Demand for quota by dominant castes: How about reservation in occupation of sweeping?

By Jitendra Rathod*
Should the government reserve and recruit all categories for the job of sweeping? Are we ready for this type of reservation in the sweeping occupation?
The Human Development Research Centre (HDRC), situated in the St Xavier’s College campus in Ahmedabad, had given an advertisement for the recruitment of sweepers in its office. It said that priority would be given to general category for the post.
On June 22, 2016, few fundamentalists banged into the HDRC office and asked for forgiveness from the organization for such advertisement. The group of unknown persons rushed in the office and broke windows panes. The advertisement was meant for equality, seeking all social categories to come forward for the sweeper’s occupation. But fundamentalists could tolerate this notice. They protested, wondering how upper castes could be asked to do the sweeping job.
This incident proved that there are caste-based biases in the minds of dominant culture. They see sweeping as inferior and meant for Dalits. In this regard, it is very much required to reflect on how the dominant culture sees and perceives sweeping.
There is contradiction in India – on one hand, we have become a modern society with immense technology; and, on the other, we want to continue caste-based discrimination to the marginalized community, especially Dalits.
We proclaim that there is equality and anybody could do any job or business, irrespective of caste, religion, class etc. in India.
There have been strong protests and demands from various social categories, especially general/upper castes, for reservation in government jobs and educational institutes for the last few years. And the demand has become stronger in recent years.
How about reservation in the occupation of sweeping? Who are in the occupation of sweeping? How the sweeping is done? How do we see sweepers and the sweeping occupation? These are some of the questions we have to introspect if we are really advanced not only by technology but also by thought.
The sweeping occupation is fully reserved for Dalits, especially the Valmiki community, across India. Reservation for this occupation is given by the caste society. As per my knowledge, the sweeping occupation is the only occupation, which is based on caste. If we can send 20 satellites into the orbit, why do we not also invest in making sweeping occupation fully technology based? Are we concerned about this occupation? Or let it be caste based and unhygienic?
If we are really a modern society, and believe in and practice equality, we need to see the sweeping occupation as equal as other occupations. All communities should come forward to do this occupation.
The government needs to take concrete steps to make the sweeping occupation dignified, making it technology based, in the same way it has done with fire brigade. It is possible to suggest some options in order to reform our society. These are:\

All governments – central, state, UTs and local bodies – should keep reservation for all categories (General, SCs, STs, OBCs and others, if any) as it is practiced in admission for education and other job
All governments should publicly advertise for recruitment mentioning vacancies of various categories
All governments should keep the vacancy vacant for the particular category till it is not filled up. It should not be converted for SCs any time
Even sweepers for contract should be filled from all categories
Government should make the sweeping occupation dignified by introducing high technology and safety measures with full social security
Government should mandate that within five years, there are equal representations of all social categories in sweeping occupation.

Interested person can seek data on representations from all social categories in sweeping occupation in municipal corporations, municipalities government offices etc. in respective areas. The real picture would open your eyes… Let`s take few steps to make the society more equitable…
Note: Here, “we” means one who believe sweeping occupation is inferior, is only for the Dalits.
—
*Senior activist, Janvikas

Comments

MG-NREGA: A global model still waiting to be fully implemented

By Bharat Dogra When the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MG-NREGA) was introduced in India nearly two decades ago, it drew worldwide attention. The reason was evident. At a time when states across much of the world were retreating from responsibility for livelihoods and welfare, the world’s second most populous country—with nearly two-thirds of its people living in rural or semi-rural areas—committed itself to guaranteeing 100 days of employment a year to its rural population.

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.

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

Concerns raised over move to rename MGNREGA, critics call it politically motivated

By A Representative Concerns have been raised over the Union government’s reported move to rename the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), with critics describing it as a politically motivated step rather than an administrative reform. They argue that the proposed change undermines the legacy of Mahatma Gandhi and seeks to appropriate credit for a programme whose relevance has been repeatedly demonstrated, particularly during times of crisis.

Rollback of right to work? VB–GRAM G Bill 'dilutes' statutory employment guarantee

By A Representative The Right to Food Campaign has strongly condemned the passage of the Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB–GRAM G) Bill, 2025, describing it as a major rollback of workers’ rights and a fundamental dilution of the statutory Right to Work guaranteed under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). In a statement, the Campaign termed the repeal of MGNREGA a “dark day for workers’ rights” and accused the government of converting a legally enforceable, demand-based employment guarantee into a centralised, discretionary welfare scheme.

Making rigid distinctions between Indian and foreign 'historically untenable'

By A Representative Oral historian, filmmaker and cultural conservationist Sohail Hashmi has said that everyday practices related to attire, food and architecture in India reflect long histories of interaction and adaptation rather than rigid or exclusionary ideas of identity. He was speaking at a webinar organised by the Indian History Forum (IHF).

From jobless to ‘job-loss’ growth: Experts critique gig economy and fintech risks

By A Representative Leading economists and social activists gathered in the capital on Friday to launch the third edition of the State of Finance in India Report 2024-25 , issuing a stark warning that the rapid digitalization of the Indian economy is eroding welfare systems and entrenching "digital dystopia."

India’s Halal economy 'faces an uncertain future' under the new food Bill

By Syed Ali Mujtaba* The proposed Food Safety and Standards (Amendment) Bill, 2025 marks a decisive shift in India’s food regulation landscape by seeking to place Halal certification exclusively under government control while criminalising all private Halal certification bodies. Although the Bill claims to promote “transparency” and “standardisation,” its structure and implications raise serious concerns about religious freedom, economic marginalisation, and the systematic dismantling of a long-established, Muslim-led Halal ecosystem in India.

School job scam and the future of university degree holders in West Bengal

By Harasankar Adhikari The school recruitment controversy in West Bengal has emerged as one of the most serious governance challenges in recent years, raising concerns about transparency, institutional accountability, and the broader impact on society. Allegations that school jobs were obtained through irregular means have led to prolonged legal scrutiny, involving both the Calcutta High Court and the Supreme Court of India. In one instance, a panel for high school teacher recruitment was ultimately cancelled after several years of service, following extended judicial proceedings and debate.

Search This Blog