Gujarat govt "solution" for workers suffering from deadly silicosis: Go in for alternative job sources

By A Representative
Will the Gujarat government implement its word to pay compensation of paltry Rs 1 lakh against those who died because of the deadly occupational disease silicosis starting with 2007? While the amount itself is very small, in a recent decision, it decided to pay up the relatives of those who died while working in agate stone-cutting factories, mainly in Khambhat, with effect from January 2014. “We have been assured that the matter will be sorted out”, said Jagdish Patel of the People’s Training and Research Centre (PTRC), which works among silicosis workers. “However, it must await ministerial nod”, he added.
Patel, who met senior officials of the Gujarat government in Gandhinagar to sort out issues related with the occupational disease, said, “The view is also strong in the Gujarat government that instead of stressing too much on the welfare of those working in factories which cause silicosis, there should be an effort to move out workers in alternative sources of employment. During out meeting, a senior official kept asking us why these people are continuing to cling on to this work when they know the dangers.” So far six persons have reported died due to silicosis this year, and 140 are fatally suffering.
“While the Gujarat government officials kept saying that they would assure all help to those wanting to come out of the occupation, we told them that, things are not as easy as they seem to suggest. There are technical solutions in stone cutting by adopting higher levels of technology. This wouldn’t cause silicosis”, Patel, who was accompanied by other social workers, told Counterview, adding, “We also explained to him that had alternative and viable employment possibilities existed, the workers would long have left agate factories. But this has not happened.”
In fact, Patel said, “We explained to Gujarat officials that if Madhya Pradesh could come up with a law to protect its silicosis workers working in slate pencil industry in Mandsaur, why couldn’t Gujarat do the same. At Mandsaur, like Khambhat, a large number of workers used to die from silicosis. To solve the problem, the Madhya Pradesh government came up with a state law for the welfare of slate pencil workers. We think it is good example that could be replicated in Gujarat. Quite some time back we handed over copy of the law to Gandhinagar babus as well as district collector Anand, under whom Khambhat area falls, but nothing happened.”
Patel said, “I visited Mandsaur some time back with few workers from Khambhat, and we were really impressed though there was scope for improvement.” He said, under the aw, the Madhya Pradesh government has set up a welfare board, and created fund to help out those suffering from silicosis, he said, the board is run by collecting a cess at the rate of Rs.4 per 1000 slate pencils from the manufacturer. The amount goes into the welfare of the workers suffering from silicosis, and lots of lives have been saved because of this.
A report prepared on the basis of Patel’s visit to Mandsaur said, “The board has its monitoring centers (chowky) in the manufacturing areas. Once a worker has been diagnosed as suffering from silicosis or silico-TB by the local medical board, headed by the civil surgeon in the city, it issues a certificate for positive patients. Once the patient submits the certificate issued to him with the medical board, the welfare board demands few more documents like certificate by the employer to the effect that the patient was employed by him and copy of the attendance register, voter card etc.”
The report added, “Once satisfied, the welfare board registers the patient. The registered patient is entitled for 7 different benefits extended by the welfare board, including Rs700 per month towards treatment and medical care. The widows of silicosis victims are entitled for Rs 450 per month and Rs.500 per child. Rs.11,000 is paid on death of silicosis patient. Moreover they are entitled for assistance of Rs 5000 in case of marriage of two daughters and assistance for education of their children from Rs 650 to Rs 1,850.”

Comments

Stronger India–Russia partnership highlights a missed energy breakthrough

By N.S. Venkataraman* The recent visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to India was widely publicized across several countries and has attracted significant global attention. The warmth with which Mr. Putin was received by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was particularly noted, prompting policy planners worldwide to examine the implications of this cordial relationship for the global economy and political climate. India–Russia relations have stood on a strong foundation for decades and have consistently withstood geopolitical shifts. This is in marked contrast to India’s ties with the United States, which have experienced fluctuations under different U.S. administrations.

From natural farming to fair prices: Young entrepreneurs show a new path

By Bharat Dogra There have been frequent debates on agro-business companies not showing adequate concern for the livelihoods of small farmers. Farmers’ unions have often protested—generally with good reason—that while they do not receive fair returns despite high risks and hard work, corporate interests that merely process the crops produced by farmers earn disproportionately high profits. Hence, there is a growing demand for alternative models of agro-business development that demonstrate genuine commitment to protecting farmer livelihoods.

