Arti is our CC from Damoh in Madhya Pradesh. Poor socio-economic conditions forced her to work as a manual scavenger at a very young age. Her years of experience have given her a strong understanding of social exclusion issues. She feels strongly about discrimination faced by women in her community and wants to start her journey as a video campaigner…

Arti Bai Valmiki

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.
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