Issues and Challenges in Liberation and Rehabilitation of Manual Scavenger’s in Rural Rajasthan

Abstract

 Indias Supreme Court has ruled that the practice of manual scavenging violates international human rights law, including protections found in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD), and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). India is also a party to other international conventions that reinforce obligations to end manual scavenging. Manual scavenging is inhuman occupation which is completely a caste-based activity. Nowadays, manual scavengers are facing social stigma, social exploitation and discrimination on the basis of their occupation. They have been excluded by the society in both past and present. So called upper caste people make it mandatory for them to live separately either outside the main village or in their own community area. It makes them vulnerable in terms of necessary basic amenities. In the era of Globalization, Privatization and Liberalization, manual scavengers are living neglected and poor life, lacking all basic necessaries facilities of education, employment opportunities which forces them to live socially and economically backward life. Also, in past and present era they are not allowed to enter the temple for worshipping the God. Not only Manual scavengers but also their children are facing discriminations and exclusion in the schooling life and social life. This study deals with the reasons for failure of government schemes and programmes to liberate them from inhuman manual scavenging practice and an attempt has been made through this paper to analyse the structural discrimination which happens with the manual scavengers. Descriptive research design is adopted to understand basic barriers of policies, schemes, programmes and current situation of the manual scavengers. The Universe of the study is manual scavengers from thedistrict of Bharatpur, Dausa in Rajasthan. Random sampling has been used for data collection and total sample size 50. The study used both primary and secondary data and analysed with statistical pacakege. The findings highlighted the crucial support from government level; policy level is required to improve the living conditions of the manual scavengers.