Statistically Invisible and Systemically Exploited: Caste, Migrant Labour, and Manual Scavenging Deaths in Kerala, India

Abstract

This paper critically examines the persistence of hazardous sanitation work in Kerala, India, a state often lauded for its progressive social development and high human development indices. The national government maintains a narrative that "manual scavenging" has been eradicated, a position that allows states like Kerala to project an image of being free from this practice. This study reveals a stark discrepancy between this official narrative of denial and the reality on the ground. Through a qualitative analysis of government documents, media reports, and case studies from 2014 to 2024, this paper argues that the state's progressive image masks a grim reality of ongoing deaths and systemic exploitation. The research documents 17 fatalities across eight separate incidents during this period. It identifies key patterns of systemic failure, including the misclassification of deaths through legal loopholes, the exploitation of migrant labour, the lack of contractor accountability, and the symbolic use of technology. The paper concludes that the invisibility of these deaths is not a mere statistical error but a political failure rooted in caste erasure and the systemic devaluation of marginalized lives.