NHRC seeks report from Odisha Govt on Jajmani System

BHUBANESWAR: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has asked the Centre along with all the State Governments including Odisha to submit report on untouchability practices continued in various forms in different States of the country. 

Accepting a complaint from the Odisha Goti Mukti Andolan secretary Sumitra Barik, the Commission on January 15 issued a notice to the Union Secretary of Labour and Employment Department to give report on labourers engaged in Jajmani system in Odisha within eight weeks.  

In the notice, the Commission mentioned about Barik’s allegation on engagement of washermen and barbers under the Jajmani System Occupation available only to the Caste Hindus in lieu of nominal wages ‘in kind’ paid once or twice a year. Such a tradition deprives dalits to get the essential services like cutting hairs and washing clothes of barbers and washermen respectively for 100 years, it added. 

As per Hindu tradition, Barik said, the services of barbers and washermen are essentially required for funeral rites after death of caste Hindus. As they render essential service like cutting hair and washing clothes only to caste Hindus under ‘Jajmani System’ and not to dalits, which perpetuates untouchability and bonded labour system in the society, she added. 

Though the system is unconstitutional and also prohibited under laws of the land, activist Baghambar Patnaik said, it is still continuing across the country unabated. The Centre and the State Governments have turned a blind eye to this unconstitutional forced labour which is also a blatant violation of international standards, he added.