New Delhi, June 17
Calling it one of the ''darkest blots'' in India, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Friday asked states to pledge to eliminate manual scavenging within six months. “One of the darkest blots on our development process is that even after 64 years of independence, we still have the heinous practice of manual scavenging," Manmohan Singh told the inaugural session here of a two-day conference of state ministers of welfare and social justice.  read more »

The obnoxious practice of manual scavanging will continue in one form or the other, as long as the government and society treat certain so-called menial jobs as the preserve of one community.  read more »