Police detained president of the ragpickers association around 6am as ragpickers were planning to submit a memorandum to Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi.
Police detained president of the ragpickers association around 6am as ragpickers were planning to submit a memorandum to Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi. Women ragpickers expressed their anguish over the 'unjust' approach of police and 'snooty behaviour' of party leaders as they were not allowed to hand over the letter. Women ragpickers were waiting for Gandhi from 10am to 1.15pm.
Angry ragpickers alleged that Shalini Shaikh, president of Kachra Vechak Sanghathana, was picked up early morning on Tuesday. “Why has she been picked up? Why are they trying to suppress our voice? Why can't we speak about the injustice meted out with us,” said Shakuntala Salve, a ragpicker. The police, however, denied any such detaining.
Padmini Jagtap, a ragpicker from Govandi Baiganwadi, said that they were waiting since morning just to ensure that they get to meet him and hand over the letter. “We want to convey our plight to the top. There is nobody to listen to us. Why have they robbed us of our livelihood. What do we do to keep our hearth live? Our children need food and we have to pay for their education,” said Jagtap.
Sunanda Jadhav, along with other ragpickers, was showing the handwritten placards they had made to display. “We wanted him to at least read and come to us and talk. We wanted to talk to him and explain to him that we are not the culprits. Why would we lit fire on the ground which earns us the livelhood? This is the big people's job and we are the scapegoats,” said Jadhav.
Shefali Shaikh, secretary of ragpickers association, said the letter had several key issues which were raised by ragpickers. “We want all the ragpickers relocated before the closure of Deonar dumping ground. Innocent ragpickers have been harassed by authorities in the wake of the fire. We seek safety for ragpickers. We don't want our children to become ragpickers. If our entry to the dumping ground is restricted, then where do we work? We are the only ones who recycle waste in the city, why punish us,” said Shaikh.
Deputy comissioner of police and Mumbai police spokesperson Dhananjay Kulkarni denied anyone being taken into custody under preventive detention. Kulkarni said, “There was heavy security for Rahul Gandhi's visit, but as per my knowledge, we have not detained anyone.”
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