Safai Karamchari Diwas-31 July

 

 Safai Karamchari Diwas-31 July

-S.R. Darapuri

31 July is celebrated as “Safai Karamchari Diwas” across the country. On this day, the Safai Karamcharis of Delhi, Nagpur and Shimla Municipality get a holiday. On this day, Safai Karamcharis gather and discuss their problems and raise their demands collectively.

The history of Safai Karamchari Diwas is that on 29 July, 1957, the Safai Karamcharis of Delhi Municipal Committee started a strike demanding their wages and some work-related facilities. On the same day, the Federation of Central Government Employees also warned of going on strike. Pandit Nehru was the Prime Minister of India at that time. He warned the Central Government employees and all the strikers in strong words that their strike would be suppressed strictly.

On 30 July, the strike of New Delhi Safai Karamcharis started. The Municipality tried to manage the work by recruiting people from outside to break the strike. On the one hand, the Safai Karamcharis stopped the garbage vehicles from taking the newly recruited workers to work and on the other hand, appealed to the workers in the name of caste to make their struggle successful. Clashes also took place between the striking and the newly recruited Safai Karamcharis near Humayun Road, Kaka Nagar, Nizamuddin etc.

On 31st July, around 3 pm, an attempt was made to take the newly recruited workers in lorries from Bhangi Colony Reading Road. The Safai Karamcharis tried to stop this. One lorry was taken out with the help of the police. But when the second lorry was being taken out, the striking workers opposed it more strongly. The police started beating an employee named Timlu badly. The crowd got agitated and someone threw stones at the police. The Deputy SP present on the spot at that time ordered to fire on the crowd. The people of the colony say that the police came inside the colony and beat people and fired bullets. Before firing, neither lathi charge was done nor tear gas was fired. It is not known how many bullets were fired. Police said that 13 bullets were fired.

In this firing incident, a young man named Bhoop Singh was killed who was not a sanitation worker but was there as a guest. The municipality which was not ready to accept any demand of the sanitation workers till 30th July, agreed to accept after the strike started. Due to firing by the police during the strike and the death of a man, anger and enthusiasm increased among the sanitation workers which could have taken a terrible form. Many people expressed sympathy and slowly people started forgetting this incident.

The workers living in the Bhangi Colony did not allow any non-Congress political party to come near them for fear of losing their jobs. On the other hand, the workers did not want to forget this incident either. They gave more importance to the death of the young man Bhoop Singh who was shot, and not to the reasons for his death or the attitude of the rulers. Keeping their sentiments in mind, the leaders living in this colony started the tradition of celebrating the death anniversary of Bhoop Singh. After 1957, every year “Bhoop Singh Shahidi Diwas” was celebrated in the Bhangi Colony located on Panchkuiyaan Road and Bhoop Singh was made the hero of this movement. A big picture of Bhoop Singh was put up in the room attached to the Balmiki temple. Every year tribute is paid to Bhoop Singh in this meeting.

Baba Saheb Ambedkar had a great desire to bring together the sanitation workers of the whole of India on one platform. A nationwide organization should be formed which would fight for their upliftment and progress and could free them from dirty profession and slavery. When he was the Labour Member of the Viceroy's Executive Council from 1942 to 1946, he wanted to form their trade union at the national level so that they could fight in an organized manner for their rights.

He had also formed a committee to study the problems of sanitation workers. In fact, Babasaheb wanted the Bhangis to give up brooms and that is why he gave the slogan “Bhangi Jhaadu Chhodo”.

The greatest influence on Safai Karamcharis has been that of Gandhiji, Congress and Hindu politicians and religious leaders. On one hand, they kept the Safai Karamcharis away from Babasaheb’s independent movement and on the other hand, they have tried to keep them illiterate, backward, poor and unorganized so that they remain dependent on Hindus forever, remain unorganized and keep doing the work of cleaning toilets and carrying garbage. On the other hand, they prevented their organizations from becoming independent and strong. Their reins have always been in the hands of Congress Hindus.

There has always been a lack of organization among Safai Karamcharis because Safai Karamcharis of entire India cannot be brought together on one platform in the name of Balmiki or Supach. By doing so, there is a fear of caste conflict among them. Therefore, it is necessary to organize Safai Karamcharis as “Safai Karamcharis”. With this objective, the “Ambedkar Mission Society,” which was founded by Shri Bhagwan Das Ji, decided in 1964 that like “Labour Day”, “Safai Karamchari Diwas” will be celebrated in Delhi too so that on that day, the sanitation workers can discuss their problems and demands and raise them in an organized manner. Gradually, 31st July started being celebrated as Sweeper Day or Safai Karamchari Diwas in other cities of India too. After Delhi, Nagpur is the first city where Sweeper Day is celebrated every year as a public event since 1978.

On this day, tribute is paid to the Safai Karamcharis who fought for their rights, died in accidents or during their service and discussions are held to find solutions to other problems. Resolutions are passed and sent to the government and programs are made for the development and progress of Safai Karamcharis.

In his book “Safai Karamchari Diwas 31, July” and “How to celebrate Safai Karamchari Diwas?” Bhagwan Das Ji has said in a discussion on celebrating it meaningfully that it should be celebrated like Children’s Day, Teachers’ Day and Labour Day. He has further said that it would be appropriate to discuss their business, economic and social system and problems related to education etc. in the gathering on this day. Emphasis should be laid on the spread of education, especially on the education of girls and women. Prizes should be given to students needing help in education, encouragement of music and painting, sculpture and sports and emphasis should be laid on small family, health and eradication of addiction. Ministers and outside leaders should not be invited to this gathering. People should be made aware of the life struggle of Baba Saheb and other great men so that they get inspiration from it and their courage and enthusiasm increases and they themselves try to move forward.

In fact, Safai Karamchari Diwas should be celebrated as a festival completely useful for organizational awakening, education and upliftment among the employees because they are the most exploited, despised and backward working class.