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| Bollywood Actor Aamir Khan leaves after meeting Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Mukul Wasnik in New Delhi yesterday |
Khan yesterday met Singh at his official residence at 7, Race Course Road, and Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Wasnik at his office in Shastri Bhawan and discussed with them the plight of manual scavengers in the country.
Later, at a joint press conference with the minister, the Bollywood actor said both the prime minister and Wasnik were aware of the issue and would step up efforts to address it as soon as possible.
“Wasnik assured me that his ministry is already working on the matter and that both his ministry and the Prime Minister’s Office will work to eliminate manual scavenging at the earliest,” he said.
Wasnik said: “We believe that every person should have the right to live a life of dignity. The fact that even today, a section of our society works as manual scavengers, it is unfortunate for not only the society but for entire nation.”
“I am glad that Aamir Khan has raised this issue and I believe that the way he has focused on the issue will help create awareness in the society on the matter and we will soon be free of this malpractice,” he added.
However, Khan said the state governments were not as willing to accept the problem.
“Many states do not acknowledge that the problem exists. They do not maintain any records of the manual scavengers and claim that the problem doesn’t exist,” he said.
Khan had highlighted the issue in a recent episode of his popular television programme Satyameva Jayate.
In Mumbai meanwhile, nearly 200 scavengers from across Maharashtra protested to press their demands for an end to the pernicious practice.
Led by a social group, Campaign Against Manual Scavenging in Maharashtra, the protesters were barely a fraction of the estimated 35,000 manual scavengers in the state engaged in the dehumanising work for decades, said their leader Pradip More.
Among other things, the scavengers are demanding alternate and dignified jobs, decent housing and education.
“In December last year, a public interest litigation was filed in the Bombay High Court. Three hearings have been held so far, but not a single official from any of the departments concerned attended it. The matter is getting delayed... The next hearing is on July 26,” More said.
The social group’s lawyer Asim Sarode said that manual scavenging has been banned in India under the Employment of Manual Scavengers and Construction of Dry Latrines (Prohibition) Act, 1993.
“Unfortunately, over 65 years after independence, this degrading activity continues in Maharashtra and around the country. The central government is planning a new law in the current (monsoon) session of parliament which is expected to be more effective,” Sarode said.
More and his team of activists, who surveyed various cities in the state where manual scavengers are reportedly hired, were shocked to find its prevalence in some of the most unexpected areas.