Days before Diwali, Bhopal’s streets first became a protest ground, and then a garbage dump, as sanitation workers escalated their agitation into an indefinite State-wide strike. The protest began on Tuesday morning under the banner of the Akhil Bharat Safai Mazdoor Congress Trade Union (7262). Workers from across the state, including a large number of women sanitation workers and union office-bearers, gathered in the Jahangirabad area to press for a salary hike, regularisation and settlement of long-pending demands. The flashpoint came when, according to the union, no officer arrived to receive their memorandum. Angered, the workers moved towards the Chief Minister’s residence to submit it directly. Police stopped them near Jahangirabad crossing, where they sat on the road and blocked traffic for nearly two hours. Kali Mandir Road, Lal Parade Ground Road and Jinsi Road remained jammed before officials persuaded the workers to hand over the memorandum and disperse.

 

That warning has now become reality. On Wednesday, workers stopped sweeping and garbage collection across the state. In Bhopal alone, more than 400 garbage collection vehicles remained parked, leaving waste uncollected in residential areas and markets, including New Market. The union claims over one lakh workers have joined the strike, from 16 municipal corporations and 374 municipal councils. The demands are regularisation of contractual employees and a minimum monthly salary of 25,000 for workers under the 29-day system, along with government employee status, an end to the contract system and compassionate appointment benefits.

 

“This is the final memorandum to the Government,” State President Maganlal Jhanjhot said. “Our organisation has fought for 20 to 25 years. It is impossible to run a family on the present wages.” Talks between the union and the Government are still ongoing. A meeting with Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya and Principal Secretary Manoj Dubey was scheduled for Wednesday, and the department is making efforts to find a solution through dialogue. However, till the filing of this report, the situation remained unchanged. Workers say they will return only if talks produce a positive result. Till then, this is the latest update the strike continues, and cleaning will remain suspended even during Diwali if talks fail.