‘What is untouchability? We hear about its daily reality. It happens every day, it is part of our life, but it is rarely mentioned,’ says Bezwada Wilson, the founder and national convenor of Safai Karmachari Andolan (SKA).
He was in the city to deliver a powerful lecture organized by the Multiple Action Research Group (MARG) on July 26. Titled ‘Stocktaking of Untouchability: Reimagining Dignity Beyond Caste and Patriarchy’, the talk was a sharp reminder of injustices that remain deeply woven into India’s social fabric. The interaction is part of the Dr Anand Prakash Memorial lecture series.
The Ramon Magsaysay Award winner urged people to stop debating whether untouchability exists. “It is real and pervasive. The question is, why does it still continue?” he said.
He described caste as a system sustained by rigid membership rules and supremacy norms. Its cruelty, he said, is often hidden behind casual slurs. “One lifetime is not enough to overcome the trauma if somebody calls you a ‘bhangi,’ ‘chamar,’ or ‘valmiki.’ The discrimination is invisibilized.”
Wilson linked caste directly to poverty and hunger. Around 70–80% of manual scavengers are Dalits and Adivasis, he said, stressing that deprivation follows caste lines. “Even today, 26% of Indians face hunger-related issues, yet we lack comprehensive data on hunger and death.” Recalling his own childhood, he said, “I had to sleep without food. The granaries are full, yet the poor die of hunger in this country.”
Marginalized communities remain the worst affected, as caste operates everywhere, even in Parliament, and is subtly reinforced in everyday practices like writing “pure vegetarian” instead of “vegetarian.”
Wilson argued that manual scavenging cannot be separated from caste and patriarchy. Assigned to specific castes for generations, the practice is normalized to the point where workers accept it as their fate. He first raised his voice against this injustice in 1982 and led SKA’s campaign that resulted in a 2014 Supreme Court judgment mandating the demolition of dry latrines and compensation for sewage workers who lost their lives.
Yet, the situation remains grim. “In 2025, 76 people died cleaning septic tanks and drains,” he said. Schemes like the Namaste loans, far from ending manual scavenging, reinforce caste-based occupations. “Human life cannot be sold in the market. It is the government’s responsibility to protect the dignity of its people,” he added.
Wilson ended with a call to action. “Untouchability, patriarchy, and slavery still exist. We must reimagine India without them. We must dismantle these structures. Only then can dignity and democracy truly thrive.”