Safai Karmacharis, the waste collectors of Tikamgarh, Madhya Pradesh went on a strike in front of Collectorate office for promotion and pay hike. The Safaikarmacharis of the district have been working for the municipality since more than 15 years but have received only a nominal salary of Rs. 3000-3,500 throughout their careers spanning at least 15 years. Their collective strike in front of the Collectorate has led to a raise of Rs. 500 a month. However, such salaries are insufficient for the workers to continue working.
The Safaikarmacharis in India are contractual labour who clean the streets, sewers and public toilets of India. While the job description does not mention it, the job is caste-based, with Valmikis bring considered the 'lowest of the castes' taking up the jobs. While discrimination and untouchability are prohibited under Article 17 of the Indian Constitution, the Indian population as a whole still practices discrimination towards the community. The Valmikis often have no other choice but to take up work as a SafaiKarmachari because they are not offered opportunities in other professions. This gives their employers an upper hand in deciding their pay too
This video was made by a Video Volunteers Community Correspondent Arti Bai.
Community Correspondents come from marginalised communities in India and produce videos on unreported stories. These stories are ’news by those who live it.’ They give the hyperlocal context to global human rights and development challenges. See more such videos at www.videovolunteers.org.
Take action for a more just global media by sharing their videos and joining in their call for change.
Fighting for Change: The Story of Bihar-Based Journalist Amir Abbas
Inspiration can come from many sources, but one of the most powerful is seeing someone walk the path before you. Our Community Correspondent, Syed Amir Abbas found his inspiration in Stalin K., the founding director of Video Volunteers. “I met Stalin at VV’s national meet in 2017 and I...
The torch bearer of rights for marginalized tribals of Odisha
If you ask Video Volunteers’ Community Correspondent Bideshini Patel to rate her childhood on a scale of 1-10, she would probably give it a negative marking due to the neglect and abuse she faced. But if you ask her to evaluate her professional life as an impactful journalist, resolving basic...