Dalit Adivasi Shakti Adhikar Manch (DASAM) has strongly condemned a disturbing incident at Maharshi Dayanand University (MDU) in Rohtak, Haryana, where women sanitation workers were reportedly coerced by their supervisors into submitting “photographs of their private parts and sanitary pads” as proof of menstruation.
The sanitation workers, predominantly from Dalit communities, alleged they faced threats of dismissal for refusing to comply. Under severe pressure, two women ultimately agreed to the degrading demands.
In a press release on Monday, DASAM characterized the supervisors’ actions as a “dehumanising and grotesque violation” of women’s dignity, bodily autonomy, and privacy. This incident took place on October 26, 2025, as the workers were preparing the university’s sports complex for a visit from Haryana Governor Ashim Kumar Ghosh.
Two male supervisors, Vitender and Vinod Hooda, along with Assistant Registrar Shyam Sunder, allegedly forced the women to continue working despite them expressing discomfort due to menstrual pain. DASAM stated that this behavior constituted both sexual harassment and caste-based humiliation, labelling it a “gross abuse of authority” that intrudes on the intimate aspects of women’s lives.
The organization highlighted that this incident reflects the deeply embedded casteist and patriarchal control evident in informal and contractual labor systems in India. They welcomed the filing of a First Information Report (FIR) against the supervisors and the assistant registrar under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) provisions for sexual harassment, intimidation, and outraging women’s modesty. However, DASAM emphasized that mere suspension of the accused individuals would not suffice, urging for a transparent, independent, and timely investigation to ensure justice.
DASAM’s statement noted that the MDU case illuminated not only individual misconduct but also institutional complicity in the persistent dehumanization of Dalit women workers. It pointed out that countless Dalit women employed as sanitation workers in universities and public institutions routinely endure indignities, wage theft, and harassment without any job security or grievance mechanisms.
The organization asserted that the accused violated several constitutional rights, including Articles 14, 15, 17, 19(1)(g), and 21, and committed various criminal offenses under Sections 73, 77, and 124 of the BNS, alongside the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, the POSH Act of 2013, and the Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act of 1970.
DASAM is calling on the Haryana government, the National Commission for Women, the National Commission for Scheduled Castes, and the University Grants Commission (UGC) to take decisive action. They demand the immediate dismissal and prosecution of all involved officials, as well as a court-monitored, independent investigation to prevent any potential cover-up or retaliation.
The organization is also advocating for the affected women to receive job security, protection from intimidation, trauma counseling, psychological support, and fair monetary compensation. Additionally, they are requesting the establishment of a fully functional Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) at MDU, with representation from women sanitation workers and Dalit rights activists. They further called for humane menstrual leave policies that respect privacy and prohibit intrusive verification.
DASAM emphasized the urgent need for systemic reform to dismantle the exploitative contractual labor system that fosters vulnerability and caste-based discrimination. They called for the regularization of sanitation workers with permanent positions, fair wages, insurance, provident funds, and safe working conditions, alongside a state-wide audit of workplace environments and an independent oversight mechanism to address caste- and gender-based harassment.
“The women of MDU have shown extraordinary courage in asserting their rights and humanity,” DASAM stated. “It is now the moral and constitutional duty of the State, judiciary, and society to ensure that their suffering leads to transformative change, not silence or token reform.”
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