The letter also states that since 2018, non-Valmiki community members have not been performing sanitation work, placing additional burden on women from the Valmiki community. Therefore, they should be immediately deployed to the wards for sanitation work.
Jodhpur. Even after 78 years of independence, another shocking case of social and mental exploitation of the Valmiki (Mehattar) community has emerged from the Jodhpur Municipal Corporation. Sardar Prakash Singh ‘Vidrohi,’ District President of the All India Safai Mazdoor Congress, has alleged in a letter to the Union Defense Minister that the corporation’s DC, Swaroop Singh, insulted him with caste-based slurs and threatened to implicate him in a false case of obstruction of government work.
According to the letter, the leader was on a hunger strike on May 12th during the sanitation workers’ long-standing struggle for their ten-point demands. Due to the intense heat and the negligence of officials, Sardar Prakash Singh, who had already undergone bypass surgery, became seriously ill, but the municipal administration remained unconcerned.
According to Vidrohi, as the situation worsened, Deputy Commissioner Swaroop Singh expelled all the policemen, officers, and organization members from the room. He then insulted them with casteist slurs, saying, “You Bhangi don’t have the guts to fight us.” Meanwhile, Vidrohi’s health suddenly deteriorated. He initially remained seated on a chair, then, as his condition worsened, he lay down in the Deputy Commissioner’s room.
He was also threatened with a false case of obstructing government work against the Commissioner. Sardar Prakash Singh called this mentality a blot on humanity, saying that while the entire world is planning to settle on the moon, educated officials are still living with the same old mindset.
During the talks with the police and organization members, I sat on a hunger strike in the scorching sun from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., but none of the corporation officials took any notice, leading to my health deteriorating during the talks. I had previously undergone bypass surgery. Even then, the corporation’s DC and no other official took it seriously. My colleagues immediately called an ambulance and rushed me to the hospital, where doctors advised complete bed rest.- Sardar Prakash Singh
In his letter, Sardar Prakash Singh made several demands to the Union Defense Minister. He demanded that the Jodhpur Municipal Corporation’s current cleaning contract be canceled and permanent staff recruitment, DPC, and criminal compassionate appointments be conducted soon. He also demanded that members of the Valmiki community be appointed as sanitation in-charges based on seniority and diplomas.
The letter also stated that non-Valmiki community members have not been performing sanitation work since 2018, placing additional burden on women from the Valmiki community. Therefore, they should be immediately assigned to the wards. The most important demand is the immediate transfer of DC Swaroop Singh and departmental action against him. Warning that if timely action is not taken, Sardar Prakash Singh will approach the court and file a case against the DC under the SC/ST Act.
Copies of this letter have also been sent to Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Rajasthan Chief Minister, and Jodhpur MLA Atul Bhansali. At present, there has been no response from the Municipal Corporation administration, but Sardar Prakash Singh’s allegations have sparked outrage within the Valmiki community.
Geetha Sunil Pillai
Courtesy: Hindi News