The cause and consequences of defiance of Manual Scavengers
The
Manual Scavenging as a profession is universal in nature since long but with
the time the conditions of the said employment has been ameliorated due to the
proliferation of human right awareness but if we mould the light towards Indian
situation, there is hardly any elevation in the position of the people engaged
in the field of manual scavenging,. The rationale behind the stagnate condition
of people employed as manual scavengers is the survival of cast web in India. The
pyramid of caste and creed is so deeply rooted in the Indian society from the
time immemorial as it’s not an easy target to catch. In India, it’s not a form
of employment but a degradation and a way of demeaning human beings; aiming at
a particular class which has been pushed to do such deeds for their survival.
There are numerous circumstances and incidents which directly and obliquely
adding, contributing and reflecting the conservancy of the outdated tradition
even in the contemporary theme of equality and thereby maintaining the status
quo. In India, the people who have been single out as dalit occupied the lowest position in the caste hierarchy and on this ground, majority of the
section are compelled to indulge in the profession of manual scavenging. The
contumacy, subordination and abuse they have faced are crystal clearly mirrored
in the history. Even in the present time, the people of upper grade firmly
clamour that it’s their right to be higher on the superficial ranking and to
confine and debar the weaken section of the society from all the privileges,
affluences and leisure. Thus, coerce the weaker section to pursue in the same
field without expecting any alteration in the nature of the common people. The
social exclusion, economic exploitation and less employment opportunity forced
them to stay in the same profession. And these are the root causes which gives
birth to others grounds fostering their segregation from the social gathering
and consequently leading the formation of wall of separation between them and
other caste. Every day thousand of death recorded due to deficiency of proper
protective equipments and tools while cleaning the human excreta, dry latrines
etc which they usually sterilize with their bare hands or metal scrappers. Due
to such social discrimination and denial of basic human rights; there is a very
high rate of illiteracy among them which close the doors that might possibly
furnish little hope for their advancement but ended up bonding them to stick in
this menial occupation. Apart from this, the most distressing thing regarding
this is the attitude of the public instruments towards them. The lethargic
government and the dormant public have made this implied that the rights and
privileges for which Baba Ambedkar had fought for his entire life are not meant
for them. They are just theoretically mentioned for all but enshrined only for
few classes. It is painful to mention that even after watching those, doing
dehumanizing work we are untouched to their lives and feelings. And this non
recognition nature of society towards them reflects the disguised dishonorable
image of us, treating them as a load on the earth. While facing the miserable humiliation
from all around, whenever they tried to switch into new business the lack of
support from the public and government agencies they are repeatedly forced to
get back to their original place. Even in the current time, this vicious circle
trapped them in a patronage system nurtured by the colonial municipality for
its own pecuniary benefits.[1]
Disappointedly, this stranglehold condition of poor is continue to exist even
after some progressive steps have been launched by the government time to time
in order to elevate the manual scavengers from their position. And indirectly
proving the theory “living law” as accurate
in the current theme, formed and shaped by the famous jurist Erlich who
insisted that no law can successfully achieve the goal without the full support of society
and ultimately those laws which people follow lives immortally even after the
opposition from the guards of the state.
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