A file photo of BBMP pourakarmikas.
The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Pourakarmika Sangha on Tuesday condemned violence, caste-based and gender-based atrocities against pourakarmikas and inaction by authorities, following an incident on September 11 where six female pourakarmikas were allegedly violently assaulted and subjected to casteist abuse while performing their cleaning duties in Ward no. 72.
The members alleged that a local resident named Chandru and his mother verbally abused the pourakarmikas with casteist slurs, destroyed one of their phones when she attempted to record the incident, and physically assaulted several workers causing serious injuries.
Although an FIR was filed in the case under the Scheduled Castes – Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, the members said that no arrests were made.
In a press conference on Tuesday, Nirmala, president of the BBMP Pourakarmikara Sangha said: “This incident highlights the danger under which pourakarmikas are forced to work. It also shows the triple oppression they endure daily — based on their caste, gender, and class. Despite doing essential public health work, they are met with systemic discrimination and violence, which needs immediate attention and correction”.
Lakshmi, one of the assaulted pourakarmikas, asked: “Why have the culprits not yet been arrested?” She further said, “They violated my dignity in public, and the fact that there has been no action against them shows the negligence towards workers like us.”
Another pourakarmika, Rangamma, highlighted the daily caste atrocities faced by pourakarmikas, stating: “It’s not just this one incident. We deal with untouchability every day. We are not allowed to touch the gates of certain homes, and people give us water in bathroom mugs. This is the discrimination we face, even while performing essential work.”
The sangha has called for a protest on Wednsday in front of the BBMP office demanding immediate arrest of the culprits involved in the assault and the provision of compensation of ₹10 lakh for each of the assaulted pourakarmikas.
They have also called for implementation of strict safety measures to protect pourakarmikas from violence and harassment and comprehensive reforms to address the systemic exploitation of Dalit, female, and low-income workers within the BBMP.
Published – September 18, 2024 07:00 am IST