As Delhi braces for the high-stakes assembly elections on February 5, AAP’s national convener and former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday announced seven guarantees for the national capital's Dhobi community that included establishing a welfare board for them.
Addressing a press conference, Kejriwal said these guarantees aim to uplift the livelihoods of the Dhobi community, ensure access to basic services and secure their socio-economic condition.
“As the national convenor of the Aam Aadmi Party and a chief ministerial candidate, I accept the demands of the Dhobi community and announce that if our government is formed, the Delhi government will establish a Dhobi Samuday Welfare Board,” Kejriwal said.
Representatives from Delhi Dhobi Mahasabha met Kejriwal, saying the steps would benefit thousands from the community.
What are the 7 guarantees?
Kejriwal’s guarantees include regularising ironing stands, resuming the halted licensing process for dhobis, providing electricity and water at domestic rates, offering quality education and creating welfare schemes for elderly dhobis. According to him, plans for welfare schemes for retired and elderly dhobis are also in the works.
“The responsibility for formulating these schemes will be entrusted to the welfare board. Arrangements will be made for scholarships and quality education for the community’s children. Youth will be provided skill training in their traditional profession or in other trades,” Kejriwal said.
Why is AAP wooing the Dhobi community?
The measures announced for the community gain significance in view of their influence in the New Delhi assembly constituency, where Kejriwal is among the contestants. A two-term MLA from the seat, Kejriwal faces a daunting task in the coming election as he battles allegations of corruption and administrative apathy in the area.
The Congress and BJP have also fielded high-profile candidates, turning it into a triangular contest. The Congress has nominated Sandeep Dikshit, son of the late Sheila Dikshit and a former MP, while the BJP has fielded Parvesh Verma, a former MP from West Delhi and son of former Chief Minister Sahib Singh Verma. Kejriwal retained the seat in 2015 and 2020, riding on the wave of AAP’s governance model.
With over 1.5 lakh registered voters (as per the EC data for 2020 polls), the constituency has a sizable number of Dhobi voters. Dhobi Ghat near Barapullah flyover in Delhi has been facing long-standing issues such sewage and water-logging problems. Though the community balances between modern and traditional techniques, issues such as tap water have long impacted voting preferences.
Delhi Dhobi Mahasabha president Ravi Kumar said that the community often receives no attention from various government departments. "We receive no attention in several government departments, and we face numerous challenges... With the establishment of the Dhobi Samuday Welfare Board, we will have a single window system that will provide us with access to Delhi government policies. I extend my heartfelt thanks to Arvind Kejriwal on behalf of the entire Dhobi community,” he said.
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