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Supreme Court attacks govt for “sending people into gas chamber”

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New Delhi | The Supreme Court of India has hit out at the government for manual scavenging and sewage cleaning and said nowhere in the world people are sent to “gas chambers to die”.

A bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra questioned Attorney General K K Venugopal, appearing for the Centre, as to why proper protective gear like mask and oxygen cylinders were not being provided to people engaged in manual scavenging and cleaning of sewage or manholes.

“Why are you not providing them masks and oxygen cylinders? In no country in the world, people are sent to gas chambers to die. Four to five people are dying due to this every month,” said the bench also comprising justices M R Shah and B R Gavai.

The bench said that even though it has been 70 years since independence, the case discrimination has not gone away.

The Constitution has provided that all human beings are equal but they are not being given equal facilities by the authorities, it said.

The bench termed as “inhuman” the situation where the people are not provided with any protective gear and they are dying during the process of cleaning of sewage and manholes across the country.

“This is most inhuman to treat the human beings like this,” the bench observed.

Attorney General K K Venugopal said that even though no case can be filed against the worker, the supervisor can be held responsible.

The bench also made observations on the aspect of untouchability in the country.

“Despite the constitution abolishing untouchability in the country, I am asking you people, do you shake hands with them? The answer is no. That is the way we are going on. The condition must improve. We have moved 70 years since Independence but these things are still happening,” Justice Mishra said.

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Rajinikanth opposes Hindi imposition, says no southern state will approve

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Chennai | Superstar Rajinikanth has joined the wave of criticism against Home Minister Amit Shah’s Hindi imposition and said that no southern state will ever support.

“A common language not just for India but any country is good for its unity and progress. Unfortunately, (one cannot) bring a common language in our country. So you cannot impose any language,” Rajinikanth told reporters in Tamil at the airport in Chennai.

“Especially, if you impose Hindi, not just Tamil Nadu, no southern state will accept that. Many states in northern parts will also not accept that,” he added.

“Hindi language should not be imposed. Not just Tamil Nadu, none of the southern states will accept Hindi imposition.

Earlier, Makkal Needhi Maiam leader and actor Kamal Haasan warned of an “exponentially bigger battle” than the 2017 pro-Jallikattu protests against “imposition” of the language.

“Now, no Shah, Sultan or Samrat must renege on that promise. We respect all languages, but our mother language will always be Tamil,” he said in a video.

Also Read: “No Shah, or Sultan..”, Kamala Haasan digs at Home Minister Amit Shah

Amit Shah’s statements on Hindi becoming a unifying language for all Indians has been seen by many as an attempt by the centre to impose Hindi on non-Hindi speaking states, reviving the decades-old uniformity versus diversity debate.

On Hindi Diwas, Amit Shah had proposed to make the Hindi language for “One Nation, One language”.

“India is a country of many different languages, and each language has its own significance, but it is necessary to have a common language that becomes the mark of India’s identity globally… Today, if there is one language that has the ability to string the nation together in unity, it is the Hindi language which is the most widely-spoken and understood language in India.”

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