20,000 signatures, video force Gujarat official to "investigate" manual scavenging in Surendranagar district

By Sangeeta Rane*
Amidst current imbroglio around the Una incident in which four Dalits were thrashed for skinning a dead cow, the Surendranagar district collector, seeking to address Dalits' issues, has decided to take steps to “investigate” the practice of employing manual scavengers, considered the lowest category in Dalit hierarchy.
The district collecting has decided to hold a meeting next week with the chief executive officers (CEOs) of the district's seven municipalities following the Video Volunteers, the media and human rights organisation, calling on him on August 1, submitting a video (click HERE) as proof of manual scavenging being practiced.
Along with the video, a petition with more than 20,000 signatories was handed over to him. The petition, submitted by Video Volunteers Community correspondent Bipin Solanki, demanded that justice and action against the “negligent attitude” of Dhrangadra municipality in Surendranagar district for “blatantly violating the Prohibition of Employment of Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013.”
“The district collector was surprised that manual scavenging is still practiced in his district. He said that he will set up a committee for regular monitoring of the region’s sanitation work,” said Solanki, whose video is responsible for highlighting the ongoing issue. Solanki reports on human rights violations, particularly caste-based discrimination in Surendranagar.
“Even as thousands of Dalits are protesting the streets of Gujarat, it is an outrage to see the persistent practice of manual scavenging in Dhrangadhra Municipality and many other places”, said Stalin K, director, Video Volunteers.
The issue was highlighted by Solanki in May through a video report which shows Umesh, 23, a young man belonging to Valmiki caste, enter a filthy sewer without any protective gears and cleaning equipment, and clean it with their bare hands. Such employment without protective gear and equipment is an offence under the Prohibition of Employment of Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013.
The video exposes Dhrangadra CEO’s denial of the existence of manual scavenging. The official is seen passing the blame on to the contractor. “These workers are not our responsibility since they are hired by a contractor. I am well-aware that such actions are illegal and thus the municipality does not engage any manual scavengers,” the official had told Solanki.
Enraged by the negligence of administration and their lack of empathy, Video Volunteershad launched an online petition, appealing to the District Collector to take action against Charu Mori, the official, and appealed for effective and periodic monitoring of sanitation work. Over a period of three months, the petition gathered more than 20,000 signatures across the country.
Video Volunteers is a global initiative that empowers disadvantaged communities with socially-impactful stories and data gathering skills, even as training them to use video as a tool to mobilise for change. In India, the organisation is spread across 200 marginalised communities.
---
*Communication Coordinator, Video Volunteers

Comments

When democracy becomes a performance: The Tibetan exile experience

By Tseten Lhundup* I was born in Bylakuppe, one of the largest Tibetan settlements in southern India. From childhood, I grew up in simple barracks, along muddy roads, and in fields with limited resources. Over the years, I have watched our democratic system slowly erode. Observing the recent budget session of the 17th Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile, these “democratic procedures” appear grand and orderly on the surface, yet in reality they amount to little more than empty formalities. The parliamentarians seem largely disconnected from the everyday struggles faced by ordinary exiled Tibetans like us.

Study links sanctions to 500,000 deaths annually leading to rise in global backlash

By Bharat Dogra International opinion is increasingly turning against the expanding burden of sanctions imposed on a growing number of countries. These measures are contributing to humanitarian crises, intensifying domestic discord, and heightening international tensions, thereby increasing the risks of conflicts and wars.

Dhurandhar: The Revenge — Blurring the line between fiction and political narrative

By Mohd. Ziyaullah Khan* "Dhurandhar: The Revenge" does not wait to be remembered; it arrives almost on the heels of its predecessor, released on March 19, 2026, just months after the first film’s December 2025 debut. The speed of its arrival feels less like creative urgency and more like calculated timing—cinema responding not to storytelling rhythm but to the emotional climate of its audience. Director Aditya Dhar, along with actor Yami Gautam, appears acutely aware of this moment and how to harness it.

BJP accounts for 99% of political donations in Gujarat: Corporate giants dominate

By Jag Jivan An analysis of the official data on donations received by national parties from Gujarat during the Financial Year 2024-25 reveals a staggering concentration of funding, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accounting for nearly the entirety of the contributions. The data, compiled in a document titled "National Parties donations received from Gujarat during FY-2024-25," lists thousands of transactions, painting a detailed picture of the financial backing for political parties from one of India’s most industrially significant states.

Alarming decline in India's repair culture threatens circular economy goals: Study

By Jag Jivan A comprehensive new study by environmental research and advocacy organisation Toxics Link has painted a worrying picture of India's fading repair culture, warning that the trend towards replacement over repair is accelerating the country's already critical e-waste crisis.

Beyond the island: Top mythologist reorients the geography of the Ramayana

By Jag Jivan In a compelling new analysis that challenges conventional geographical assumptions about the ancient epic, writer and mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik has traced the roots of the Ramayana to the forests and river systems of Central and Eastern India, rather than the peninsular south or the modern island nation of Sri Lanka.

Captains extraordinaire: Ranking cricket’s most influential skippers

By Harsh Thakor* Ranking the greatest cricket captains is a subjective exercise, often sparking passionate debate among fans. The following list is not merely a tally of wins and losses; it is an assessment of leadership’s deeper impact. My criteria fuse a captain’s playing record with their tactical skill, placing the highest consideration on their ability to reshape a team’s fortunes and inspire those around them. A captain who inherited a dominant empire is judged differently from one who resurrected a nation’s cricket from the doldrums. With that in mind, here is my perspective on the finest leaders the game has ever seen.

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.

‘No merit’ in Chakraborty’s claims: Personal ethics talk sans details raises questions

By Jag Jivan A recent opinion piece published in The Quint by Subhash Chandra Garg has raised questions over the circumstances surrounding the resignation of Atanu Chakraborty from HDFC Bank , with Garg stating that the exit “raises doubts about his own ‘ethics’.” Garg, currently Chief Policy Advisor at Subhanjali and former Secretary of the Department of Economic Affairs, Government of India, writes that the Reserve Bank of India ( RBI ) appears to find no substance in Chakraborty’s claims, noting, “It is clear the RBI sees no merit in Atanu Chakraborty’s wild and vague assertions.”

Search This Blog