Gujarat has just 56 manual scavengers: Socio-Economic and Caste Census 2011

By Jag Jivan
In a “revelation” which is likely to lead to adverse reaction from among Dalit activists, the new Socio-Economic and Caste Census (SECC) 2011, the results of which were announced by the Government of India on Friday, there are just about 56 manual scavengers in rural Gujarat (click HERE). This is in sharp contrast to the 2011 Census figures, which found there are 1,408 rural households where nighsoil is “manually received from latrines”.
The SECC data suggest, by sharp contrast to Gujarat, rural Maharashtra has the highest number of 63,713 manual scavengers, followed by Madhya Pradesh 23,093, Uttar Pradesh 17,619, Karnataka 15,375, Punjab 11,949, Bihar 5,296, Jharkhand 4,903, and Rajasthan 3,592. In the country as a whole, there are 1,80,657 manual scavengers.

Among other findings, the SECC data show that Gujarat is the second most urbanized state with 40.48 per cent urban households, closely following Tamil Nadu’s 42.47. Gujarat has even overtaken Maharashtra, which has 40.16 per cent urban households, followed by Karnataka 38.74 per cent, and Haryana 35.88 per cent. India has 26.56 per cent urban households.
In rural poverty, SECC data show, Gujarat has 45 per cent rural households whose income is less than Rs 5,000 per month, as against the all-India figure of 74.49 per cent such households. If SECC is to be believed, Gujarat has much lower rural households with income less than Rs 5,000 compared to all other states except for two -- Andhra Pradesh (29.96 per cent) and Telangana (40.02 per cent).

However, interestingly, the figures show that in the higher income bracket – Rs 10,000 plus in rural household income – Gujarat is found to be one of the worst performers with one of the lowest proportion of 4.68 per cent rural households.
Only two major states (out of 21) have lower per cent of rural households – Telangana (4.68 per cent) and Andhra Pradesh (3.2 per cent) with incomes with more than Rs 10,000. The all-India average is 8.29 per cent rural households in this higher income bracket.
Ironically, the SECC has found, there are much higher proportion of rural households with agricultural equipment of 3 and 4 wheels in Gujarat (8.09 per cent), next only to Punjab 16.16 per cent, Haryana 11.53 per cent, and Tamil Nadu 8.24 per cent. The all-India average here is 4.12 per cent.

At the same time, the SECC data show, Gujarat has 43.68 per cent rural households which depend on manual casual labour, less than all states but six out of 21 major ones -- Haryana (42.7 per cent), Assam (42.58 per cent), Jammu & Kashmir (37.28 per cent), Karnataka (32.49 per cent), Uttarakhand (27.98 per cent), and Himachal Pradesh (20.19 per cent). The all-India average on this score is 51.14 per cent.
At the same time, interestingly, SECC has found, Gujarat has one of the highest proportion of cultivators among rural households, 41.09 per cent. Only two major states have a higher proportion of rural cultivators, Karnataka (44.65 per cent) and Rajathan (41.74 per cent), with Indian average being 30.1 per cent.

Comments

The soundtrack of resistance: How 'Sada Sada Ya Nabi' is fueling the Iran war

By Syed Ali Mujtaba* The Persian track “ Sada Sada Ya Nabi ye ” by Hossein Sotoodeh has taken the world by storm. This viral media has cut across linguistic barriers to achieve cult status, reaching over 10 million views. The electrifying music and passionate rendition by the Iranian singer have resonated across the globe, particularly as the high-intensity military conflict involving Iran entered its second month in March 2026.

Kolkata dialogue flags policy and finance deficit in wetland sustainability

By A Representative Wetlands were the focus of India–Germany climate talks in Kolkata, where experts from government, business, and civil society stressed both their ecological importance and the urgent need for stronger conservation frameworks.

