Tamil Nadu: Dalit Manual Scavenger Dies of Asphyxiation, Activists Vow Legal Action
On Thursday, Mohanasundaralingam (37) was involved in helping his colleagues with the cleaning of a sewage tank at an apartment on Kannabiraman Mill road near Sowripalayam in Coimbatore.
After a 37-year-old Dalit was asphyxiated to death while cleaning a septic tank in an apartment building at Kannabiraman street in Coimbatore, Dalit activisits demanded the officials take legal action.
Talking to IANS, Dalit rights movement activist Meenakumari Sunil told that manual scavenging was against the law.
“It is against law and we will take those who engaged the man for manual scavenging to the court,” Meenakumari said.
On Thursday, Mohanasundaralingam (37) was involved in overseeing cleaning of a sewage tank at an apartment on Kannabiraman Mill road near Sowripalayam in Coimbatore.
While overseeing the cleaning process, Mohanasundarlingam's accomplices, Raju and Guna, entered the sewage tank. Ramu, one of the accomplices, fell inside the tank, following which Mohanasundarlingam entered and attempt to rescue him. Although Ramu was successfully pulled out to safety, Mohanasundarlingam collapsed inside the tank. He was rushed to a local hospital but was declared brought dead.
Hailing from Thiagi village in Ramanathapuram, Mohanasundaralingam's death prompted Dalit organizations in the area to demand action against those responsible for his demise.
Meenakumari emphasized that manual scavenging had long been abolished by law and those responsible for engaging individuals in such inhumane tasks must be held accountable. Activists, including a group of advocates, met with the deceased's family members at Coimbatore General Hospital. They assured the family of their support, promising to pursue legal action and stand with them.
According to Dalit rights activists, under the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act and the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, individuals who engaged the deceased and his accomplices in manual scavenging will face severe legal consequences.
It maybe recalled that Tamil Nadu recorded the highest number of manual scavenging deaths in the country last year.
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