The former Chief Justice of Delhi High Court, Rajendra Sachar, has urged the People's Union of Civil Liberties (PUCL) to file a contempt petition against the claim made by the Karnataka government before the Supreme Court that there is no practice of manual scavenging in the State.
Mr. Justice Sachar was speaking after releasing PUCL's fact-finding report on the incident at Savanur on July 20 where people of Bhangi community poured faeces on themselves demanding housing rights. Describing manual scavenging as “inhuman, horrible and inexcusable in free Hindustan” he said that Karnataka's false claim should be exposed with the help of PUCL's report. The Employment of Manual Scavengers and Construction of Dry Latrines (Prohibition) Act, 1993, is observed in breach in many States and social organisations should work towards finding alternative employment for manual scavengers in occupation other than that of safai karmacharis, he added.
Sanjay Parikh, national vice-president of PUCL, said authorities seemed to be interested in eliminating the entire community of scavengers rather than providing them alternative livelihood.
“There is no dearth of funds to rehabilitate them, with Rs. 8,000 crore set aside for the purpose,” said Bezwada Wilson, convener of Safai Karmachari Andolan. There was a problem with identifying people of the community, he said, and added that his organisation had collected data on the practice of manual scavenging in 274 districts in India.
Y.G. Rajendra of PUCL-Karnataka said that their fact-finding report showed there was clear violation of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, by the government officials in Savanur, including the Deputy Commissioner.
The municipal authorities had passed several resolutions on building a commercial complex where the Bhangi community lived, without bringing it to their notice, he added. The Social Welfare Department too had failed to help the community in any way.