The Vande Mataram debate and the politics of manufactured controversy

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* The recent Vande Mataram debate in Parliament was never meant to foster genuine dialogue. Each political party spoke past the other, addressing its own constituency, ensuring that clips went viral rather than contributing to meaningful deliberation. The objective was clear: to construct a Hindutva narrative ahead of the Bengal elections. Predictably, the Lok Sabha will likely expunge the opposition’s “controversial” remarks while retaining blatant inaccuracies voiced by ministers and ruling-party members. The BJP has mastered the art of inserting distortions into parliamentary records to provide them with a veneer of historical legitimacy.

A comrade in culture and controversy: Yao Wenyuan’s revolutionary legacy

By Harsh Thakor* This year marks two important anniversaries in Chinese revolutionary history—the 20th death anniversary of Yao Wenyuan, and the 50th anniversary of his seminal essay "On the Social Basis of the Lin Biao Anti-Party Clique". These milestones invite reflection on the man whose pen ignited the first sparks of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution and whose sharp ideological interventions left an indelible imprint on the political and cultural landscape of socialist China.

Thota Sitaramaiah: An internal pillar of an underground organisation

By Harsh Thakor* Thota Sitaramaiah was regarded within his circles as an example of the many individuals whose work in various underground movements remained largely unknown to the wider public. While some leaders become visible through organisational roles or media attention, many others contribute quietly, without public recognition. Sitaramaiah was considered one such figure. He passed away on December 8, 2025, at the age of 65.

Epic war against caste system is constitutional responsibility of elected government

Edited by well-known Gujarat Dalit rights leader Martin Macwan, the book, “Bhed-Bharat: An Account of Injustice and Atrocities on Dalits and Adivasis (2014-18)” (available in English and Gujarati*) is a selection of news articles on Dalits and Adivasis (2014-2018) published by Dalit Shakti Prakashan, Ahmedabad. Preface to the book, in which Macwan seeks to answer key questions on why the book is needed today: *** The thought of compiling a book on atrocities on Dalits and thus present an overall Indian picture had occurred to me a long time ago. Absence of such a comprehensive picture is a major reason for a weak social and political consciousness among Dalits as well as non-Dalits. But gradually the idea took a different form. I found that lay readers don’t understand numbers and don’t like to read well-researched articles. The best way to reach out to them was storytelling. As I started writing in Gujarati and sharing the idea of the book with my friends, it occurred to me that while...

New RTI draft rules inspired by citizen-unfriendly, overtly bureaucratic approach

By Venkatesh Nayak* The Department of Personnel and Training , Government of India has invited comments on a new set of Draft Rules (available in English only) to implement The Right to Information Act, 2005 . The RTI Rules were last amended in 2012 after a long period of consultation with various stakeholders. The Government’s move to put the draft RTI Rules out for people’s comments and suggestions for change is a welcome continuation of the tradition of public consultation. Positive aspects of the Draft RTI Rules While 60-65% of the Draft RTI Rules repeat the content of the 2012 RTI Rules, some new aspects deserve appreciation as they clarify the manner of implementation of key provisions of the RTI Act. These are: Provisions for dealing with non-compliance of the orders and directives of the Central Information Commission (CIC) by public authorities- this was missing in the 2012 RTI Rules. Non-compliance is increasingly becoming a major problem- two of my non-compliance cases are...

Proposals for Babri Masjid, Ram Temple spark fears of polarisation before West Bengal polls

By A Representative A political debate has emerged in West Bengal following recent announcements about plans for new religious structures in Murshidabad district, including a proposed mosque to be named Babri Masjid and a separate announcement by a BJP leader regarding the construction of a Ram temple in another location within Behrampur.

Global LNG boom 'threatens climate goals': Banks urged to end financing

By A Representative The world is on the brink of an unprecedented surge in Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) development, with 279 new projects planned globally, threatening to derail international climate goals and causing severe local impacts. This stark warning comes from a coalition of organizations—including Reclaim Finance, Rainforest Action Network, BankTrack, and others—that today launched the " Exit LNG " website, a new mapping project exposing the extent of the expansion, the companies involved, and their bank financiers.

Search This Blog