Second silicosis death in less than two months' time in Gujarat's ceramic hub

By A Representative
In a second death in a little more than a month’s time, another person suffering from silicosis, Mahendrabhai Vaghela, has passed away in Thangarh, Surendranagar district, which is a ceramic hub of Gujarat. Vaghela died of silicosis on September 28, while Hareshbhai, 46, also from Thangarh, working in a ceramic unit, succumbed to the disease on August 24 this year.
Aged 49, Mahendrabhai worked for several years in glazes in various ceramic units in Thangarh. Two years ago he was diagnosed of tuberculosis. However, last July, the Civil Hospital in Rajkot found that he was in the grip of the deadly silicosis. For the last six months, he was experiencing increasing breathlessness.
Mahendrabhai worked as a casual worker for the last three years. He worked in several Thangarh units, but no one enrolled him under the Employees State Insurance (ESI) scheme. Under ESI rules, the contribution of all workers for ESI is compulsory starting from the very first day. But nobody seemed to care. Mahendrabhai has left behind his widow Ranjanben, and son Prashant (21) and daughter Vaishali (17).
Bringing this to light, well-known health rights activist, Jagdish Patel, said, “Silicosis is an occupational disease which can be prevented but not cured. The factories Act has sufficient provisions to prevent the disease. The pottery industry in Thangarh has evolved for a long time and locals as well as migrant workers are now employed here.”
Pointing out that there are around ceramic 180 units in the town and its surrounding areas, employing about 20,000 workers, Patel regrets in an email alert, it is not known how many have died because of silicosis in Thangarh.
According to Patel, “While the National Human Rights Commission recently made several recommendations to the Gujarat government after hearing complaints from five silicosis victims, and the Supreme Court appointed two committees to look into the plight of silicosis victims following a public interest petition (PIL), none of these committees have visited ceramic units of Thangarh.”

BRICS ends, but Bangladesh's empty chair says more than any declaration

By Nava Thakuria The 18th BRICS Leaders' Summit, hosted by India at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi on 12-13 September 2026, has concluded with leaders formally adopting the New Delhi Declaration. The gathering, themed "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability," drew Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and other leaders of the now 11-member bloc, along with heads of partner organisations such as ASEAN, the African Union and the Eurasian Economic Union. Diplomats had worked through the final hours to bridge differences — notably between Iran and the UAE over West Asian tensions — before the declaration was signed.

Swaminarayan, untouchability and the 'we are not Hindu' argument

By Rajiv Shah Following my blog on why the Eiffel Tower authorities should take all the blame for giving in to the Swaminarayan sadhus ’ bizarre demand to “invisibilise” women, including its female staff, during their visit to the internationally renowned Paris tourist centre on September 5, an interesting comment by one of the top academics drew my attention to something I vaguely knew about one of India’s most powerful and richest religious sects.

BAPS, the Eiffel Tower and the curious silence on secularism

By Rajiv Shah I was a little surprised to see how some of those whom I respect for taking a firm stand on patriarchal issues reacted to the manner in which they responded to the recent incident in Paris, in which women employees of the Eiffel Tower were asked to remain "invisible" on September 5 when 100 BAPS sadhus visited one of the world's top tourist destinations.

Counterview

Search This Blog