Beyond Lata: How Asha Bhosle redefined the female voice with her underrated versatility

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* The news of iconic Asha Bhosle’s ‘untimely’ demise has shocked music lovers across the country. Asha Tai was 92 years young. Normally, people celebrate a passing at this age, but Asha Bhosle—much like another legend, Dev Anand—never made us feel she was growing old. She was perhaps the most versatile artist in Bombay cinema. Hailing from a family devoted to music, Asha’s journey to success and fame was not easy. Her elder sister, Lata Mangeshkar, had already become the voice of women in cinema, and most contemporaries like Shamshad Begum, Suraiya, and Noor Jehan had slowly faded into oblivion. Frankly, there was no second or third to Lata Mangeshkar; she became the first—and perhaps the only—choice for music directors and all those who mattered in filmmaking. Asha started her musical journey at age 10 with a Marathi film, but her first break in Hindustani cinema came with the film "Chunariya" (1948). Though she was not the first choice of ...

Lata Mangeshkar, a Dalit from Devdasi family, 'refused to sing a song' about Ambedkar

By Pramod Ranjan* An artist is known and respected for her art. But she is equally, or even more so known and respected for her social concerns. An artist's social concerns or in other words, her worldview, give a direction and purpose to her art. History remembers only such artists whose social concerns are deep, reasoned and of durable importance. Lata Mangeshkar (28 September 1929 – 6 February 2022) was a celebrated playback singer of the Hindi film industry. She was the uncrowned queen of Indian music for over seven decades. Her popularity was unmatched. Her songs were heard and admired not only in India but also in Pakistan, Bangladesh and many other South Asian countries. In this article, we will focus on her social concerns. Lata lived for 92 long years. Music ran in her blood. Her father also belonged to the world of music. Her two sisters, Asha Bhonsle and Usha Mangeshkar, are well-known singers. Lata might have been born in Indore but the blood of a famous Devdasi family...

Maoist activity in India: Weakening structures, 'shifts' in leadership, strategy and ideology

By Harsh Thakor* Recent statements by government representatives have suggested that Maoism in India has been effectively eliminated, citing the weakening of central leadership and intensified security operations. These claims follow sustained counterinsurgency efforts across key regions, including central and eastern India. However, available information from security agencies and independent observers indicates that while the organizational structure of the CPI (Maoist) has been significantly disrupted, elements of the movement remain active. Reports acknowledge the continued presence of cadres in certain forested regions such as Bastar and parts of Dandakaranya, alongside smaller, decentralized units adapting their operational strategies.

46% own nothing, 1% own 18%: The truth about India’s land inequality

By Vikas Meshram * “Agriculture is the backbone of India” — this is what we have been hearing for generations. But there is a pain hollowing out this backbone from within: the unequal distribution of land. On one hand, news of farmer suicides, indebtedness, and rural migration keeps coming; on the other, agricultural land across the country continues to concentrate in the hands of a few wealthy individuals.

From Manesar to Noida: Workers take to streets for bread, media looks away

By Sunil Kumar* Across several states in India, a workers’ movement is gathering momentum. This is not a movement born of luxury or ambition, nor a demand for power-sharing within the state. At its core lies a stark and basic plea: the right to survive with dignity—adequate food, and wages sufficient to afford it.

US study links ultra-processed diets to preterm birth, sparks concern in India

By Jag Jivan A growing body of scientific evidence linking ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption during pregnancy to adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes has sparked fresh concern among public health experts, with Indian nutrition advocates warning of serious implications for the country’s already strained maternal health landscape.

Midnight weeping: The sociology of tragic vision in Badri Narayan’s poetry

By Ravi Ranjan* Badri Narayan, a distinguished Hindi poet and social scientist, occupies a unique position in contemporary Indian intellectual life by bridging the worlds of creative literature and critical social inquiry. His poetic journey began significantly with the 1993 collection 'Saca Sune Hue Kaï Dina Hue' (Truth Heard Many Days Ago). As a social historian and cultural anthropologist, Narayan pioneered a methodological shift away from elite archives toward the oral traditions and folk myths of marginalized communities. He eventually legitimized "folk-ethnography" as a rigorous academic discipline during his tenure as Director of the G.B. Pant Social Science Institute.

Search This Blog