HUMAN RIGHTS

“Thamizhaga arase Thamizhaga arase, saga venduma nangal? Appo than paarpaya?” (Will the government of Tamil Nadu pay attention to our plight only when we die?) This was the chorus of around 1,500 temporary workers of Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply & Sewerage Board (CMWSSB) that echoed at the entrance of the Board’s office for ten continuous days. The reason for the protest was the decision to outsource manpower through private contractors and overlook the demands of temporary workers engaged by the CMWSSB. Even as Chennai has grown in the past few decades, the sanctioned posts in many key departments remain vacant or have…

Access to public transport for people with disabilities has been a long standing issue often swept under the rug by the state government and the transport corporations. While the term 'disabled-friendly' has become a popular buzzword in various schemes, campaigns and budgetary promises, activists and citizens have pointed out how there is very little effort to really make public infrastructure accessible, safe and considerate for disabled individuals. The Disability Rights Alliance (DRA) is a coalition of independent, community-based organisations that advocate with and for people with any disability. One of their members filed a PIL highlighting the inaccessibility of the…

Translated by Sandhya Raju Bustling all day, this city is similar to a baby that actively plays around all day, finishing tired, having to be tidied up only to go about the same routine all over again. The role of conservancy workers in keeping our city streets clean deserves plaudits. The service that they have been providing especially during the pandemic as frontline workers is commendable! But how many of us really take time to acknowledge and appreciate the indispensable work that they do for us every day? The purpose of this article is to shed light on the ethical…

Izzat ka Pani depicts the struggle of Abrar Salmani, resident of Bhim Nagar, Mankhurd, one of at least 62 informal settlements in Mumbai that are denied legal water access and have no piped water supply. This film describes Salmani’s decade-long journey to access his Right to Water, a prerequisite to the Right to Life, guaranteed by the Constitution of India. Through this journey, we take a glimpse into the lives of Mumbai’s urban poor, the political and systemic injustice they face when trying to access water and sanitation, as well as the on-going efforts of citizen collectives to reform this…

On October 22nd, Citizen Matters hosted a tweet chat with Kaveri Medappa, DeliveryBhoy (an anonymous Twitter handle of a former delivery worker), and Abhishek Sekharan to discuss the issues delivery workers deal with on a daily basis. Kaveri is a researcher at University of Sussex, she is known for her work studying the experiences of delivery workers in Bangalore. DeliveryBhoy is an anonymous food delivery worker who brings focus to poor working conditions of gig workers in the country. Abhishek Sekharan, is a Researcher with Centre for Internet and Society CIS India doing interdisciplinary research on internet and digital technologies…

Everyday from 12 am to 3 pm, Mayank* works for Tokree, a grocery delivery app. He then switches to the ubiquitous black-and-orange Swiggy t-shirt, and from 3 pm to 12 am delivers food from restaurants to homes. “For every Tokree delivery, I get paid Rs 35. But with Swiggy, I only get a minimum of Rs 20 per trip,” he says. Mayank is one of the 3+ lakh strong workforce in the country suffering the brunt of low wages and poor working conditions in the food delivery and e-commerce industries. Unable to make ends meet, many of them are switching…

Sushant Jare, a gas cylinder delivery worker in Goregaon, Mumbai, was bedridden in late July for two weeks due to a severely pulled muscle (tendinitis). That is a consequence of his job - lifting gas cylinders, which are about 30 kilos, often over several floors.  “I joined the  gas agency about three months ago, when I left my village to come to the city in hopes of earning a better living to support my newborn child. I dropped out of school in 9th grade, so I couldn’t get any office job, hence I had to resort to physical labour” he…

Uyali* was among the 220 garment workers fired by Slam Clothing Private Limited in January 2020. Two months later, the textile manufacturer situated at Mahindra World City in the outskirts of Chennai shut down operations, citing ‘irrecoverable losses due to the COVID-triggered lockdown.’ More than half of the workers haven’t received their dues from the Provident Fund (PF) yet. Like hundreds of her colleagues, Uyali is still waiting. “My salary of two months remains unpaid to this day. I had to hunt for a job in the middle of a pandemic when I did not even have the money to…

 “I don’t even know who my family were,” says Reena Kinnar, a 24-year-old transgender person, living near Delhi Gate, “They never came to see me , they don’t even know whether I am alive or dead. After being rejected by my family, I found solace and refuge with other hijras who were also struggling to survive.” This conversation, a part of a survey that I conducted on trans people in Delhi earning their living on the streets, reflects the realities of many like Reena. The survey was conducted across areas like New Delhi railway station, Rajghat, Barakhamba Road, Connaught Place,…

Bank fraud case furthered by Enforcement Directorate The ED has attached Rs. 166 crore worth properties in the Varron Group fraud case. These 20 immovable properties are located in Mumbai, Pune, and Ratnagiri. Varron Group had allegedly submitted fake bills to banks in order to accrue Letters of Credit. The Group then defaulted on its payment. In 2017, the CBI filed a charge sheet against the company and its director, officials from Bank of India and Canara Bank of forging bills worth Rs. 300 crores. Source: India Today, MoneyLife Read more: The sad story of Mumbai’s first “slum self-development project”…