On this Dalit History Month, we are reminded that caste is not just history, it continues to shape who does the most dangerous and degrading work in India.
Manual scavenging, though legally banned, persists as a caste-based occupation, with Dalit communities bearing its burden disproportionately.
The data is clear: deaths continue every year, protections remain inadequate, and accountability is weak.
This is not just a failure of sanitation systems, but a failure of dignity, equality, and policy enforcement.
If Dalit History Month is about acknowledging injustice, it must also be about confronting the systems that continue to sustain it.