliament that it launched the National Action for Mechanized Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE) in 2023-24. The scheme includes distribution of personal protective equipment, occupational safety training, deployment of safety devices through Emergency Response Sanitation Units in urban local bodies, and financial assistance for mechanised sanitation equipment.
Last year, the government had stated in Parliament that no deaths were reported due to manual scavenging in the preceding two years, while it acknowledged fatalities linked to hazardous cleaning of sewers and septic tanks and non-compliance with safety norms under the 2013 Act.
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EC role, Hindu vote consolidation among factors for BJP win in Bengal polls: J-K CM Omar
Srinagar (PTI): Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday attributed the BJP's West Bengal win to a "significant role" played by the Election Commission (EC), alongside a consolidation of Hindu votes and a fractured minority mandate.
Abdullah also said the INDIA bloc needs to define its role in the political landscape of the country and make it clear whether the opposition alliance was limited to the parliamentary elections or extended to the state elections as well.
Talking to PTI Videos, Abdullah hinted that the EC has compromised its neutrality by conducting the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in West Bengal and linked it to the BJP's gains in the state, claiming large-scale deletion of legitimate voters.
On the performance of the BJP in the just concluded assembly elections, Abdullah said the saffron party has almost nothing to show in southern states.
"So then you look at West Bengal and Assam. Yes, the BJP improved its tally in Assam. There are various reasons for that. You know as well as I do, what those are. West Bengal, I think we need to look at the results very carefully," he said.
"The easiest explanation for the West Bengal result is the serious curtailing of voter list," Abdullah said.
"Voters found their names deleted. People who served in uniform and fought for this country on the borders, who were considered Indian citizens all their lives, were suddenly held to a higher standard and not allowed to vote. Something is not right," he said.
While alleging that the EC played a "significant part" in the results, the chief minister admitted the outcome was multifaceted and noted a consolidation of over 60 per cent of the Hindu vote towards the BJP and a "significant fracture" in the minority vote, particularly in seats where Muslims constitute over 50 per cent of the population.
"There is no doubt that the role of the Election Commission played a significant part in the results but we will also have to look at the other factors," he said.
He said the results of West Bengal cannot be compared to those in other states. "The situation was unique to West Bengal. The SIR that was done, the way in which the voter lists were changed, the sort of minute scrutiny that the Election Commission subjected West Bengal to, the role of the central investigative agencies.
"All of these are situations that at least in recent electoral history of India are unique to West Bengal. So to suggest that we can learn lessons from West Bengal and implement them in other parts of the country, I think would not be correct," he said.
Abdullah had recently said that if the West Bengal results throw a surprise, the role of EC will come under scrutiny.
However, during Tuesday's interview, the chief minister said he still maintains that electronic voting machines (EVMs) do not lead to vote theft.
"What we saw in West Bengal...I know there are a lot of people who believe that the EVMs themselves are flawed. I am not a proponent of that conspiracy theory.
"But I do believe that the Election Commission has done itself no favours in the way in which it has gone about both the process of delimitation and the process of finalisation of electoral rolls," he said and cited the example of delimitation exercise in Jammu and Kashmir or Assam.
"These are clear examples of how the process was done to benefit one party or in the case of Jammu and Kashmir, one party and its allies. And the results speak for themselves. You created seven new seats in Jammu and Kashmir and out of those six seats were won by the BJP. You redrew assembly constituencies to benefit one particular party or its allies. And the same is true for West Bengal as well," he said.
Referring to the INIDA bloc, he said the election results were no new message for the alliance.
"We need to decide what the INDIA bloc is for. Is it only for Parliament or for state elections as well?" he asked.
"What happened in West Bengal is unfortunate. The Congress and TMC fought against each other. Now the Congress agrees with Mamata Banerjee that 100 seats were stolen, but the fact is they fought each other," he said.
Despite the friction, Abdullah reaffirmed the "pre-eminent position" of the Congress within the opposition alliance, dismissing the idea of any other party assuming the mantle.
"The Congress is the only party other than the BJP with a pan-India presence. All of us acknowledge this," he stated.
"To suggest someone else can assume a leadership role would be incorrect. Kharge Sahib is the president of the Congress, and by virtue of that, he assumes leadership of the INDIA bloc meetings. That is the way it should be," the chief minister said.
Abdullah said any 'Common Minimum Programme' would depend on whether the opposition alliance decides to fight state assembly elections collectively, noting that he would share his specific views with the bloc internally rather than through the media.
