Spotlight stays on Dandi yatra, salt workers sidelined

The Congress may have gone to town with the re-enactment of the Dandi Yatra, but closer home, it’s time to take a look at the condition...

The Congress may have gone to town with the re-enactment of the Dandi Yatra, but closer home, it’s time to take a look at the condition of salt workers (agariyas). On the day Congress chief Sonia Gandhi was scheduled to arrive in the state for the last leg of the march, the Agariya Hitrakshak Manch organised a press conference to highlight the plight of salt workers’ widows.

Salt workers who work in Khara Ghoda, about 100 km from here and producing the maximum salt in the state, came under the spotlight.

Sukhdev Patel, who runs NGO Gantar, said, ‘‘Though prices of diesel and other things necessary to produce salt have increased, the sale price of salt has not gone up.’’

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‘‘The customer buys salt at Rs 8 per kilogram. However, the same salt is sold by the workers at only 8 paise per kg. It’s really sad that salt workers were not remembered at all during the yatra,’’ he added.

Sukhdev Patel said there are at least 1,04,000 salt workers. The reason they turn to this work is the climactic condition. ‘‘And there’s no question of them being educated.’’

A number of social workers like Chunibhai Vaidya, Indukumar Jani, Harinesh Pandya and Digant Oza were present at the press meet.

Veteran Gandhian Chunibhai Vaidya demanded a support price and insurance cover for the salt workers from the government.

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Eight widows of salt workers were also present at the programme and spoke about the difficulties they were facing in ekeing out a livelihood.