In this 21st century, how far have we fared as a society, as human beings? Do you think practices like untouchability, caste discrimination, and gender discrimination are out of the picture yet? If you think they are, think again. Raman VR, Head of Policy, WaterAid India, paints us a picture of the vitriolic practice of manual scavenging continuing in the country even after being banned.
Manual scavenging, one of the worst violations of human rights, apart from taking numerous lives, has scarred communities engaged in this activity, both physically and mentally. They face discrimination that extends to all facets of their lives, including access to education for their children, denial of regular wages, and expulsion from mainstream society.
V R Raman is a public health expert having over two and a half decades of experience in research, planning, and development of public health, education, literacy, and grassroots development in several states of India. He has a unique association with three flagship missions - National Literacy Mission, National Health Mission, and Swachh Bharat (sanitation) Mission. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx