Police detain 170 Ahmedabad sanitation workers for participating in cultural programme in posh city area

Cultural programme at Vastrapur lake

By Pankti Jog*
About 170 sanitation workers (safai sarmachari) of the huge New West Zone of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC), on strike for nearly three weeks, demanding fair wages and permanent status, were detained on Sunday for participating in a cultural programme organized by the Gujarat Jan Andolan (GJA).
They taken away by the Gujarat police in three buses, even as they were silently sitting and watching the cultural expression, held in front of the gate of the posh Vastrapur Lake area's open air theatre. The GJA was not allowed permission to hold the cultural function at the theatre, where many high-profile, including government-sponsored, events have taken place.
The detention took place when a cultural group was singing songs in support of the safai karmacharis, with artist Pravin Mishra displaying paintings of manhole sanitation workers and their aspirations of permanency, residence and health.
A conglomerate of aware citizens and civil rights organizations, GJA simultaneously carried out a signature campaign in an open appeal in support of the safai karmacharis around the time when the detention happened.

A painting by Pravin Mishra on display

“Considered one of the richest zones with maximum tax collection, the New West Zone of Ahmedabad, there is no reason why Ahmedabad residents would want sanitation workers, who clean up the manholes and keep our city clean should be paid less, or should not get housing or health facilities,” Mishra said.
There are around 6,000 sanitation workers in Ahmedabad without any job security , with wages below the bare minimum, Rs 6,000 per month. As the safai karmacharis were being asked to sit in the police buses called to pick them up, people from the New West Zone joined in large numbers and expressed their solidarity.
In the New West Zone, overwhelming majority of the safai karmacharis have been working on contract for the last 15-20 years. They are known to wake up before the entire city does while it is still dark, even during winter days.
Failing to send their children in decent schools, safai karmacharis in Ahmedabad, as elsewhere in Gujarat, end their day asking for food from the neighbourhoods they work in, and eat whatever food they get -- good, bad, mashed, spoiled. And then the next morning, they start their routine again.
When they approached the AMC authorities to make their jobs permanent, based on the official rules and regulations, according to which those who work for more than 900 days in a 5 year period are required to be made permanent, they were denied the right.
The union they have formed was sought to be broken. Despite several representations and peaceful protests, the authorities have refused to heed to their demands. With no choice left but to fight for their rights, they gave a call of 'No Rights, No Work', and stopped work till their demands were met.

Signature campaign in favour of sanitation workers

Meanwhile, to break their struggle, the corporation began firing the protesting workers. It is against this backdrop that the GJA called for a cultural evening in support of the the safai karmacharis.
In a statement, GJA said, the safai karmacharis are “ready to fight to the hilt, and their fight will get a huge boost if residents of Ahmedabad come forward and express their support and solidarity with this struggle. The solidarity of fellow Amdedabadis will go a long way in this struggle and force the authorities to react and remedy the current situation.”
---
*Senior Ahmedabad-based activist

Comments

Unknown said…

Safaikaramcharies need a decent living and should be provided all facilities similar to other AMC workers. Why were they arrested for watching an entertainment show. Such acts of the government causes people to take violent course.

September 13, 2016

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.

CFA flags ‘welfare retreat’ in Union Budget 2026–27, alleges corporate bias

By Jag Jivan The advocacy group Centre for Financial Accountability (CFA) has sharply criticised the Union Budget 2026–27 , calling it a “budget sans kartavya” that weakens public welfare while favouring private corporations, even as inequality, climate risks and social distress deepen across the country.

From water scarcity to sustainable livelihoods: The turnaround of Salaiya Maaf

By Bharat Dogra We were sitting at a central place in Salaiya Maaf village, located in Mahoba district of Uttar Pradesh, for a group discussion when an elderly woman said in an emotional voice, “It is so good that you people came. Land on which nothing grew can now produce good crops.”

'Big blow to crores of farmers’: Opposition mounts against US–India trade deal

By A Representative Farmers’ organisations and political groups have sharply criticised the emerging contours of the US–India trade agreement, warning that it could severely undermine Indian agriculture, depress farm incomes and open the doors to genetically modified (GM) food imports in violation of domestic regulatory safeguards.

When free trade meets unequal fields: The India–US agriculture question

By Vikas Meshram The proposed trade agreement between India and the United States has triggered intense debate across the country. This agreement is not merely an attempt to expand bilateral trade; it is directly linked to Indian agriculture, the rural economy, democratic processes, and global geopolitics. Free trade agreements (FTAs) may appear attractive on the surface, but the political economy and social consequences behind them are often unequal and controversial. Once again, a fundamental question has surfaced: who will benefit from this agreement, and who will pay its price?

Why Russian oil has emerged as the flashpoint in India–US trade talks

By N.S. Venkataraman* In recent years, India has entered into trade agreements with several countries, the latest being agreements with the European Union and the United States. While the India–EU trade agreement has been widely viewed in India as mutually beneficial and balanced, the trade agreement with the United States has generated comparatively greater debate and scrutiny.

Trade pacts with EU, US raise alarms over farmers, MSMEs and policy space

By A Representative A broad coalition of farmers’ organisations, trade unions, traders, public health advocates and environmental groups has raised serious concerns over India’s recently concluded trade agreements with the European Union and the United States, warning that the deals could have far-reaching implications for livelihoods, policy autonomy and the country’s long-term development trajectory. In a public statement issued, the Forum for Trade Justice described the two agreements as marking a “tectonic shift” in India’s trade policy and cautioned that the projected gains in exports may come at a significant social and economic cost.

From Puri to the State: How Odisha turned the dream of drinkable tap water into policy

By Hans Harelimana Hirwa, Mansee Bal Bhargava Drinking water directly from the tap is generally associated with developed countries where it is considered safe and potable. Only about 50 countries around the world offer drinkable tap water, with the majority located in Europe and North America, and a few in Asia and Oceania. Iceland, Switzerland, Finland, Germany, and Singapore have the highest-quality tap water, followed by Canada, New Zealand, Japan, the USA, Australia, the UK, Costa Rica, and Chile.

Four women lead the way among Tamil Nadu’s Muslim change-makers

By Syed Ali Mujtaba* A report published by Awaz–The Voice (ATV), a news platform, highlights 10 Muslim change-makers in Tamil Nadu, among whom four are women. These individuals are driving social change through education, the arts, conservation, and activism. Representing diverse fields ranging from environmental protection and literature to political engagement and education, they are working to improve society across the state.

Search This Blog