They keep the city’s streets clean, but instead of receiving wages, they received abuses, attacks and even sexual assaults. Bengaluru's city sweepers, known as pourakarmikas, have been resisting the harassment inflicted by civic body contractors. The inhuman treatment meted out to them has forced them to hit the streets in protest.
The pourakarmikas, who are contract employees allege that they have not been paid wages for months. The contractors have been using abuse as a tool to deter these pourakarmikas. On 12 October, they threatened to rape a pourakarmika for merely demanding her salary.
Anjanamma, a pourakarmika working at the Chokkasandra ward in Bengaluru, narrated an incident that took place on 12 October where a Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) contractor had threatened to rape her colleague.
A woman was made to remove her pant and was beaten up when she asked for her salary. He told her that he would rape her in the middle of the road. Nagesh, is the man behind all this, but the police haven’t arrested him yet.Anjanamma, pourakarmika
Despite the civic workers filing a complaint at the KR Puram police station, no action was taken against the contractor. The city sweepers had also registered a case with the BBMP Sexual Harassment Committee and the Karnataka Social Welfare Department.
Another incident of sexual harassment was reported earlier in April this year where the contractor had assaulted two pourakarmikas at the Chokkasandra ward in west Bengaluru causing serious injury to them. Nagavani, a city sweeper who was witness to this, expressed her concern over the incident.
I wish for a safe environment for all of us to work. We are sick and tired of being at the receiving end of physical and verbal abuse at the hands of the contractors.Nagavani, pourakarmika
Despite all the hardships, the pourakarmikas continue to stand up for their rights by launching a demonstration against the inaction of authorities with regard to the sexual assault cases. Their demands included immediate payment of pending wages and legal action against the guilty contractors. However, neither of their demands have been fulfilled yet.
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