Dalits shouldn't be employed as manual scavengers: Dalit outfit to Kejriwal

A Dalit delegation today submitted a memorandum to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal containing a set of demands that include not employing them as manual scavengers.

Around 150 members of the Dalit Shoshan Mukti Manch (DSMM) gathered at the ITO and demanded equal rights for the community. Woman activist and CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat supported the protest and said there was discrimination on the basis of caste even in a city like New Delhi.

Nathu Prasad, the all-India secretary of DSMM, said they have submitted the memorandum to Kejriwal. "They (Dalits) should not be employed as manual scavengers and machines should be used for it. In case they die in any accident, appropriate compensation should be given to them," he said.

Prasad said they want the Delhi government to fill up the vacant posts for the reserved category. "The memorandum also included the demand for providing scholarships to Dalit students and allocating separate funds for the development of Dalits in the budget," he added.